nbuniva

I have a 2022 GLS 450 being delivered in the next couple weeks and realized I neglected to select the 2nd row power sunshades...is this something Mercedes can add aftermarket? Is it worth it? I've heard the windows are more tinted but still, I wish I had selected them unless this group thinks they are unnecessary and/or I can add power ones aftermarket.

NedNederlander

This is not going to fully answer your question but based upon mine (2020 GLS450), it looks like it would be difficult to add post-prod.

Also, I really wanted to have the sun-shades as well and have them on my build but my kids hate them and so they are never used. Every time i raise them, they lower them...many things I can't win with them

And, like many other owners with random issues, when raising one of the sun shades, it pops-off the top of the door panel... going back to the dealer for 3rd time so they can 'try' to fix.

jomama

looking at how it works on my car, i imagine it'll be very difficult and expensive, if even possible, to retrofit. maybe try tinting the privacy glass. if you go ceramic, it'll do a good job repelling heat. and depending on how dark of a tint you get, you could block out some sunlight too. i tinted my front driver/passenger windows at 35%, i think, and front windshield at 80% (basically clear). i may consider tinting the rear with 80% just to provide more heat blockage. and if you didn't already know, the rear privacy glass is factory dyed and not tinted, so it doesn't have any heat/light repelling properties.

GLSpotentialbuy

Not worth the hassle. You get manual shades as standard. The work needed to switch this out to power operated will be insane. I’m guessing you will need New door panel, new switches, motors, new chip, wiring etc. it’s what they say that you can either buy a $40k car (or 90k in this case) or spend $150k buying all the parts and labor to make it yourself

madkow70

it would be cost prohibitive to retrofit.
We got ours pretty much completely loaded, but intentionally skipped that option.
instead, we tinted the windows extremely dark. Virginia allows pretty much limo tint for the rear doors for SUVs.
with the tint, I just didn't see much use for the mechanical shades.

Paxfobiscum

Would be a nightmare to install. You will have to install and change a ton of items and retrofit others. Those shades are controlled on the driver side door panel too.

madkow70

I didn't think the shades use any different controls at the door...
don't they just use the window up/down control, no?
first click to control the shades, then the windows. through the same window buttons.

Paxfobiscum

You are correct.
What I was trying to say is that the shades are also controlled in the front door, which would require more complicated wiring and coding.
Its not something an Indy will be able to do.
I cannot imagine how much MB dealers will charge to do all that rewiring.
They probably would refuse.

madkow70

actually, there are no re-wiring requirement for this. the shade module simply plugs in to a connector in the rear door. Most of the modules work in the BUS system. no direct linkages from one thing to another.

yes, the vehicle does need coding for the new module. I'm not sure what the dealer would charge in labor. (I imagine pretty pricy)
my local shop did a couple of module activations for some other things. they charged me about $150 per.

N'AWLINS

I have them on my GLE53. They are helpful in keeping direct sun off infants in car seats, but become an obstacle for older kids and adult. probably would not opt for these in future as I don't have any infants!

wolds

Thanks for this reply. I was kicking myself for not ordering these, but sounds like my pain will soon be over.

nc211

We have the power shades in ours. Never use them to be honest. More annoying in that you think you're rolling up the window from the driver's seat and instead rolling up the shade. Neither of our kids have ever used them. The tint is plenty dark back there on the glass for us. Probably would not special order them, but they came with our car because we went for color (blue/beige) as our primary want.

With kids, I can only image the fun it would be to get chicken nugget crap jammed into the screen...

DTaxman

They are handy and in my mind nice to have. Yes you could do aftermarket tint. Yes you could stick a cheap suction cup window shade. But you are driving a Benz and I don’t believe it’s a very expensive option for a more sophisticated/cleaner solution. Only downside I have found is that you cannot have the windows down with the sunshade up, which is something we could do with the manual sunshade in our Volvo XC90.

c4004matic

Its one of that myriad of things that come standard on the 580 but not on the 450. When you take all the extra goodies that the 580 has baked in you understand that given all those AND a lot more HP and torque, the 580 is not a bad deal.