jamieh

My 1997 W210 suffers from a squeaking noise every few months, I lube with vasoline and its work fine.

MaxVon

Can't find the link but here is the procedure and possible fix....
"For small fee, let's say $50,000 I can give you a 10-minute cure for your roof
rattle. OK forget the money. After some close inspection and possible scenarios, I have both found the roof rattle mystery and cured it. At least in my vehicle. The problem is NOT the sunroof or shade. The problem is the metal support liner for the headliner. There is too much play between the headliner and it's support frame. SOLUTION: With sunroof and shade in the closed position, place an object about 1½ inch wide, slightly rounded, (so as not to damage the headliner), such as a large screwdriver handle, about 5 inches from either the left or right edge of the sunroof between the rear of the sun shade and the headliner. If you slide your hand in you will feel the metal support grid. In this area you will feel a hole about 3 inches wide and 4 inches long. Obtain a small rag such as a bed sheet fabric 12 x 12 and fold it several times so the final piece is about 4 x 4. With the use of a flat semi-flexible metal tool such as a “slim jimâ€? bent in a slight arch fold the fabric over the end of the tool. Feeling with one hand and pushing with the other, slide the rag under the metal frame but above the headliner. Push it under about 6-10 inches. Repeat the process on the other side. Presto! A quiet riding car again."

ajent420

When the Sunroof slider is open, it rattles going over the littlest of bumps, so annoying! It makes the same rattling even if the window is open with it. I can't believe they designed it like that...unless it's not a common problem (But I did see it on someones lit in that thread.)

Anyone have a fix for this? If I had to guess, I would say it's the sound of the plastic vent thingys hitting the roof when open...or the slide rails it is housed in aren't secure enough?

RobertG

Mine is making noise too, but it seem like it's comming from the right rear area. I would like to know how to drop the headliner without causing more rattles.

ajent420

So no one elses sunroof rattles?

ed austin

This one is from this board:

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...sunroof+rattle

And this is from another board:

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...sunroof+rattle

I had to read a bunch of info to be able to visualize what all is in there (since it's really hard to see). When I did this fix it DRASTICALLY improved my enjoyment of my car.

ajent420

Great, thanks for links. I like how they both start with "I swear I searched everywhere but can't find anything."

Just to double check though, the guys say that you can get a screw driver handle in between the headliner and the CLOSED sunroof shade...that sounds like crazy talk! I can barley pull that part down let alone enough to prop it open AND get my hand in there...

Britrover

My 01 E 430 makes a loud rattle/thud every time I go over a bump at low to moderate speeds (30-50 mph). For the longest time I thought it was my rear shelf behind the rear headrests but after driving the car with an empty trunk, removing the rear speakers that were loose I determine the problem is the headliner. I can replicate the annoying noise by tapping the headliner area where the sunroof glass slides in. It almost seems like the headliner hits the roof or something is loose between the headliner and the roof.

I am sure many other E class owners have faced and dealt with this irritating noise. Does any have instructions for the headliner removal or DIY way to fix this issue?

If I can get this fixed I will then focus my energy on the squeaky steering and the center rear headrests which always squeaks when it’s down ( my temporary solution was to simply raise all the headrests to avoid the squeak)

KADE

You should use the search feature above...You will find some fixes for the headliner issue.

Quadcammer

YES! I had the same issue, and the fix is remarkably easy and cheap.

heres what you do:

1. Get some blue scott shop towels. 1 normal roll will work (you will only use a few sheets, and the remainder are handy around the garage). About $5.

2. Hopefully you have thin arms. Kneel on the drivers seat, and with folded shop towel in hand (i folded 3 times in half) slide your hand between the back of the sunroof shade and the headliner. You can pull down on the head liner and push up on the shade to make it easier, but go easy. Once your arm is in there, you will feel two open areas that resemble a square surrounded by metal bracing. Slide the folded towel into the open area, and under the edges of the steel bracing. Try to get the towels under all of the corners of the open area.

4. repeat on the passengers side.

It seems kinda complicated, but once you get your hand in there, you should figure it out.


This made a WORLD of difference in my car. It now is pretty much silent over bumps, as it should be. I too have some steering squeak to contend with, but the headliner was the most annoying thing and now its completely fixed.

