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I just installed my replacement chrome buttons on the seat controls of the front doors in my 2011. They look much better! I believe they already come in chrome in 2012 and newer. So that's all the good news.
The bad news: UGH!
Apparently I am either too strong for my own good, or too strong for the MB engineers. After I installed the passenger side and had everything snap into place as expected, I went over to the drivers door to repeat. When I pushed on the lower largest button it didn't really snap like the other side did and looked like it wasn't quite on all the way. sooooo . . .
I held the door handle with my left hand pulling it toward me, and pushed on the button with my right hand to try and get it fully in place. OOPS.
The whole darn control module blew into the door's inside. I fished it out mostly and got it sort of in place again. It is still fully functional. But something clearly broke. I am assuming it's the seat control module itself. I just priced it at the dealer for a mere $234. What a deal!
SO I am not opposed to replacing it myself, and I am pretty handy, (except in this instance, lol). But I have never taken the door panel off of this car.
Is it pretty easy? Do I have to worry about air bags? Any how to threads on removing the door panel? I am assuming that if I pull the door panel off, I can replace that module pretty easily. And God help me if I broke something worse than just that module, like the door panel itself! If I did, looks like Crazy glue!
If you break more tabs while popping the panel off it'll keep costing you
Sorry man... You were almost there!!
Yep! It's always the last screw, the last clip, the last button (in this case) of these projects that bites in the ****!
Dealer just told me $300 to $400 in labor alone and my SA wasn't sure if any programming for the module had to be done.
Truth is, that it's not really obvious at all. It doesn't rattle around. It is fully functional. It's just that I know it's there, and it's the only broken darn thing on the car. If the buttons required any type pushing on them toward the outside of the car, same direction I broke it in, it would definitely need fixing. But It seems to stay in place using the buttons as they are intended to be used.
With all that said I am not so sure that $600 to $700 to repair it is cost effectice.
V. Place the taps together that is out of place and you should be good to go. They look good but you are to strong my man. Had to say it you got to order new ones or you will end up popping them back after they fall again. Sorry didn't know you where so strong,
Would really love if someone could point me to a how to thread for removing the door panel safely and not breaking anything else. I sense its not that difficult in looking at it. But I dont want to be reckless.
I am confident that I can fix this one way or another if I can get the door panel off.
I think the dealer is raping me with a $400 labor quote to swap out this simple module.
V. Place the taps together that is out of place and you should be good to go. They look good but you are to strong my man. Had to say it you got to order new ones or you will end up popping them back after they fall again. Sorry didn't know you where so strong,
First time I am not proud of my 350 pound competition bench press! Has many advantages. But, NOT IN THIS CASE!!
V. If the taps is too much apart, lightly put them in position, they should be ok.
David,
We are a bit disconnected here. I dont have any issue with getting the new chrome buttons on at this point. My issue is that when I was pushing the driver's side lower cushion control button, I pushed too hard and something inside the door clearly broke. That whole seat shaped assembly is no longer flush with door. It is recessed back about 2 mm and slightly loose.
So one of the screw anchors that bolts the control module to the door, broke. Hopefully it is just a mounting screw for the seat control module.
That is why I need TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO SAFELY REMOVE THE INNER DOOR PANEL to fix it.
We are a bit disconnected here. I dont have any issue with getting the new chrome buttons on at this point. My issue is that when I was pushing the driver's side lower cushion control button, I pushed too hard and something inside the door clearly broke. That whole seat shaped assembly is no longer flush with door. It is recessed back about 2 mm and slightly loose.
So one of the screw anchors that bolts the control module to the door, broke. Hopefully it is just a mounting screw for the seat control module.
That is why I need TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO SAFELY REMOVE THE INNER DOOR PANEL to fix it.
Thanks for your efforts in helping though.
Cheers.
Sorry to hear V. But if you need to remove the door panel, scroll though my posts, it will give you direction. If it's hard to find, tell me and I will post it again.
Last edited by Davidkuo0330; Jul 20, 2015 at 11:49 AM.
Sorry to hear V. But if you need to remove the door panel, scroll though my posts, it will give you direction. If it's hard to find, tell me and I will post it got you.
Gonna give it a whirl tomorrow. Looks pretty straitforward and very little risk of doing any damage. Plus it will be great practice if I decide to upgrade the sound system later!
Hope you are right Peter! No guts, no glory. Right?
I will try to document it as I go to hopefully help someone else down the road.
Rnbrad already did a great job with his how-to thread on the door panel. I will try to capture what I broke and how to resolve it in one way or another.
I have 4 days left until 3-1/2 week vacation! Home the first week to handle this sort of thing. Then off to France, Belgium, and Germany!! First time to Belgium. Looked them up and found they are known for their beer, lace, and sweets (confections). Oh, and Jon Claud Van Damn! Lol
Have fun on your vacation V. Suggest if your interested, while taking your door panel off, you might change the black plastic door looks to the OEM AMG door locks. I was told by 2 service department ( one being a good friend ), my 2012 needs to have the door panel off to talk off and put on the door locks and the service department gave me the diagram showing my they where right. Something to consider.
