I noticed nobody has a good DIY guide or video on how to remove the two-piece center console wood trim found on pre-facelift cars. I have just wired in a W124 radio antenna switch so that I can keep the power antenna down while using my stereo on bluetooth (DIY guide for that pending), and during that job, I thought to make this guide to help save the wood on all the remaining cars out there.
This guide shows removal of the upper and lower center console wood trim pieces, as well as removal of the ash tray wood trim, radio, HVAC (ACC), switches, and gear shift knob with shaft. If you have never removed the center wood trim panels before, be prepared with JB-weld or some other epoxy to repair inevitable cracked plastic on the switch sockets. And of course be ready to wait 12-24hrs for that to cure. Or, several people including: restoredinusa.com: Mercedes Wood Trim Restoration – We service customers from all over the world. - Mercedes Auto Wood Trim Restoration for San Diego Los Angeles California Florida Nevada Arizona Texas Washington New York can restore damaged mercedes wood trim; I'm not a customer (yet), and that's not a paid endorsement, but his results look far better than some DIY jobs I have seen.
Tools needed:
I also would recommend a headlamp to see into the crevices, and plugging in the car into a battery charger if you're going to take a while; using the dome light could run down the battery if it takes longer than expected. Working from the passenger seat may be easier because you don't have a steering wheel in the way.
Best,
Luschka
PS- As you can see in images 1 and 5, the rear-most edge of the lower wood trim piece behind the shifter is bending up. It's not the veneer peeling, the whole wood backing is not quite sized to fit down flush with the center console. On these early year cars, there is no retaining clip to hold that portion down. I am curious if anyone has tried to bend this wood back to sit flush, or has fabricated some sort of hook to secure this rear-most edge down to the center console. Let me know if you have a solution.
PPS- Hot glue is a suitable fix when you need to glue directly to the switch to keep it in place, e.g. when the plastic tabs on the trim piece are broken and missing entirely. It holds tbe switch and it can be atraumatically removed from the switch at a later date to allow for replacement, unlike epoxy which is more permanent.
This guide shows removal of the upper and lower center console wood trim pieces, as well as removal of the ash tray wood trim, radio, HVAC (ACC), switches, and gear shift knob with shaft. If you have never removed the center wood trim panels before, be prepared with JB-weld or some other epoxy to repair inevitable cracked plastic on the switch sockets. And of course be ready to wait 12-24hrs for that to cure. Or, several people including: restoredinusa.com: Mercedes Wood Trim Restoration – We service customers from all over the world. - Mercedes Auto Wood Trim Restoration for San Diego Los Angeles California Florida Nevada Arizona Texas Washington New York can restore damaged mercedes wood trim; I'm not a customer (yet), and that's not a paid endorsement, but his results look far better than some DIY jobs I have seen.
Tools needed:
- Right angle screwdriver with PH2 phillips and T15 Torx bits. I use "NEIKO 03044A 1/4-Inch Drive Mini Ratchet Screwdriver Set"
- Mercedes stereo removal tools, found on ebay, the ones that look like a knife blade on a ring. See pic 9 in this guide.
- PH2 normal screwdriver on a typical 4 inch shaft.
- Plastic trim removal wedges, straight, X2
- About 1/4" flathead screwdriver on a typical 4 inch shaft.
I also would recommend a headlamp to see into the crevices, and plugging in the car into a battery charger if you're going to take a while; using the dome light could run down the battery if it takes longer than expected. Working from the passenger seat may be easier because you don't have a steering wheel in the way.
Best,
Luschka
PS- As you can see in images 1 and 5, the rear-most edge of the lower wood trim piece behind the shifter is bending up. It's not the veneer peeling, the whole wood backing is not quite sized to fit down flush with the center console. On these early year cars, there is no retaining clip to hold that portion down. I am curious if anyone has tried to bend this wood back to sit flush, or has fabricated some sort of hook to secure this rear-most edge down to the center console. Let me know if you have a solution.
PPS- Hot glue is a suitable fix when you need to glue directly to the switch to keep it in place, e.g. when the plastic tabs on the trim piece are broken and missing entirely. It holds tbe switch and it can be atraumatically removed from the switch at a later date to allow for replacement, unlike epoxy which is more permanent.
