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2003 SL500 door panel not aligned with seat control modules... please help!
Howdy MBWorld!
New to this forum and any advice would be very much appreciated!
Please advise on if I can just take panel off and re-glue leather, let it cure, than try and re position module to be more flush? Or will I need to purchase a new door panel and module to get it looking the way it should?
Please advise on best option/most cost efficient solution.
Depends on your interior materials, but a new door trim panel is going to be near $1000US.
You're definitely going to want to try to glue that down. It really shouldn't be a problem, I'd use contact cement like this, which is commonly used in automotive interiors for glueing down vinyl, leather, carpet, etc.
Jack, From looking at the photos you included I would think the plastic moldings and the structural materials on the inside of the panel have broken due to age and such. The control switches (trunk, seat, etc.) that are no longer in place and out of alignment with the openings in the fabric that covers the door panel are just "floating around" as the screw holes have been damaged or destroyed due to the brittle plastic that is now around 20 years old. I was able to use zip ties to secure the switches in my '03 SL500 and things have held up fairly well but I imagine that will only be a temporary fix as the plastic supporting the zip ties is likely going to break at some point. If I find a matching door panel I will buy one as long as it is not damaged to where the screws that hold the switches on the inside of the door panel would be able to secure all of the switches. I hope this helps, Jeff
Mike, isn't it the truth..! Plastic in the heat and time will deteriorate....That is why some manufacturers give the vehicle an average life of 12 years! After that rubber, plastic, adhesives, etc., start showing signs of aging and like we humans, the older we go, the more visit to the doctor are needed to maintain the shape.! The trick to preserve is to re-glue and/or replace on time!,
07-22-2022, 10:55 PM
