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Just got a "new to me" 2011 G550 w/45K miles. Just completed the 40K service, new belt, filters, fluids, etc... Now that all of the maintneance is done, I'm moving forward with plans to facelift. I have some questions and need advice. I am NOT mechanically inclined. (I have actually gone through a ton of threads here looking for answers for a few days before I wrote this - apologies if answers have been provided elsewhere in here and I missed them). So in no particular order:
I have a rattle mostly heard at low speed (probably lack of road/wind noise) coming from the cargo door or possibly rear roof. I've already greased the latch, checked the spare and adjusted the plastic catch/guide on the hatch body. None of that stopped the noise. Dealer says possibly sunroof cables loose (will investigate on next visit). Any other ideas in the mean time?
Next, will replace OEM 18" wheels with 20" wheels - who is a reputible OEM replica manufacturer? (see sample photo)
Third - Front and rear bumper, grill and headlight covers with DRLs and park assist sensors. I see lots of kits on ebay, but am very wary of fit and finish issues. is there a particular US supplier that folks have had good luck with or recommend? Or, should I consider separate suppliers for those bits with the added worry of making sure they all fit together properly?
Fourth - I want to add new mirrors. Does anyone have a good supplier for those? I'll go OEM, but dang, they cost a ton. I know there will be some rewire for functionality.
Fifth - I have LED tail light replacements but contrary to the ad, they are NOT a direct replacement. does anyone have an up to date DIY guide? I have seen a couple on the internet (http://blog.mercwheels.com/diy/how-t...3-tail-lights/), but they are 2002 era or so, and do not accurately reflect what my existing tail lights look like inside, connection-wise. (see photos)
Sixth (and last) - Fender flares... If I facelift the front, and add 20" wheels, will my G550 look silly with the stock fender flares? I realize that's objective, but what I'm asking is will new front/rear bumpers stick out to the sides beyond the flares? Tires going wider than flares slightly is no issue for me.
Anyway, thats all. Any advice is gratefully accepted and appreciated. I have added some photos detailing some of my questions below.
UPDATE: I found the rattle in my rear door and fixed it last night. After a bit of driving around, I was able to isolate the rattle to a location coming from the top of the rear door. The plastic panel that covers the rear brake light and wiper motor housing was the culprit. I used some WD40 around the edges and it silenced right up. I realize this is not a long term solution, and will be getting some MB OEM Lubricant in the future, once I see how long this interim solution lasts.
Ordered my 20" wheels, they should arrive by the end of the week. I'll let you know how that goes.
Also I ordered a replacement rear cargo area cover. I didn't go with the OEM version, because at around $870, it's too much. However, fourbyfourclub.com has a non-OEM replacement they seem to like: http://fourbyfourclub.com/W463Access...ftermarket.htm
When that comes in and I fit it, I will be sure to leave a review here.
Last edited by Caskieatl; 05-01-2017 at 11:23 AM.
Reason: additional comment
OK, so update: I finally got the wheels installed. The rim dealer told me I would need different bolts, which was correct, but they shipped the wrong size. I took me a while to research and find the correct bolts - and finally the Service Department Manager at my dealership hooked me up with the following site: http://www.ezaccessory.com/Lug_Wheel_Bolts_s/20.htm
UPDATE 2: Sadly, the OEM bolts were stripping at the lug head, and cross threaded in the hub. Had to get re-threaded and bought all new OEM bolts so I could drive while waiting for the new proper sized bolts for the new rims came in. UGH. Anyway, it's done. I also had new sidemarker lights and tail lights installed (smoke grey LEDs) and the brush guard covers for the turn signals put on. I have a set of tail light brush guards, but they don't appear to be stock (or are missing some brackets) so I'll be trying to sort that out next. The last thing I'm waiting on for this round of work is the new cargo compartment cover, which is on back order from FourByFour. Hopefully that will come soon.
EDIT: For those who would like to know, the tail lights were NOT plug and play (contrary to the ebay ad). The seem to be good quality, but I did have to get them wired in. They came with ballasts, so I don't have any error messages. The side marker lights were plug and play. Also, to clarify, since my wheels are replicas, that's why the OEM bolts didn't work. They were too long.
when you do the front bumper conversion let me know.
i have oem chrome G63 brush guard for sale!
Originally Posted by Caskieatl
EDIT: For those who would like to know, the tail lights were NOT plug and play (contrary to the ebay ad). The seem to be good quality, but I did have to get them wired in. They came with ballasts, so I don't have any error messages. The side marker lights were plug and play. Also, to clarify, since my wheels are replicas, that's why the OEM bolts didn't work. They were too long.
how much too long were they? You said you just bought new OEM bolts and used those right?
OK, so here's some clarification on the Lug Bolt situation. For my OEM wheels, the original OEM bolts were stripped and cross threaded. When my OEM wheels came off to install the new wheels, the RIM supplier bolts were too short. So, I had to put the old OEM wheels back on until I could get longer bolts that would safely mount the new rims properly. So, I had to buy OEM bolts to re-install the OEM wheels for about a week. UGH.
My local MB dealer service department manager turned me on to EZAccessory where I got new bolts that fit the new rims safely to a proper depth. The OEM Rim thickness is greater than my new rims which are 6mm) so the old OEM bolts were about 10mm too long. The rim supplier bolts were too short for safety.
I've attached a photo of the length of each bolt. The proper bolts are 35mm threaded shank with 29mm going into the hub holes.
when you do the front bumper conversion let me know.
i have oem chrome G63 brush guard for sale!
I had the service department do it. Basically they cut the wiring from the old sockets and spliced it into the new lights. The also installed the ballasts inside the rear compartment on each side of the rear door.
As for the wiring, I looked around a bit online and found the attached. http://blog.mercwheels.com/category/diy/scroll down and there is an archived blog post to installing lights. ****CAUTION**** my tail lights didn't look anything like the example in the photo, as I had a plastic housing and not the metal bar. Thats why I stopped and went to the dealer. HOWEVER, this DIY article does describe the wiring colors and fitment. So, if you want to try, and your wire colors are as described in the post, give it a shot.
04-22-2017, 12:32 PM