Britrover

Kade - Apologies I got tired of searching using 'rear shelf ' and ' rear headrests' and never searche under 'headliner'

OlioverK - Thanks for taking the time to document your solution. I will be working on this fix tomorrow morning around 6. I will be glad once the thus is gone……….it's awful.

Quadcammer

it is very awful. made the car sound very cheap.

The fix takes about 20 minutes and it works!

Yacht Master

Like many my E 430 has the popular roof rattle. Seems that over time it has become worse. So on a cool Sunday morning I start, rereading all the DIY posts here and at BenzWorld. Now I am ready, I look and look, and after an hour find the headliner support, and start the install (rags) first one in the center great. Now a little test, FAIL still a rattle, so now I add a rag to the left side and test. FAIL but now the rattle is on the right side, back for what I hope to be the final rag install when all of a sudden BANG the sunshade jumps its track. Well the sunshade has a little spring steel tab that has a white nylon slider on it to run in the track, mine is now knocked almost all the way off the tab. Do I stop and get the good old 6" needle nose pliers? NO I try to get it with my fingers, and I almost had it. Yes at the last second it pops off and ricochets in to never find me land. Could not find it (damn) still have rattle, and now I have a much larger job to do.
I HAD TO DO IT
Stay tuned for "Head Liner Removal for dummies" coming to MBWorld soon.

Quadcammer

im sorry to hear about your problems. I have skinny arms, so I didn't have much in the way of trouble. My shade popped out in the back on one side too, but just sliding the shade back was enough to get it back in place.

good luck on finding it and fixing the whole deal.

ProV1

sorry to hear yacht but yoru post made me laugh LOL

g'luck w/ the repair! DIY FTW

raymond g-

i apologize but i laughed as well. but i quickly recovered and thought to share
my fix on the rattle:

- buy foam tape...the kind that you use to seal between canopy and truck
bed. there are probably many other applications but if you look in hardware
store, it is a large roll, approx 12" diameter. the foam is about .25" thick and
about 2" wide. it has adhesive on one side and peel off liner/protector tape
on the other. you may already have this sitting around in your garage for
other purposes.

- i cut off about 2" of the liner and tape to the sticky side. this allows the
leading end to glide better as you push it in and not stick to the metal.

- open roof half way. slide cover about half open. find something about .5"
thick to wedge between the sunroof cover and headliner

- shine light inside to see metal pressure plate

- as I unroll the foam tape, I begin to slide it between the headliner and the
sunroof cover...and along one of the longitudinal spines of the pressure
plate. there is only so much you can push in...about 12-15". cut the
cushion tape and slide the remaing as far back as you can.

- I used telescoping rod to help maneuver and keep the tape aligned to the
spine. if you have a telescoping mirror in your toolbox - that's what I used.

- the foam is just barely rigid enough to allow you to push it back into the
headliner area...as well as to maintain lateral control to help keep it positioned
above the metal spines which the foam tape will be sticking to

- repeat this taping for the remaining spines. you should be able to slide in
about 3-4 more.

- when done, slide the sunroof cover back -- the cover will press downward
against the tape, and help seal it against the metal spines.

- leave the liner tape affixed to foam tape's top side. it's somewhat slick
surface will keep the coefficient/friction down between sunroof cover and
the foam tape.

time: < 10 mins
degree of difficulty: 1.5 out of 10 (dexterity and reading glasses)
aesthestics: no uneven bulges from shop towels

this isn't an exact drawing of the pressure plate. i'm guessing, natch. but
the gist of the drawing is to convey that the foam cushion tape should be
pushed along the path shown in yellow.

Quadcammer

The trouble is, is that the headliner rattle is between the metal support (the black lines in your drawing) and the molded headliner. By inserting the towels, you keep the headliner from hitting the metal brace, which your fix would not do.

