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I think I have some kind of rattle in my A pillar, though it's hard to isolate while driving. Am I imagining things or has anyone else experienced this? It's fairly loud but very intermittent. Enough to bug me and get me thinking about looking for the source...
So, you just pop the little screw piece under the hood holding the plastic/rubber plate in front of the pillar then pull the rubber molding on the top to get to that torque screw?
Is it a rattle or buzzing sound? If it's a buzzing sound it's the black strip laying on the windshield, At certain speeds it'll buzz like a Bee. My 2013 did the Bee buzz on the passenger side. I finally took my air compressor hose and aimed it at the pillar to simulate driving and sure enough it buzzed away. I attached some pics that might help. The part number on the bag is either the push pins or the female inserts with the black seal. Lower the top, two screws at top, t15's if I recall, rivet at the bottom. Pull up and out. Look closely at the pics before trying to remove. I was able to use a heat gun and bend the black strip so it's applying more pressure on the windshield, Some have used silicone. Let us know what you find.
Mine has a slight rattle from the sun visor butting up against the plastic trim on the windshield header. Lowering the sun visor makes it go away. You haven't mentioned where exactly the rattle is coming from, but if it's higher up, then the sun visor is a possibility. I plan on remedying this with a little felt pad, but it keeps slipping my mind.
Hi all, new to the group and have already found it very useful! Thanks to all who share their knowledge! I have the buzzing sound coming from my right side A pillar. If I grab it I can wiggle it around whereas on the left side not so much. I have not yet tried to remove this and before I do I had a few questions. Do I only need to remove the 2 torx screws to get it out? Once out, are the painted outside and the black plastic piece shown in the pics all in one or do they separate? If my clips are broken and I replace, how do you clip them back? If its easy to understand when I take it apart just let me know, wanted to know before I went crazy town on it and got lost.
Brawndo,
you'll need to remove the two screws #13 at the top, accessible with the top down and #19 plastic push/pin rivet. The #17 bracket is riveted to the windshield frame and it accepts #16 which is attached to the pillar. The same goes for #14 & #15, pieces shown in the plastic bag. Female inserts into the windshield frame and the male pin attaches to the pillar. It'll take a bit of strength to remove it with all the securement clips. Once it's off you'll see what, if any parts need to be replaced. You indicate the pillar is loose and may be removed easier then usual. This maybe a result of the windshield being replaced by someone other than a tech at a MB dealership and you might find broken or possibly missing parts. The black strip is attached to the pillar and is not removable. With my 2013 SL550 I used a heat gun and carefully heated the black strip (without melting) and kept working in the direction to keep more pressure on the windshield. I've read some folks have used silicone to stop the buzzing. With it loose I'd be more inclined to remove it for further examination. Good luck and please keep us posted. Pics are always nice too.
I had a bad buzzing vibration on the passenger side when traveling at 60 to 70 mph and thought it was the B&O speaker on top of the dash. It turned out to be a gap between the A pillar molding and the windshield that was probably a replacement glass. I filled the gap with silicone and it solved the problem.
Cheers,
Bob
Finally got to take this apart. Looks like I'm missing 2 clips, have 2 broken snap fasteners and a missing plastic push rivet. So when getting the parts and adding them back does it still just go straight back in? No sliding down or anything? I slide the snap fasteners up in the trim piece, put the clips in place, then basically push it in place or do I put the parts in place and slide it down the pillar? Also from the above pic from @crconsulting I think I need parts 160, 210, 190, 180? What is part 200?
Finally got to take this apart. Looks like I'm missing 2 clips, have 2 broken snap fasteners and a missing plastic push rivet. So when getting the parts and adding them back does it still just go straight back in? No sliding down or anything? I slide the snap fasteners up in the trim piece, put the clips in place, then basically push it in place or do I put the parts in place and slide it down the pillar? Also from the above pic from @crconsulting I think I need parts 160, 210, 190, 180? What is part 200?
Looks like you need part 160 and 210 for sure. Those look like the parts THORGOD ordered: 002 988 52 81. (above)
180 is the plastic rivet under hood. If you didn’t have to remove it, it’s probably missing.
170 and 200 are on your car already and appear intact (the black “u” clips riveted in place)
Once you get all the parts, yes, the A pillar just pushes straight down. Be sure you align the clips with the holes before you push down.
Then the plastic rivet, followed by the two torx bolts at top of A pillar.
Easy peazy….
Good Luck
Last edited by crconsulting; Feb 14, 2025 at 06:12 PM.
