Darkman

Argh, I can't get the cage assembly out. I can move the assembly a little down, left, or right. There's no room to move it forward towards me since it makes contact with horizontal support along the top and bottom edges. There's no room to move it backwards because there's foam behind it and there's a metal horizontal support behind it too.

I can't unclip the two tabs behind it. I tried breaking the tabs with a screwdriver and pry bar with no success. Any advice on how to get the cage out? After you unclip or break the tabs, which direction should the cage go to get it out? Do you have take out the foam behind it first?

c240classic

Hey folks,
I dont get any clicking noises on startup or anything but as soon as i turn the blower or the climate control on it consistently keeps sounding like a bird is chirping behing my radio unit. (Maybe something stuck in the blower unit?) sound is coming from the vicinity of behind the radio. It seems like i am getting air from all my vents. Any siggestions? It is loud and annoying ! goes away as soon as i turn the climate control or the fan off completely

mleskovar

I finally got mine out by forcing/breaking the two clips at the horizontal support bar. Came in handy for the next 4 times I had to go in there to fix something It doesn't hurt anything since everything screws solid to the left and right metal vertical metal support bars anyway.

Darkman

How did you break the clips? Did you use a tool like a screwdriver? Or did you yank the cage assembly straight down?

mleskovar

I used a giant screwdriver and pulled straight out on the cage at the same time.

Wharton

Here is a technique that worked for me:
1. Take the foam out.
2. Slide two medium-size (1/8 inch wide) flat screwdrivers under the tabs and leave them there; pull the bottom flap down.
3. Pull the lower part of the cage out until the bottom flap is out and pushes against the metal.
4. Free the upper part of the cage where it meets the upper console and the vents (there is a positioning knob that needs to be pushed out from inside the hole in the console).
5. Now you should be able to pull the cage down and out.

Takes 5 minutes.

nilknarf

I ended up with a broken actuator arm on M2/15 and bad stepper motor on M2/16. I was able to swap out M2/16 without removing the upper dash, although in retrospect, that may not have been easier. I was able to get to it by a combination of working through the instrument panel cage and from underneath by lying on the floorboard. I did drop the steering column with the help of Benzmodz' post https://mbworld.org/forums/audio-ele...e-up-down.html.

The M2/16 took several hours and my hands feel like they've been through a meat grinder. I have to admit that if it were only the M2/15 to be fixed, this job wouldn't have been that bad. I wouldn't go through the M2/16 battle again and would probably just unplug that guy and live with the ramifications. The M2/16 can be easily unplugged by removing the lower footwell panel and (lying on your back) reaching up. You can spot it and M2/6 using a flashlight. I would guess that M2/6 could be replaced from underneath.

I tested my suspected stepper motor by swapping it with another where I wasn't having any problems/noises. The clicking followed the motor.

Darkman

Thanks for the tips, wharton and mleskovar. I was finally able to remove the cage. I removed the foam which gave me more room to work behind the cage. The key was getting the bottom of the cage over the metal lip and then I was able to pull it out and towards me.

I unplugged the two exposed stepper motors but the clicking is still there. It must be M2/6 because when I put my finger on M2/15, I can feel the vibration from the clicking.

nilknarf, how do you remove the lower footwell panel to reach M2/6? Is it the black panel that you remove with a T15 torx screwdriver as shown in this guide?

http://www.kotikone.fi/eerola/auto/d...ree/index.html

mleskovar

Yes, it's hard to figure out which one it really is because I think the vibration caries through the whole assembly. All of the motors are on the same parallel ribbon cable and unplugging one does not hurt the operation of the others. Unplugging one (or more) will stop the self check procedure from completing properly though. Depending on the loudness and frequency of the 'clicks' will let you know whether it's the motor or the actuator arm. Keep unplugging until the noise stops, then see if it's the arm or motor. The arm us usually the footwell flappers and makes the noise at start up for a short period then stops. The motors make a louder noise and it's more random.

nilknarf

Darkman....yes that is exactly it. Aside from the torx screws (they are actually T20), you'll need to release the OBDII connector, a second unknown wiring connector, and unattach the hood release cable from it's handle. I pulled the cable out through the slot in the handle with needle nose pliers.

