Sharing..........

I was under the car today, figuring things out on how to remove X,Y,Z and also doing the chassis measurement.
I decided to clean my under carriage and "fix things".

When I removed the right side under belly sound proof hairy board, I got this rubber plug...DAMN !!!!



I don't like loosing rubber plug, water intrusion is what I worry.
Does not match any plugs under the car visible when removin the hairy sound shield.


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Dang, is there such plug in use at the side skirt ?
Use my boroscope and I can't see much.

So I removed the right side, side skirt, never done it before anyway.
Surely dirty like hell in there.



.Two of these type of clip, only at the front.


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Below is the male female combo plastic "screw". Only 90 degrees needed.


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Moving back to rear , its all this type of clip.



The hidden/un-seen side of the side skirt, those clips are supposed to be there.

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At the rear, only 1 of this clip


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Only 1 of this water check valve installed by MB


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One of this round plug. The oily thingy is the cavity wax MB uses.



So no hole which suits the mystery plug....
By location it was found near front wheel.... it can only come from one more location, the wheel well.
But me have lots of photo of it during camber caster work years ago.

Suspect is the one in green.



But when zoomed, NOPE not that one.





Aha, seems to be that one in red. I can verify that easy, as it is within suspension tower wall.


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Must use boroscope, or minimum mirror.


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Yep, that is the plug. In front of my Front SAM ( mine is a RHD car ).

Lots of high-res archive photo does help.



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Aha I’d like to remove my side skirts for cleaning…is it fairly simple then? Did you feel at risk for breaking plastic bits?

 

It looks like traces of water are coming out from this cavity ,


wet cutout at wheel well

Could that opening help water penetrate near footwell ??

 

That is not water out of that cavity ( rubber plug ). The wheel plastic fender liner ( 2 pcs ) has opening on top for suspension to be heading to its mounted position.
So rain splash water will enter that gap and start spreading around like a fountain all over that opening.

Rear portion of wheel fender liner



Front portion



Both

 

Plastic always have risk of breaking
But this one seems to be a design not so azz-difficult to undo.

All plastic clips , except below, is a pull out straight, dont pull up.....

The car body in blue as seen from behind the car. Pull out straight as per red arrow.



This one is lift up a tiny bit, the most rear one. Only this clip requires side skirt to be raised up 1/3 of an inch to clear the "claw".


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Below is the "di-ck" for the "claw" clip.....LOL.


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Above is the REAR of the side skirt.



These two has strongest bite


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This is a video to show the whole thing on the car, from front to rear.
EDIT ON THE VIDEO, what I said at near ending portion : - ALL IS FRICTION FIT, except the rear most clip.



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I will look into the EPC to get the P/N for all clips and button.
Will be back.......... much later.

 

When going shopping............



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I do not think we will break this in normal removal . Color specific to order.

 

This couldn’t be a more perfect how-to…THANK YOU SIR!!

 

Glad its not difficult to undo for side skirt.
I hate plastic "beauty" fittings.
I usually brake their clips.

I will be ordering 2 of everything below, except item item #300 ( 18 in use ) and #330 (14 in use ) and #320 ( 12 in use ) where I will be ordering 3 to 4 pcs each.
Could take 3 months or maybe ready stock 3-4 days, since this is collission consumption material.

 

Installed the fallen rubber plug and this time I use ALU tape.
So when I do cleaning of the front SAM region, it wont be pushed out again.




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My motorbike jack is useful again today to help lift the RIGHT FRONT body, so that I can remove my wheel stand and my wheel...for RIGHT FRONT only.
All other 3 wheels still on Wheel Stand.


Even with center jack, the front right stil drop a bit, because the car is on its suspension. Thus the other 3 compensate for support loss
of the front right wheel/suspension.



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Gee, I did not know Harley Davidson makes bike jack ....LOL


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Removed LEFT side, side skirt today.



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This time I use plastic prying tool to assist, since I know where the clips and and how they work.


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So the natural plastic color is black, the un-painted side washed clean vs dirty one.


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After cleaning, make sure the button receiver is all aligned nicely, so the button will be the same posistion when locked.

Above is the original position set by MB.
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Above is the original position set by MB. More aerodynamic


Below is the wrong position, it will still work, but the button slot will not look nice if all not the same orientation.


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These are the prices from MB Indonesia, with a bit of mark up from my Indie.
I like giving business to my Indie.

Longest wait 30 days, that meant it is Singapore warehouse of MB.
Singapore has always been the Asian central warehouse for many brands, due to great logistic infrastructure and hassle free Custom Office and easy Sales tax/VAT/GST refund when parts move IN and OUT
of Singapore.




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Installation tip.

It is easier if the last rear Claw clip get removed and place on side skirt. This clip when on the car, the side skirt installation is no fun.
Its back where the mushroom lock is, it is accesible when using smallest 1/4" rachet and 8mm socket as push tool to squee the locking mushroom shaped lock.

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Then, we place this clip on the side skirt. Two guide dots there too.
When I removed side skirt twice due to 1 forgotten center clip, I find it easier and safer to remove the rear most clip for side skirt removal.

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The front 2 clips, the 2nd from front is not too easy to push side skirt into it, because the side skirt lip that goes under the door ( in red dash and arrow ) causes the side skirt to be like below :


The right side, side skirt I installed with only its most rear clip removed from car body and placed on the side skirt. The two purple front clips I did not remove.

Pay attention to the Front wheel well hard plastic liner, which will interfere with front of side skirt installation.
Side skirt is to be under this hard plastic liner, but since I did not remove the wheel well hard plastic liner, it kinda obstructing and on Left side skirt install, I screwed up.
See below the explanation by image....easier to comprehend.




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I then try different approach for Left side, side skirt installation. I removed the two front purple/blue clips.
Note their locking orientation to car body is different.

The thinner ( 1st clip, most front one ) mushroom lock is Left to Right.
The wider ( 2nd clip ) mushroom lock is Up and Down.




1st clip



2nd clip



There is a gap behind these two front clips, so you can acces their azz-side mushroom lock




I did not mess with this bottom clips at all.
It probably will break, unless you know where the claws are and push it inward while pulling out the clip, no acces to its locking claws.



Installing the black button, no need screw driver.
Button's slot pointing front and back of car = button lock itself.
Spinning 90 degrees is only to remove the black button.


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Did I screw up anything ? Hell yeah, there will always be a screw up when I deal with cosmetic fittings



Look Ma, I forgot one of the side skirt clip....LOL.
It was the right side, side skirt where I missed this one white center clip.
No worry, no need full pull out of side skirt entirely.


Okey, hope I covered all well enough..................