This is not a major job if you maintain you sanity and are careful to remember sequence – bloody Germans love set steps!
All is logical as you would expect from MB.
If one task is taking its toll on you start at another area and go back to the problem later with a clear mind rather than throwing your toys out of your cot..
As with any work that involves wiring – disconnect your battery to avoid instrument and or fuse damage.
Break up the areas that can be handled individually.
A. DOOR TRIM
B. GLOVE BOX TRIM
C. LEFT/RIGHT SIDE DOOR TRIM
D. CENTRE SHIFT CONSOLE
E. FASCIA CONSOLE
F. ASH TRAY
I would suggest that you have separate parts buckets for all of these areas and tag each fastener with its location in a way that you will remember where they fit for the reinstallation procedure. Not nice to have bits left over…
A: DOOR TRIM (both doors are exactly the same).
The inside door opening lever sits in a recess. The recess is a thin plastic shell that can be removed with a small screwdriver blade from a small opening when you pull that latch open. Take care as this is a delicate thin piece of plastic which will need little force. This can be pushed back on when reinstalling with the edges pushed under the metal assembly with a tiny screw driver later.
When that shell has popped out you will see a Phillips head screw that secures the metal surround that has the seat button assembly – remove this.
Before taking off that assembly remove the seat buttons by prying them off gently with a small flat screw driver. The backrest button has a small plastic retainer ring, take care not to lose this ring.
With the buttons removed and the other larger screw for the armrest undone (behind that switch surround) move to the other 2 large Phillips head screws along the armrest (they are at odd angles and a large Phillips head screw driver is the best fit).
Before removing the arm rest piece, it is easier to remove two chrome door covers – both have small Phillips head screws. One is located near the mirror on the hinge side (2 screws) and the other is at the base of the window on the latch side (3 screws). There is also a “C” section retaining clamp with 2 screws, remove this as well.
On the bottom edge of the door itself there is an entry courtesy light. This can be prized off with a sharp blade screw driver and the electrical wire unplugged. This is done as you need to take off the door trim and that wire has to be unplugged.
At the base of the door there are 4 small screws securing the door trim to the door itself, they are small so do not lose them.
The armrest will now come off easily – use a lift action as it is hooked onto the door frame with plastic hooks.
The entire door trim must also be lifted as it is too hooked to the door frame. Note how to relocate this when doing the reinstallation.
There is no need to breach the plastic seal on the frame but if it is becoming unstuck take the opportunity to put some contact adhesive to patch any breaches.
The door trim with trailing wire from that courtesy light can be removed. Turn over the door trim and it is clear to see how the wood trim is secured – 3 plastic metric nuts; take these off and there is the trim!
Notes: label the screws and nuts as it maybe some time before you get to them again. Note the plastic locating hooks as these must be rehooked properly for the whole assemble to go back together properly again. Benz love to hide screws and fasteners from view for visual perfection but all makes sense as you take it apart. The other door is the same.
B: GLOVE BOX TRIM
This is the easiest part of the project. Open the glove box and take out all that crap that the family has stuck in there.
Remove the “nuts” on the hinge on the glove box door side and take off the door. These “nuts” are unique and I made a tool to deal with them from a flat metal open ended spanner that I ground the ends to form a double screwdriver so that the nut could be undone. There are a few spacer washes in that hinge assemble – remember how they came out.
The other end of that flat spanner I also ground to make a sharp double sided lever to remove the plastic pop fasteners that hold the glove box internal cavity piece. These pop fasteners are a two piece fastener with the center button expanding the outer sleeve to secure the box. From memory there are 4 of them. Be careful not to distort these plastic bits as they have to go back in when reassembling.
There is an internal light there also it can be carefully levered out like the door courtesy light and disconnected so that the box can be removed. The reason for the removal of the box will be evident later.
The glove box door has screws on the side edge and the inner panel, remove these and you will clearly see how the wood trim can be removed.
Notes: Spacer washers – remember their location.
C: DASH TRIM
This is the real exciting part when you get the feeling that Benz assemblers have additional arm and wrist joints than the rest of us. I needed a few none standard tools here: an extendable peeking mini mirror, a magnetic pick up that screw I dropped thing and a flexible LED peeking light so that you locate a few well hidden nuts…
Take a deep breath.
Do the right hand side trim first so to better understand the more difficult left hand passenger side.
The top vent just pulls out, no need for a lot of force here but the careful use of 2 flat screw drivers working from both sides evenly will give a direct pull out.
Access to the bottom vent is by a small nut that will enable you to push that vent in after the nut is removed.
