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I might be able to figure it out between the two video, The one posted with R231 removal of rear panel and the vide of A217 wind deflector removal
Thats right, once you get the side panels off, you have to off the center panel,
Getting the deflector out is not that hard. I always protect the paintwork in the area around where I'm working. I have the WIS section on it, but am traveling so don't have access to my shop laptop at the moment. It's pretty staring forward though.
Originally Posted by FDNY
however I am hoping I can find that part to circled in green. If feel down into the panel area when I first found the screen pulling away.
That's the rivet that holds the screen material in place once its extended.
Is your screen ripped anywhere? (corners too)? Do you not see the rivet?
You can get the wind deflector to stop in the halfway position and makes it easier to access the screen and brackets for inspection. You have to toggle the switch back and fourth quickly. Do it a few times, you'll figure it out. Be sure to lower the assembly completely before removal though.
Chances are the plastic bracket (see picture below) is broken though, especially if the screen is separating from the frame in either of the bottom corners.
Good Luck!
Last edited by crconsulting; Dec 17, 2022 at 03:48 PM.
Thats right, once you get the side panels off, you have to off the center panel,
Getting the deflector out is not that hard. I always protect the paintwork in the area around where I'm working. I have the WIS section on it, but am traveling so don't have access to my shop laptop at the moment. It's pretty staring forward though.
That's the rivet that holds the screen material in place once its extended.
Is your screen ripped anywhere? (corners too)? Do you not see the rivet?
You can get the wind deflector to stop in the halfway position and makes it easier to access the screen and brackets for inspection. You have to toggle the switch back and fourth quickly. Do it a few times, you'll figure it out. Be sure to lower the assembly completely before removal though.
Chances are the plastic bracket (see picture below) is broken though, especially if the screen is separating from the frame in either of the bottom corners.
Good Luck!
I dropped the rivet as it came lose from screen while I was examining the screen defect
i am new at these forum so please forgive me.
I currently have the car in winter storage so I figured it was a good time to do this job.
I don’t remember a tear , however if the rivet dislodged from screen should I assumed it’s ripped.
I dropped the rivet as it came lose from screen while I was examining the screen defect.
however if the rivet dislodged from screen should I assumed it’s ripped.
Yeah the rivet is critical. If it’s fallen off, your screen is probably ripped. You probably need a new screen for an effective and lasting repair.
get pics if you can. I actually have a screen that’s perfect but the corner brackets are another matter…. You need to confirm they are intact. I doubt they are.
You might be lucky and may just need the screen if the rivets fell off
I am going to storage unit tomorrow, I will send you photos by early afternoon.
didn’t want to tackle the job of removing unit unless I had a plan for repair
No rips , like I mentioned, the rivet is not to be found . It fell down to bottom of unit. I didn’t want to start to remove the unit unless I had replacement or a repair in mind
It's hard too tell from those pictures because the screen isn't extended so you can see the whole mesh clearly but.
Material looks ripped & missing (unless that's just lighting) right where the rivet normally sits. (see pic below)
Looks like the mesh was damaged by the rivet just pulling the fabric apart.
When the wind deflector is retracted (down) can you lift/move the corner arms?(see pic below)
Try to push them down on the very outside. You don’t have to push very hard but they are cantilevered….
Last edited by crconsulting; Dec 21, 2022 at 02:54 PM.
I examined it closely, didn’t see any tear. Which is why I was confused when the rivet fell. I assumed there were front and back and it separated. However I am not around the car at this time. Hard to find affordable storage by me. It’s literally 30 min drive. I am going away for holidays . If it okay with you , I touch base with after the new year. I will have time to sit a remove the unit.
you mentioned you have replacement screen. Have are the rivets attached
I wish I never noticed it, I let little things bug me. Lol
They (the rivets) ARE NOT available from Mercedes. That wind deflector is sold as an "assembly" only.