Darkman

I didn't have to completely take off the footwell panel. I pulled the right side down without removing the OBDII connector or the hood release handle and there was enough room to reach up and unplug the connectors to the M2/6 and M2/16 motors. My M2/16 was clicking.

M2/16 is in a tight spot that's hard to reach. I searched this thread and it looks like you have to at least drop the steering wheel column and maybe remove the top dash cover to replace it. If I just leave it unplugged, would the front defroster stop working?

mleskovar

Yes. My defrost is independent between driver and passenger sides and I unplugged my passenger side when the motor failed/made noise. Only tested it once in 3 years and it worked fine for both sides. Do you live someplace that defrost is used heavily?

Darkman

How do you get the trim piece between the radio and the glove compartment back in? I popped off the black plastic with the metal rod from the bottom of the trim piece when I initially took off the trim. Should I slide the black plastic back into the trim first and then put the whole thing back in, or do I plug the black plastic into the in the center console hole first and the slide the trim piece in? Do I put the bottom of the trim in first and pop the top in the top, or do I slide the trim piece sideways back in?

Darkman

No, not really as I'm in Boston. I use the front defroster mostly in the winter to melt the snow/ice.

mleskovar

I guess everything is relative. Maybe you could figure out a way to block the defrost flaps open manually for the season if it gets to be a problem.

vdemon311

I have the same exact problem. As soon as I turn on the a/c or the heat, it gets noisey. It seems like it could be just the stepper motor. Can anyone confirm its just a stepper motor? or is it the compressor itself?

vdemon311

it actually sounds exactly like a bird chirping quietly lol gotta fix this, driving me nuts please help

mleskovar

This sounds like you just need to lube the fan motor bushings. You can get at the top bushing easily by going through the cabin air filter under the hood and it's just below the fan. Don't overdo it, just a drop or two of 20W oil should work. If lubing the top bushing doesn't do it then you need access beneath the dash on the passenger side to get at the bottom.

vdemon311

Appreciate the input! Will try this sunday morning.

james90755

Well, I am back!!

After a couple months of bliss, I now have the same repetative chirp/knock/clunk (1 second intervals for ~60 seconds after engine start) as the heater box comes to life. And as an extra, I also get a similar clunk about three times louder but just a single event, or a few events that appear randomly within the first few minutes of starting the car.

I am hoping for broken linkages this time instead of stripped stepper motor gear like last time.

The sounds are all high and left of the radio, which appear to possibly be the exact reason this thread was started.

Anyone heard the louder, non-rhythmic clunk??

james90755

the update is:

Tore the whole thing down, and its M2/8 stepper motor, the highest one on the left side. Turns out I didn't have to tear the center console (radio area) apart.

Boy I am not sure I can get this one out. I am considering just unplugging it. Any thoughts??


I am now thinking that taking that top of the dashboard off will allow me access to the part, but not sure how hard it will be.

Wharton

M2/8 is the most difficult motor to access; someone here on the forum did that, and it included taking the wiper assembly apart and removing it, then getting to that motor from outside the car. Those who attempted to access it from the inside (the way you would with M2/15 for example), ended up with scratches and cuts on their hands after hours of disdain.

mleskovar

I'll trade you doing M2/8 for an M2/9 any day.

bauster

replace the stepper motor behind the stereo cost the motor about $150 take one hour to do it

Basa

I need to remove the driver's side dash panel (I have no need for accessing anything behind the radio, or center console - so I'd like to avoid removing those if not having to).

I have removed the black plastic cover of the footwell area. Also undone screws and connectors from dash panel starting from the left side all the way to the ignition cover/ring. From there on the dash panel is still tight.

So 1st question is how should I remove the ignition cover/ring. I wedged a few screw-driver bits under it and tried prying it w/ the edge of a med size flat screw driver (trying to not damage the leather), but the cover ring just won't come out.

Also Do I have to open any other areas in order to loosen the rest of dash panel (and eventually remove it)? If so, what items I need to open, and how should I do it.

Any help for this?

Thank You.