When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The handle strip on my 2014 E350 is bulging. I can snap it back into place, but it's obvious that it's under tension, and inevitably pops back out. I notice the chrome trim piece gaps weren't even either, and the carfax at the time I bought it reported minor damage. I put some comparison shots of the other side of the handle strip as well. I can't quite tell how this is supposed to be retained, would buying a new handle strip piece be enough to fix this?
The handle strip on my 2014 E350 is bulging. I can snap it back into place, but it's obvious that it's under tension, and inevitably pops back out. I notice the chrome trim piece gaps weren't even either, and the carfax at the time I bought it reported minor damage. I put some comparison shots of the other side of the handle strip as well. I can't quite tell how this is supposed to be retained, would buying a new handle strip piece be enough to fix this?
This plastic strip is held in place with clips/studs and you may have a broken clip if it doesn’t stay up. This could have happened if the license plate light was worked on as this strip needs to be removed for that.
You need to remove it to check the clips. Pry it down where those scallops are at the edge of it to remove it.
You need to remove it to check the clips. Pry it down where those scallops are at the edge of it to remove it.
For the sake of completeness, I'll say that this wasn't the whole story. I guess to check the clips alone you can get away with prying from the outside, but if you want to take this trim piece out entirely, you need to remove the trunk interior (maybe a dozen plastic clips, recommend getting a clip puller or whatever those tools are called) to get to a locking piece which holds the handle on, which is integrated into this piece:
In my case, the clip on the far right was just tumbling loose.
With regard to the chrome trim: It's held on by adhesive. That one side has only peeled up further. I bent it up carefully, removed the old adhesive as best I could, and put a strip of 3M VHB. Took the backing off with a pick and then press the chrome back onto the trunk with a lot of force. Time will tell if it holds.
I had some water leaking into my trunk lid and started to suspect that those highlighted orange clips may have originally had o-rings on them but they had been lost when someone previously worked on the trunk lid.
After lots of searching, I finally found a photo of the back side of a new strip on the internet and found that it had o-rings on all of those plastic clips. After more searching, I found a trunk handle rework kit (A2127430093) which appears to contain new orange clips with new o-rings. It also contains the rectangle gasket.
I bought one and it arrived, but I have no idea where it is anymore. :P
I already put mine back together . Hoping those clip holes don't leak but they do face down, and are shielded pretty well.
My issue was apparently on opening the trunk when the outside was wet. Water would run down and into the trunk lid, then pour out from the latch area down and into my trunk...
There may have been another leak area as well, but I replaced my tail light gaskets and still had a curious amount of water that would appear only sometimes without any clear link to the amount of wind, rain, or car washing that had occurred.
The only gaskets I could find anywhere that I hadn't replaced yet were all on the back of that strip and in that kit. I hope you don't need it!
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
. Hoping those clip holes don't leak but they do face down, and are shielded pretty well.