Removing this part is time consuming. I would either:
a) Get the part new from the dealer. (the whole screen assembly)
b) You are handy, and all you need is the screen, (the corner brackets are intact)
You could potentially save a few bucks by just getting another screen from a parts car. (I would think that repair is about $2k or so at the dealer)
I personally would rather swap known good parts than attempt a "patch" that might result in a failed repair and ending up at square one.
I wouldn't remove anything until you can make sure you know exactly what you need, then have parts in hand, so you can get the job done in one session.
Just so I am clear,
the rivets you show can not be purchased.
I assume the two halves snap together or epoxy of some sort. Te brackets you speak of. I won’t know if they are broken unless I remove the entire unit. Correct?
I going to try and locate an entire unit, use preferably, and make the swap.
though I am extremely handy it appears at least 2 hours to remove the unit . It would be foolish to pull it just examine it . If you locate a entire unit please don’t hesitate to reach out
thank you for the correspondence and dated knowledge
Just so I am clear,
the rivets you show can not be purchased.
Those are generic snap buttons, you can get them on Amazon. Those are 10mm but there are other sizes. They LOOK similar and you'll want the right size, but no guarantees. (in case you want to go that route)
I am more excited now , I don’t think these brackets are damaged and if I can match the snap rivets ,
maybe if I am lucky I can get it reattached without removing unit,
how did you say you get it to stay in half open position to work on it
[QUOTE=crconsulting;8690113]Those are generic snap buttons, you can get them on Amazon. Those are 10mm but there are other sizes. They LOOK similar and you'll want the right size, but no guarantees. (in case you want to go that route)
I know it’s been a while since I updated,
been away in warmer weather,
picked up the snaps on Amazon 10mm
going to try and repaid next week .
thanks for all the help so far.
I was able to replace the 10 mm snap after pressing the up/down button for windscreen and is stalls half down. I then pulled the spring loaded side arms back. Reattached the snap and used glue to keep in place. It was easy to fish the screen through the arm attach the snap and thankfully it held.
Every repair on these is different. I just did another one for a friend. His “corner bracket” was broken also. If it’s just the snap falling out, that is the easiest of the repairs.
Do you have pictures of YOUR screen and corners?
Last edited by crconsulting; Jun 17, 2023 at 11:25 AM.
Thanks for the reply. I have not taken it apart. Will pics of the screen when in it's up position do?. Only one lower corner of the screen is detatched.
Thanks for the reply. I have not taken it apart. Will pics of the screen when in it's up position do?. Only one lower corner of the screen is detatched.
As long as the fabric is not ripped, and the little 10mm “snap button” just fell off, you should be Ok. I haven’t been that lucky with the ones I’ve dealt with. ☹️
Good Luck
Last edited by crconsulting; Jun 17, 2023 at 09:10 PM.
As long as the fabric is not ripped, and the little 10mm “snap button” just fell off, you should be Ok. I haven’t been that lucky with the ones I’ve dealt with. ☹️
Good Luck
I've been following this thread and wondering... are there any preventive measures we can take to prevent or reduce the chances of damaging the deflector, e.g., don't exceed 300 mph with the deflector in the up position?
I've been following this thread and wondering... are there any preventive measures we can take to prevent or reduce the chances of damaging the deflector, e.g., don't exceed 300 mph with the deflector in the up position?
I think there are two types of failures happening on these:
One is the rivets popping out/fabric ripping in corners, which I believe may be due to speed with the wind deflector in the up position. That's the easier one to fix as long as the material isn't ripped, which would require a replacement screen.
The other is the little plastic spring loaded brackets in the end pieces failing due to stress of lowering and raising the deflector mechanism. So far, I've repaired three of these failures....
The bracket always breaks on the thinner, non-reinforced side, in the identical spot with an almost identical style of the fracture. That is a design/materials issue for sure.
I use double sided 3M VHB tape to mount these down when I do the repair. But not sure that will help long term, as there's really very little material for the 3M VHB to "bite" on that thin side of the bracket. Ultimately, I think they should be made out of aluminum or a different polymer/plastic compound.
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