Urgent question regarding Roof Rails removal/installation
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 82
Likes: 3
Urgent question regarding Roof Rails removal/installation
Hello,
I am replacing the back roof rails with chrome roof rails.
I just got back from my local Mercedes service center. They told me that that to remove/install the black/chrome roof rails is a 7-hour job as they need to remove everything that is attached to the roof from inside, including the head liner.
My response was that they just need to remove the plastic covers at both ends of each roof rail, remove the bolts under neath those covers, put the new chrome roof rails in the same place & its a 30-minute job. This is at least how it was done on my Lexus LX & it appears to me that the roof rails of the GL are very similar.
The service manager said that the bolts in the roof rail are "captive" meaning they are fixed to the roof rails so these bolts need to be secured with nuts from inside and hence the need to remove the headliner.
Can anyone confirm if it is necessary to remove the headliner to remove/install the roof rails in the GL?
They were half way through removing everything attached to the roof from inside & I got them to stop until I come back to the with an ok.
PS It was funny that the diagram/instructions they were using were for the ML. I explained to them that the ML roof rails are different. In the ML, each roof rail is just one piece & there are no removable, but visually integrated, plastic covers at end of each roof rails. So in the ML, you MUST remove the headliner & secure the roof rail from inside.
In my opinion, the GL roof rails can be installed from outside.
However, they got me on one point. They said the bolts on the GL roof rails were captive so they needed to be secured with a nut that is inside the headliner.
Can anyone confirm this?
Thanks
I am replacing the back roof rails with chrome roof rails.
I just got back from my local Mercedes service center. They told me that that to remove/install the black/chrome roof rails is a 7-hour job as they need to remove everything that is attached to the roof from inside, including the head liner.
My response was that they just need to remove the plastic covers at both ends of each roof rail, remove the bolts under neath those covers, put the new chrome roof rails in the same place & its a 30-minute job. This is at least how it was done on my Lexus LX & it appears to me that the roof rails of the GL are very similar.
The service manager said that the bolts in the roof rail are "captive" meaning they are fixed to the roof rails so these bolts need to be secured with nuts from inside and hence the need to remove the headliner.
Can anyone confirm if it is necessary to remove the headliner to remove/install the roof rails in the GL?
They were half way through removing everything attached to the roof from inside & I got them to stop until I come back to the with an ok.
PS It was funny that the diagram/instructions they were using were for the ML. I explained to them that the ML roof rails are different. In the ML, each roof rail is just one piece & there are no removable, but visually integrated, plastic covers at end of each roof rails. So in the ML, you MUST remove the headliner & secure the roof rail from inside.
In my opinion, the GL roof rails can be installed from outside.
However, they got me on one point. They said the bolts on the GL roof rails were captive so they needed to be secured with a nut that is inside the headliner.
Can anyone confirm this?
Thanks
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 379
Likes: 0
From: MA
13 SL550, 14 E63 Wagon, 15 S550, 11 M3, 08 F430 Spider, 12 ML350
Regardless, it seems like that if the new chrome rails have captive studs then the headliner will have to come off anyway to install them. Did you happen to see the end connections and were they studs or loose bolts? Good luck!
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Ahmedabad, India
C Class w204 & 2014 GL350 CDI
HI CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED ACTUALLY. DID YOU CHANGE THE RAILS FINALLY AND HOW MUCH TIME IT TOOK FOR YOU. IHAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM ANDONE OF MY RAIL NEEDS TO BE CHANGED AND THE DEALERSHIP SAYS ITWOULD TAKE SEVEN HOURS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW MUCH TIME IT TOOK IN YOUR CASE AND WAS THERE ANY ISSUE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. MINE IS GL350 CDI WITH PANO ROOF.
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
GL420
I have chrome roof rails that are corroding, and I have tried to get MB to replace them, however they refuse (outside warranty). I have seen other cars like mine with the same issue, so it must be an endemic quality issue with chrome roof rails and uk weather perhaps. Either way, it just shouldn't happen, so am very unimpressed. Anyway, looking at the rails - there are torx screws beneath the end caps at each end. Perhaps it is possible to simply remove the back part of the headlining to get access to the rear 'captive bolts' and simply detach the front part by removing the two externally exposed torx screws at each end?
Anyone got experience of that?
Anyone else had chrome rail corrosion and want to file a class action with MB for shoddiness?
Anyone got experience of that?
Anyone else had chrome rail corrosion and want to file a class action with MB for shoddiness?
