G Class (W460, W461, W463) Produced 1980-2018: 290 GD, 290 GDT, 300 GD, 350 GD, 500 GE, G250, G300, G300 DT, G320, G500, G550, G55 AMG, G63 AMG

G500 DOORS PROBLEMS!

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
Old Dec 11, 2016 | 07:46 PM
  #1  
RA050524's Avatar
Thread Starter
Banned
 
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 127
Likes: 3
From: southern california
g500
G500 DOORS PROBLEMS!

hi there, I'm having a little problem with the doors on my 2002 G500. So basically, the driver door shuts easily with barely any force. That is not the case with all the other doors, especially the passenger door, i gotta slam that sucker to actually close. its been a real problem driving guests in my car because i keep having to remind them that their door is open, very annoying. i opened the door panel several times, did some looking at the door seals, but everything seems fine. Maybe its the door lock striker hook? Does anyone have a clue what it is? please help, thanks!!

Last edited by RA050524; Dec 11, 2016 at 07:50 PM.
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2016 | 08:28 PM
  #2  
pdeacon's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,015
Likes: 342
From: Cape Cod
E450 wagon, C43 AMG Cpe, GLE AMG 63S
Originally Posted by jdbenz500
hi there, I'm having a little problem with the doors on my 2002 G500. So basically, the driver door shuts easily with barely any force. That is not the case with all the other doors, especially the passenger door, i gotta slam that sucker to actually close. its been a real problem driving guests in my car because i keep having to remind them that their door is open, very annoying. i opened the door panel several times, did some looking at the door seals, but everything seems fine. Maybe its the door lock striker hook? Does anyone have a clue what it is? please help, thanks!!
Seems strange that three doors are presenting problems. The truck is 14 years old so that a malfunctioning latch mechanism would not be unusual. Have you tried lubricating the latches? It could also be a matter of adjustment of each latch. If this doesn't work you may want to replace the latching mechanism on the passenger door. If that is successful move on to the other two. We all know that these doors are far from the soft close doors on some models. A little extra force is not unusual on the G. Good luck with your investigation.
Reply
Old Dec 11, 2016 | 09:52 PM
  #3  
RA050524's Avatar
Thread Starter
Banned
 
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 127
Likes: 3
From: southern california
g500
Yes, i tried adding grease to the latches and strikers but it didnt help. Today i replaced the door latch on my drivers door just for an experiment to see if it will give me the 2014 touch, just made it a little more firmer, but didnt have anything to do with shutting the door and amount of force. The passenger door really pisses me off though, i gotta slam it unusually hard to close, not like other G's...
Reply
Old Dec 13, 2016 | 09:09 AM
  #4  
miike's Avatar
Member
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 109
Likes: 6
From: Seattle
2002 G500, 1961 190b, 2001 SL500 Sport
Perhaps put extra grease on the latch and then close it to see where it strikes the latch. Wherever the grease is rubbed off will be where the latch hits. Many vehicles have some adjustment for this, I never checked to see if wagens do.

Was it in an accident? Frame damage or a bent door could cause them not to work well.
Reply
Old Dec 13, 2016 | 06:30 PM
  #5  
RA050524's Avatar
Thread Starter
Banned
 
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 127
Likes: 3
From: southern california
g500
car has no accident, and adding extra grease will not do much, i tried it.
Reply
Old Dec 13, 2016 | 10:25 PM
  #6  
Floobydust's Avatar
MBWorld Fanatic!
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 133
From: Massachusetts
2018 GLE350, 2014 G550, 2000 SL500, 1980 TR8, 1995 E320 Cabriolet
The three non-driver's doors are harder to close on my 2003 G as well. G's doors do not have door stop "bumpers" to set the tension on the latch (and thus set the position of the door relative to the body), but rather they depend on the springiness of the rubber weather striping to set the latch tension. Because there are no bumpers, every time you close the door, the weather stripping is compressed slightly. Over time, for highly used doors like the driver's door, the weather stripping permanently compresses, thus reducing the latch tension and making the door easier to close. In effect, your driver's door has become easier to close that it was when it was new. Later model G's have a stainless steel plate and nylon slider that helps guide and hold the door in the correct position. I think this has allowed MB to make the weather stripping slightly softer which yields the wonderful S class like door closing.