Looks like you need part 160 and 210 for sure. Those look like the parts THORGOD ordered: 002 988 52 81. (above)
180 is the plastic rivet under hood. If you didn’t have to remove it, it’s probably missing.
190 and 200 are on your car already and appear intact (the black “u” clips riveted in place)
If you look at the bottom clip there is 1 part of the clip that looks like it goes into the clip thats riveted in place. Unless I'm missing something. There was only 1 of those and there should be 3. I thought that was part 190?
If you look at the bottom clip there is 1 part of the clip that looks like it goes into the clip thats riveted in place. Unless I'm missing something. There was only 1 of those and there should be 3. I thought that was part 190?
You are correct, 170 is the metal clip and 190 is the plastic one near the windshield.
I can’t remember how many of those plastic clips the r231 has (there may only be one). Do you see holes for the rivets?
see pic with PN’s, may help
Last edited by crconsulting; Feb 14, 2025 at 06:14 PM.
@crconsulting very helpful! OK the rivets are all there. I need the clip circled in yellow 230-988-03-78 and the plastic rivet under the hood (not sure which is the part number for this - 230-990-01-92-9C75?). As well as the plastic parts of course.
@crconsulting very helpful! OK the rivets are all there. I need the clip circled in yellow 230-988-03-78 and the plastic rivet under the hood (not sure which is the part number for this - 230-990-01-92-9C75?). As well as the plastic parts of course.
Also looking at your A pillar, you appear to be missing the mating “male” clip for the three metal clips riveted on. (Those could be part 17 PN: 230-988-03-78, hard to tell)
I have ordered whole A pillars and they came with all the clips and have ordered some and they came with NO clips
look at this A pillar below compared to yours.
see the mating clips for 230-698-06-14 circled in blue?
Last edited by crconsulting; Feb 14, 2025 at 07:04 PM.
Oh I thought thats what 230-988-03-78 was, Thats what you had circled in yellow on my pic. It looked like it should go into the slots on the black plastic pillar part.
Oh I thought thats what 230-988-03-78 was, Thats what you had circled in yellow on my pic. It looked like it should go into the slots on the black plastic pillar part.
it could be, hard to tell from that mb parts image. I don’t have my laptop with EPC with me, but bet the illustration is the same.
It (230-988-03-78) could also be the part that I pictured in yellow in YOUR image…
But you’re definitely missing those mating clips (circled in blue) that slide into the slots on the A pillars
I would order them no matter what they’re, cheap and hopefully the right part will show up….
Last edited by crconsulting; Feb 14, 2025 at 07:06 PM.
Brawndo,
You'll need:
0029885281-Plastic Female insert/ Qty 3 (210 in the diagram)
2309880025- Plastic Male insert/ Qty 3 (160)
2306980614- Metal piece that clips on to the pillar cover, Qty 3. It's the part that CR circled in yellow and should not be where it is in the picture. (170) It's referred to as a "Holder".
230988078- Metal Clamp riveted to the windshield frame. YOU DON'T NEED THESE. Yours look to be fine.
230-990-01-92-9C75- Is the plastic expansion rivet at the bottom, Qty 1 (Not sure if you need this part)
I just went through my parts and verified the part numbers you need. Should be pretty easy to get all the parts installed and then line everything up and go for it.
Hey all, I got all the parts in and replaced them all a bit ago. Since every clip and push pin was broken I'm sure that was causing the noise I heard but will test later. The pillar was loose before, not its tighter than the left side so may replace those soon as well.
Hey all, I got all the parts in and replaced them all a bit ago. Since every clip and push pin was broken I'm sure that was causing the noise I heard but will test later. The pillar was loose before, not its tighter than the left side so may replace those soon as well.
Thanks for all the help!!
Good job 👍
I think this is one of those repairs that we may see pop up with these cars fairly regularly. I believe the polymer they used in those clips has a tendency to age harden prematurely.
Hopefully the part has been updated to a new compound, but don’t see any superseded part numbers
Hey all,
Wanted to add to this after what @crconsulting said. The metal 'bracket' as MB put it, part 230-698-06-14 has been superseded by part# 172-698-00-14. So my parts list, with MB names was:
230-990-01-92-9C75 - Rivet (the plastic part under the hood)
230-988-00-28 - Plug (the white tab that attaches to the pillar trim piece)
002-988-52-81 - Fastener button (this goes into the pillar itself, then the plug goes into that)
172-698-00-14 - Bracket (this is the half of the metal clip that attaches to the pillar trim piece and locks into 230988078 that is riveted to the pillar)
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