W124 kick panel removal tips - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jeremy5848 · #1 01-17-2009, 01:55 AM

I needed to remove the driver's side kick panel in my '87 300D Turbo to do some electrical troubleshooting (it's a long story). The right side kick panel is probably similar and this technique should apply to later 124s as well (but no guarantees!).

After a fair amount of wiggling and pulling, I discovered the secret fastener that Mercedes used and managed to get the panel out without breaking the panel. I couldn't find anything about removal of this panel in my CD-ROM FSM and thought it would be worth sharing.

As the first photo shows, the kick panel is held in place by three fasteners and a molded hook (where the red star is). Two of the fasteners are plastic push-on nuts that can be pulled off or unscrewed (or a little of both). You have to take off all of the floor coverings to get to them (including the piece of styrofoam). The third fastener is a sheet metal screw, cleverly hidden under the trim strip as shown in the second photo. The hook on the back side comes loose once you have the three fasteners off – just pull back on the kick panel. You will have to experiment with the position of the emergency brake pedal as it is in the way.

Once the panel is off you will be able to access all of the wiring underneath, including the wiring from the driver's door, and all of the wires going to the back of the car. One of the accessory connectors is under there, too.

Replacement of the panel is not difficult. Be gentle with the plastic hook, don't lose any of the fasteners, and notice that the panel goes over the carpet.

BTW, my electrical problem turned out to be elsewhere so all of the work I did was for naught – and I still have to put the door skin back on!

Jeremy

teezer · #2 01-17-2009, 09:48 AM

wondering if you have any pixs of the back side of the panel or the area with the panel off ??

thinking of putting an aftermarket dead pedal on and didn't want to randomly put some sheet metal screws in

Jeremy5848 · #3 01-17-2009, 10:54 AM

No pix of that area at the moment but if memory serves, there is nothing but sheet metal and wires behind the kick panel. The wires are close to the door edge so if you drilled in the middle, about where the e-brake pedal is in my picture.

You don't like the existing dead pedal?

teezer · #4 01-17-2009, 11:07 AM

i think the mercedes design of the dead pedal is useless in a w124, and i'm 6'3" and it's an awful long reach to plant your foot

i added a 2" block, velcroed on (for now), with a pseudo AMG dead pedal and now it is useful, aligned with the gas pedal ~~ BIG DIFFERENCE

Viggo · #5 07-27-2014, 02:31 PM

Thanks for sharing, Jeremy

Just the piece of info I needed - to the point.

Bless you

Viggo

Jeremy5848 · #6 07-27-2014, 02:47 PM

Here is a picture of the back side of the panel that has the dead pedal built into it and a picture of the area under the dead pedal. (The original purpose of the pictures was to show the hook molded into the plastic and its corresponding location in the sheet metal.) Under the dead pedal is accessory connector X35, a convenient source of switched and unswitched 12 Volts, illumination power, and ground. Screws that go too far through the dead pedal could contact and damage X35 and in the worst case, cause a short circuit.

Note however the ribs on the back of the dead pedal; if the screws don't protrude too far they won't contact anything. The ribs show you the depth of the safe zone. A wooden block could be used to extend the dead pedal with wood screws going through the plastic and then into the wood. That would hold the extension securely while not protruding far enough to cause a problem.

Jeremy