I have found that treating the door weather stripping with something like Amorall makes it more pliable or at least slipperier which in turn makes the doors seem to close easier. The other thing you should check is that the surface of the door is flush with the body when the door is closed. I use a credit card across the gap to check this. If the door is too far "in", then the weather stripping will have to be compressed even more which will make the door even harder to close. I had to adjust one of my doors, although I admit I did it just to make sure the panel gaps were perfect rather than to get easier door closing.
Reply
Old Dec 14, 2016 | 04:12 PM
  #7  
RA050524's Avatar
Thread Starter
Banned
 
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 127
Likes: 3
From: southern california
g500
Can you send some pictures? Im not really sure about the weather strips you are talking about. Thanks so much
Originally Posted by Floobydust
The three non-driver's doors are harder to close on my 2003 G as well. G's doors do not have door stop "bumpers" to set the tension on the latch (and thus set the position of the door relative to the body), but rather they depend on the springiness of the rubber weather striping to set the latch tension. Because there are no bumpers, every time you close the door, the weather stripping is compressed slightly. Over time, for highly used doors like the driver's door, the weather stripping permanently compresses, thus reducing the latch tension and making the door easier to close. In effect, your driver's door has become easier to close that it was when it was new. Later model G's have a stainless steel plate and nylon slider that helps guide and hold the door in the correct position. I think this has allowed MB to make the weather stripping slightly softer which yields the wonderful S class like door closing.

I have found that treating the door weather stripping with something like Amorall makes it more pliable or at least slipperier which in turn makes the doors seem to close easier. The other thing you should check is that the surface of the door is flush with the body when the door is closed. I use a credit card across the gap to check this. If the door is too far "in", then the weather stripping will have to be compressed even more which will make the door even harder to close. I had to adjust one of my doors, although I admit I did it just to make sure the panel gaps were perfect rather than to get easier door closing.
Reply
Old Oct 6, 2017 | 06:35 AM
  #8  
bnZE430/1999's Avatar
Newbie
 
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
W140,C140,w220
Did you ever figure this out?

When i I bought the G (used), my doors were fine and made that “bank vault” sound but now I have to slam the ***** out of it to close. It no longer makes that vault sound. Rear doors are fine and close with a light push. The driver side door was the first to become hard to close and I noticed that the upper part of the door no longer seals like it used to. And now the passenger side needs hulk power to slam shut. Trucks never been in an accident. I’m pretty sure it’s a door adjustment issue. Anyone else have this issue or insight to a fix?

Last edited by bnZE430/1999; Oct 6, 2017 at 06:38 AM. Reason: Spelling
Reply
MB World Stories

The Best of Mercedes & AMG

story-0

6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used

 Verdad Gallardo

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 


You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:18 AM.

story-0
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)

Slideshow: Not every Mercedes design becomes timeless, some feel stuck in the era they came from.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:09:07


VIEW MORE
story-1
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun

Slideshow: Yes, Mercedes built manual cars, and some of them are far more interesting than you'd expect.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-02 12:36:58


VIEW MORE
story-2
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.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 11:19:28


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Slideshow: Before curves took over, Mercedes mastered the art of the straight line, and some of those shapes still look right today.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-25 12:05:49


VIEW MORE
story-4
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction

Slideshow: The 190E Evolution II shows how a homologation necessity became a six-figure collector icon.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-22 17:53:47


VIEW MORE
story-5
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know

Slideshow: Mercedes is turning one of its core nameplates electric, and the details show just how serious this shift is.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:58:06


VIEW MORE
story-6
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know

Slideshow: Faster charging, longer range, and a controversial steer-by-wire system define the latest evolution of Mercedes-Benz EQS.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-15 10:35:34


VIEW MORE
story-7
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve

Slideshow: These overlooked Mercedes-Benz models never got the spotlight, but they quietly delivered more than most remember.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-13 19:35:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping

Slideshow: A well-used 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300D with more than one million miles is now looking for a new owner, and it still appears ready for more.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-10 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used

Slideshow: From bulletproof sedans to surprisingly tough SUVs, these Mercedes models proved that the three-pointed star can go the distance.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-08 09:55:49


VIEW MORE