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First MBZ - 2007 GL450 - Pics and some help/questions
Coming from the world of BMW's and Volvo's; got my first Mercedes last week after doing a lot of research and searching.
I got one with high mileage, but has been meticulously taken care of and owner has ALL records (not bad for 10+ years). Other than a couple parts on the clear coat starting to peel on the roof, it looks like new. Transmission has been rebuilt buy a MBZ certified mechanic; all air suspension replaced within the last year... no leaks anywhere.
It has a few things I want to address; albeit cosmetic and minor (pics below), I'd prefer not to use a dealership for these if I don't have to.
1 - The driver side cargo roof rack front cover is missing. Tried eBay and only found the rear one. Is there some place other than a dealership I can order this part from?
2 - TPMS are installed on all 4 wheels, but I'd guess the batteries are dead or it's not configured properly as the vehicle warns "tire pressure monitor inoperative". What's the proper way to diagnose how to fix that? Do I need to buy an iCarsoft MBII? I am a moderate DIY'er with vehicles - not enough to use STAR though.
3 - The middle row seat on the drivers side has the handle that you pull to fold the seat, broken off. Is it possible to buy that part somewhere and replace it myself?
4 - The drawer just above the ashtray on the center console - the one with the cheap plastic gears that breaks for pretty much everyone... is there a way to fix that, or at least get it open?
5 - The buttons on the steering wheel have the plastic deteriorating and are a bit 'sticky'. Previous owner tried to use alcohol to clean it up and got a lot of it off, but also some of the icons/pics on the buttons with it. Can the buttons be replaced?
6 - I'd like to pull the windshield wiper arms off so I can sand and repaint them (some sun fading). Seems straight forward - anything I should be concerned about when taking them off?
7 - Appears that this vehicle HAD the rear seat center console DVD player and screen (the one that goes between the seats. There is a hole under the 2nd row passenger seat where the DVD player probably was and I can see some holes on the sides of the center console where the arms for the screen may have attached. Is there a place I can find this system? Or aftermarket way to set one up? I can't even find any pictures of this setup on a GL450...
I know that's a plethora of questions - and they meander all over - but any help or guidance on them is much appreciated
Last edited by jtb33; 08-02-2018 at 12:40 AM.
Reason: Clarification
1) Try contacting Thule. The cross bars where made by them - not sure of the rails, though.
3) I bought a handle through one of the car parts places online, but as mentioned it's pretty simple... once you see how it works.
4) Maybe try removing the ashtray and then seeing if you reach in and release whatever is broken on the storage tray? The "wood" piece around the cupholder comes out pretty easily, too (if needed).
5) I'm working on the same thing. Thinking, though, that it might be easier to remove from wheel to clean them. I "think" they just unscrew from the backside of the wheel for removal, though. Get the part number and then start googling or checking online stores like FCP Euro or Pelican.
6) Just do them in place - it's easy enough. Give them a light scuff and then use something like Rustoleum. I brushed it on, but you could spray if you mask well enough. Masking is easy to do with a $3 plastic tarp from HD - the thin, clear ones. These are big enough to just about cover the whole car in 2 minutes... although you certainly don't need to go to that extent.
I just felt for those screw holes on the backside of the steering wheel again. They're not in the place I originally thought - the holes almost lineup with the crack between the buttons and the airbag. That's as far as I've gone on this one, so far!
2 - TPMS is powered by batteries that eventually die. I believe you have to replace the whole unit, not just the battery. The good news is you can get cheap(er) TPMS. I found them for $28 / $112 for a four pack. You want the 433 MHz. If you can possibly find the service records, you can figure out which, if any, TPMS were changed.
I wouldn't bother pulling the tires to change the TPMS; just keep an eye on the pressures and don't go driving in the breakdown lane.
I changed that handle on my GL. Had to file down the splined shaft a little; the machining on it was crude, if not a fricken cast metal, a zinc / tin alloy.
Get Arnott struts and rear bags. You'll walk into your garage one fine morning to see that your car has gone Low-Ride-Der. Unless you have service records that show the air springs were changed recently, that is.
Get the MBII.
Last edited by eric_in_sd; 08-04-2018 at 01:50 PM.
Appreciate all the replies. Figured I'd follow up.
1 - Have not had luck finding this part without needing to buy the entire rail (which isn't cheap). It's purely cosmetic, but still bugs me as I see it each time I get into the car. Still trying to source one from a junk-yard, but these GL450's are not very common, especially here in the western US. Still hunting.
2 - I bought 4 new TPMS devices for the wheels for about $50 shipped. They look genuine and I will have my tire shop put them in next time I go - thank you for directing me to the site to get them!
3 - Got this one fixed after buying the part from MBpartsPrime. Getting the clip on the new one was not easy and I gave up - the friction alone seems to hold the handle on just fine though. All good.
4 - Got the drawer open and looked to see how it worked and what was broken. I was content with just modifying it to keep it flush with the dash trim in a semi-permanent closed status, as I won't use it and don't want to spend $90 on a new one that will break at some point again.
5 - Steering wheel buttons - ugh. LOTS of elbow grease, alcohol (on the buttons - not for me), and some GooGone and I have most of it gone, but the pictures are also getting erased, so this is a slow process to try to keep those. I don't want to spend the $140 x 2 for the two new button clusters, but still need to finish getting the sticky residue off. Will just take time.
6 - Got the wipers off, sanded and repainted them - they look great now.
7 - Rear seat DVD player and screen... Not much luck getting any info on this. Seems the dual rear headrest screens were much more common. I can't even tell if the wiring is still available for this, so I don't know if I can use that to retrofit an aftermarket one, but I have little to no hope of finding the actual MBZ one - and in this day and age of prevalent iPads and mobile media devices with larger screens and more functionality, it may not even be worth it. I do wish I could find something to cover up the ugly hole in the seat under the rear passenger seat where the DVD player was, though. Any ideas?
08-01-2018, 02:31 AM
