GL Class (X164) 2007-2012: GL320CDI, GL420CDI, GL450, GL550

rear air vent removal/replacement

Old Mar 22, 2013 | 10:09 AM
  #1  
mitek's Avatar
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09 GL550, 02 BMW 540 6spd, 13 Volvo XC70 T6 Polestar
rear air vent removal/replacement

I have finally located the source of annoying rattling sound inside my GL. It is the plastic rear air vent on the driver's side right underneath the driver's seat. Took me a while, in the process of finding this rattle I have taken apart the centre console (found a bunch of change, tooth picks and paper clips rolling around there from PO), padded every plastic piece in the base of the second row seats, padded rear entertainment displays and the actual DVD reader plastic shell. Anyway, does anyone know how to remove those or have the parts diagram showing them? They are tacked under the carpet and I am not sure if I can remove/replace them without taking the whole seat out of the way and lifting the whole carpet. I need to fix this rattle though, drives me nuts
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Old Mar 24, 2013 | 02:43 PM
  #2  
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From: Calgary, AB
GL450 CLS500
I have the same problem but for a different reason. My daughter dropped a marble on the floor and it somehow made its way into the vent underneath the driver’s seat. Now every time I stop or accelerate I have the noise of a marble rolling around in the vent. I have tried driving up the steepest hill I could find around here and looking inside the vent with my snake camera but I am having no luck getting it out.

I would be interested in the info about taking out the seat and removing the duct work as it looks like it’s the only way to get the marble out.
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Old Mar 24, 2013 | 03:23 PM
  #3  
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09 GL550, 02 BMW 540 6spd, 13 Volvo XC70 T6 Polestar
Good idea with the snake camera, I will try that since mine also sounds like something is rolling around there @ stop and go. Where do you buy one?

So now there are two GLs in Calgary with the same problem
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Old Aug 18, 2013 | 05:17 PM
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2011 GL450
Mine has the same problem. Very annoying. Has anyone come up with a resolution for this?
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Old Sep 10, 2013 | 06:29 AM
  #5  
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09 GL550, 02 BMW 540 6spd, 13 Volvo XC70 T6 Polestar
Originally Posted by dbrownwhgt
Mine has the same problem. Very annoying. Has anyone come up with a resolution for this?
I got lucky with this one. The culprit of the rattle rolled out on its own from the air vent... It was a plastic cap from a perfume bottle
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Old Sep 10, 2013 | 01:04 PM
  #6  
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2008 Barolo Red GL450, P1, 19" pkg, ipod, ill. door sills, running boards, trailer hitch, keyless go
The same marble thing happened to me about 3 years ago. After a $300 bill at MB, I glued some chicken wire to the vents to prevent it from happeneing again
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Old Oct 6, 2013 | 09:09 AM
  #7  
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2011 GL450
Help please. My 2011 has this same problem. It is going to drive my wife crazy. I have tried to get whatever is in there out with a coat hanger for hours with no luck. I can't remove the vent because the opening in the carpet is too small. Does anyone know how to (relatively) easily get something out of the vent???
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Old Jul 8, 2015 | 10:25 PM
  #8  
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2007 GL 450; 2004 S500
R&R Rear vent at back of arm rest of 07 GL 450

Can someone assist me with the instructions on how to remove & replace the vent located at the back of the arm rest console of 07 GL 450? See picture attached:

Thanks


Attached Thumbnails rear air vent removal/replacement-img-20150613-00455.jpg  
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Old Mar 8, 2017 | 04:27 PM
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2008 E320 Bluetec, 2008 ML350, 2014 ML350 Bluetec
1) Open the ashtray.
2) Use a thin, strong lever or screwdriver to push *DOWN* the plastic clip on top of the ashtray. The insertion location of the lever should be between the vinyl and the metallic frame of the top of the ashtray. There is wavy metal above the ashtray and you need to insert above the frame containing the wavy metal. I first tried to push between the fixed wavy metal and the moving part of the ashtray, but that is the wrong location; there is a metal lip above that which meets the vinyl of the console where you insert the lever. The clip faces up and you want to push it down so that the ashtray assembly can pull away from the surrounding console.
3) There are four T-20? screws that will be revealed within the console cavity where the ashtray assembly was that need to be removed.
4) Lift the bottom of the console towards the rear a little bit and then up towards the roof, exposing the electrical wiring.
5) Disconnect the electrical connector to the cigarette lighter/accessory socket and the electrical connector to the A/C controls (there is a plastic latch on the connector that must be pressed, look closely).
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Old Mar 8, 2017 | 04:58 PM
  #10  
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2008 E320 Bluetec, 2008 ML350, 2014 ML350 Bluetec

Photo of where the ashtray release tab is:
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Old Mar 9, 2017 | 01:59 PM
  #11  
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http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/CH...er_console.pdf
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Old Jan 16, 2021 | 10:34 AM
  #12  
Evan Williams's Avatar
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2018 GLS 450
Originally Posted by m_perlmutter
You don't happen to have the same instructions for the X166 do you? I've got a 2018 GLS and need to do the same. Figure it ought to be pretty similar, but not sure if they made any changes, so if there are instructions for it, I would certainly appreciate it!
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