The instrument cluster now must come out – if you have never done this before it is “easy”. Benz sell a removal instrument which I bought and was disappointed to see was only 2 x 3mm wires with 4mm hooks on the end. These are slid in about 40mm between the cluster plastic and the dash vinyl. Then they are turned to hook the back of the plastic cluster and simply pull that whole assembly out. It is a little scary as you may have to use a bit of grunt to get the cluster assembly out as it is a snug push in fit. Careful with these hooks as you do not want to damage or scratch the dash or cluster.
Then the unplugging of all the instrument cluster wires – these globe wires should be numbered and the more complex plugs are one way only designs. There is a vacuum hose for the economy gage which just pulls off – but should be taped up to keep dust out after disconnection.
All this removal only has the purpose of access to the trim securing nuts. However, while you are there you may want to want to look at doing some cluster resto work.
The ignition lock has to be removed as well, from memory it is a 22mm locking nut.
The light switch is next again with equal pressure to both sides prize it off.
The headlight height adjustment is vacuum assisted with a single globe this is also a push in fit and can be disconnected (remember to tape that vacuum hose) through the cluster void and pushed out from behind.
We are almost there.
To secure the trim to the dash Benz has used the same plastic nuts that you have seen in the door trims. From memory there are 3 of these on that right side trim. 1 on the far right that is undone by using an open ended spanner in through the bottom side vent – this nut secures the trim from sliding right. The second nut is between the back of the ignition hole and the cluster and the third nut is to the left of the cluster and the LED and mirror will assist you in locating this little sucker. Check in case there is another as mine had provision for one more but it was not there – there was evidence that I was not the first man to look at this area of the car.
After these plastic nuts are removed the whole trim piece slides to the right and can be taken off. If you are like me and want more access then take off the under cover in the foot well which clears the way to manipulate the blower tubes to make more room around the vents. This will also give you a second access from underneath it you have not 3 arms to utilize. Do not do this if you do not need to as refitting these panels can be a drama.
The left hand side has the same corner nut and one other securing the front side of the trim. This trim slides to the left for removal. This is where you will appreciate the glove box removal as you can move the blower tubes right out of the way and reconnect them during installation. The piece to the right of the glove box has those same plastic nuts PLUS 2 very small screws that are black in color into black plastic just under the brow of the center vent openings these secure the timber and after these and 2 plastic nuts are removed the trim is free
Notes: Understand that Benz leaves little room after squeezing in all the bits behind the dash and panels – all things have assigned homes and must be put back correctly or you will spend literally hours trying to fit the covering under panels back. Blower hoses must be reconnected properly for the vents to refitted.
D: SHIFTER TRIM PANEL.
This is where the whole thing started for me – I found that looking at a few cracks on this panel annoying so took this out and had it totally laminated and when I put it back it made the other timber look sad…..
No need to remove the gear knob as the trim easily lifts over.
Prize up the leading edge of the coin holder, and lift it up out of the way as you need to slide that trim panel forward. Be firm as it is another snug Benz fit. The panel has timber sliding retainers it will go forward about 10mm and then easily lift up. All the control switches are snap fit and can be disconnected by rear plugs. When free of these plugs lift off the trim switches and all. The switches can be pressed from behind to remove. No tools needed, only a screw driver for levering that coin holder.
Notes: Do not try to lever up that timber trim panel as it slides out forward – and other effort in any other direction may damage the wooden slide.
E: THE FASCIA TIMBER PLATE
If you have ever installed a new radio or CD player – you know what to do already.
Remove ashtray drawer. Unplug ash tray internal light.
2 screws will allow you to remove the ashtray chassis. Be careful here as these screws are into flimsy plastic which is part of the fascia.
The radio should just slide out, remove function plug, power supply and Arial connections – if it is an original MB system throw it in the bin and buy a good new one (personal preference).
Like the shifter panel the fascia slides as well – in this case up.
Like the shifter panel unplug the wires and the heater and switches are press fit from behind.
Notes: The fascia panel has some light plastic frame parts (around the ash tray frame – great care no to break this bit is important).
F: ASHTRAY TRIM - could not get this sucker off so treated it where it was.
General: the trim is easily scratched so care when using tools around these bits is good. The trim plastic nuts are not to be over tightened as the thread is only glued into the trim.
The veneer is only paper thin with a heavy urethane coating that has probably become foggy.
The wheel lug bolts and centre caps were also getting tired, so I replaced the centre caps with highlighted chrome caps and chrome over lug end covers. I tried plating and polishing the lug bolts but they still appeared dull. The wheels were 