Have fun on your vacation V. Suggest if your interested, while taking your door panel off, you might change the black plastic door looks to the OEM AMG door locks. I was told by 2 service department ( one being a good friend ), my 2012 needs to have the door panel off to talk off and put on the door locks and the service department gave me the diagram showing my they where right. Something to consider.
David if you are talking about the door pins you definitely do not need to take the door panels off please see my thread on this. I'm sorry you may have gotten mis information on this, it will take you about 10 minutes to do all four pins
David if you are talking about the door pins you definitely do not need to take the door panels off please see my thread on this. I'm sorry you may have gotten mis information on this, it will take you about 10 minutes to do all four pins
Thanks guys. Really appricated it. When I first approached my service department and even showed them our MB forum members saying they took off the door pins without removing the door panels and now that this topic has come up again, I was wondering if the door panel does need to come off of the preface E63 vs facelift doesn't.
My SA even forward a diagram of the door panel which I though they look the same for preface and facelift, am I correct?
Thanks again and if anyone with a preface E63 changed the door lock pins without door panels removal. Please advise. Many thanks.
Thanks guys. Really appricated it. When I first approached my service department and even showed them our MB forum members saying they took off the door pins without removing the door panels and now that this topic has come up again, I was wondering if the door panel does need to come off of the preface E63 vs facelift doesn't.
My SA even forward a diagram of the door panel which I though they look the same for preface and facelift, am I correct?
Thanks again and if anyone with a preface E63 changed the door lock pins without door panels removal. Please advise. Many thanks.
David, your service advisor me strictly be going on Mercedes recommendations, and this requires quite a bit of man hours, and this adds up to quite a bit of cost, however many people for several years now in the c class, E class, other classes, have been doing this without removing any panels and simply unscrew the front ones, and pull up and pop off the rear ones. Just screw on the new front AMG pins and pop on the new AMG pins for the rear but add some Loctite
David, your service advisor me strictly be going on Mercedes recommendations, and this requires quite a bit of man hours, and this adds up to quite a bit of cost, however many people for several years now in the c class, E class, other classes, have been doing this without removing any panels and simply unscrew the front ones, and pull up and pop off the rear ones. Just screw on the new front AMG pins and pop on the new AMG pins for the rear but add some Loctite
You the man. Last question, the front door pins where pretty tight. Did you have to use a plier of some kind man power or did they just twist off easily. Many thanks.
You the man. Last question, the front door pins where pretty tight. Did you have to use a plier of some kind man power or did they just twist off easily. Many thanks.
David - happy to help!
You bring up a great point, I did use pliers as they are very tight, you are correct. Additionally make sure you roll down the windows before you get started both the front and the rear windows. For the rear pins, pull up really hard on the pins with a plier and they will come right off.
You bring up a great point, I did use pliers as they are very tight, you are correct. Additionally make sure you roll down the windows before you get started both the front and the rear windows. For the rear pins, pull up really hard on the pins with a plier and they will come right off.
Thanks man. I'll be giving a try tomorrow. Many thanks for your help.
Well today I was forced to finally fix the seat control panel on my driver door.
Took it to the car wash and dummies pushed it in to where I could barely get the seat into position to even drive it. AND, they somehow reprogrammed my memory positions! Wtf!!
Anyway, I followed the door panel removal process given up higher in this thread by rnbrad except for the part with the square peg lock device. I could not find it. However, it turns out for what I needed to fix, I did not need to fully remove the door panel. I was able to gain plenty of room to access the backside of the seat module. MAN, DID I GET LUCKY!!
It turns out nothing had broken! When I pushed too hard on it installing the new chrome knobs, I just popped it out of its platics snaps.
I simply pushed on the backside of the module and it snapped back into place! Good as new now.
Dealer told me $180 for a new module and $400 labor!! Took me 30 total minutes, and I was going slow to be careful.
Well today I was forced to finally fix the seat control panel on my driver door.
Took it to the car wash and dummies pushed it in to where I could barely get the seat into position to even drive it. AND, they somehow reprogrammed my memory positions! Wtf!!
Anyway, I followed the door panel removal process given up higher in this thread by rnbrad except for the part with the square peg lock device. I could not find it. However, it turns out for what I needed to fix, I did not need to fully remove the door panel. I was able to gain plenty of room to access the backside of the seat module. MAN, DID I GET LUCKY!!
It turns out nothing had broken! When I pushed too hard on it installing the new chrome knobs, I just popped it out of its platics snaps.
I simply pushed on the backside of the module and it snapped back into place! Good as new now.
Dealer told me $180 for a new module and $400 labor!! Took me 30 total minutes, and I was going slow to be careful.
@VROD - glad you got it fixed - I was able to install thin silver covers over the black OEMs. Saved me some labor and came out decent.
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