Your fix sounds great for stopping the sunroof slider from rattling when its open though.

raymond g-

perhaps with your rattle that may have been the case. it wasn't so with mine.
i had tested it out first before cobbling the fix. quiet as a church mouse now.

worth pointing out though, ie, if the rattle manifests itself when the sunroof
shade is open, and not closed, my foam tape fix is worth consideration. if the
rattle is heard when the shade is closed (as you described) then the solution
to apply may be the shop rags per your fix.

my brother just told me he solved his 00 E320 roof shade rattle in novel fashion:
he had a can of spray foam insulation. he affixed clear tubing to it and, using
a coat hanger, directed the business end of the hose to the target area
beneath the metal bracing. then he goosed the nozzle a bit so as to deposit
a dollop of foam.

raymond g-

actually, O....during my drive today performing errands, I realized that we're
actually both solving a similar noise. you're separating the headliner from
the metal piece using fabric....whereas I'm pressing the metal piece down
so that it is against the headliner, and with the tension is high enough to
prevent the tap dance.

Quadcammer

wait, now im confused.

How is this foam pushing the metal piece down? Are you referring only to when the sunroof cover is open?

raymond g-

yeah, sorry...when the shade is retracted. i lose patience when i'm pecking
via PDA and my accuracy in communicating goes down the toilet.

what is important for other folks to note is that when trying to solve the roof
rattle, it's important to note whether the shade is open or closed, as it provides
insight into the tension (or lack of) of the metal tensioning plate....and to
apply the appropriate fix.

Yacht Master

Thanks guys for the advise,
I am going in! got the parts, and the headliner will come down and the rattle will be gone, arghhh

Yacht Master

Success! I dropped the headliner from the rear. First I peeled the fabric door seal/threshold finish beading. then I removed the C pillar covers, left them dangle on seat belts. Then drilled out the pop rivets in the rear part of head liner. Removed center clip under rear dome light. Removed handles over doors and started to pull the head liner down. Well low and behold there is my nylon slider, I took it and after 45 min. got it back to the place were it belonged,yea! Now back to the rattle I continue to pull the headliner down and rip, I pulled a metal clip out of the middle of the headliner it was setup to be removed with a forward motion, and I was not going to take down the front part for love nor money. I continued and rip same thing other side. So I look at the clips they are just glued in and did not have much clamp pressure, i crimped them down for a tight fit, and reinstalled them. Now I can see the rags I installed earlier and I remove them, and can clearly see that all I need is 6 little dabs of marine caulk/sealant/adhesive (AKA 3M 5200) to hold the headliner to the frame that it rattles against. I do that and glue the clips that are now tighter to the headliner. I put everything back together and wedge some 1X1s to support the headliner wile the 5200 dries. Happy day it worked!

I would like to thank all that responded and lent advise, you guys are the best!

raymond g-

i was working on the headliner and took advantage of this to snap pics. it
enhances Yacht Master's description with photos.

Yacht Master

This post has some history if you have an interest in what led to this click on the link below,
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...-i-had-do.html


Here we have a 1999 E 430 "the victim" due to old age, and major disruption,
the headliner is falling.

I did a roof rattle repair 2 years ago, and that may have caused some of my
headliner problems.

As well I had the windows tinted last summer and after that the headliner fell.

I think the disruption played a part, but the headliner fabric has a foam backing and
that is what deteriorates over time. Touching it or rubbing it will cause it to come lose
before it's time.

First thing I needed was the sun roof door. The forward inside edge has a black plastic
cover that opens the sun roof door when you open the sun roof. It has little tabs on the ends
pry them inward and pull down on the plastic cover to remove it.

Here I have released the end tab and am pulling the part down.

Here is what it looks like removed.

Now open the sunroof.

Close the sunroof door.

This is one of the 4 sliders that support the sunroof door.

To remove the sunroof door you need to compress the sliders.

Here I use a knife and lift the door up while the slider is out of the track
do same for the other sliders, and remove door in a forward motion.

To remove the vents I bent them.

This is how much you need to bend them to remove, careful.

The door handle just snaps apart.

Now that I have the sunroof door I can take it with me to match the color.
At this point I don't know if I will use OEM fabric or Alcantera, I have priced both,
more on that later when I find the best color match.

Remove the rear lamp and support clip it is behind the lamp.

Open little doors in the handles.

Unscrew handles, to remove rotate up, they are hooked in.

Remove sun visors.