Apparently removal of the hood star assembly can be a PITA - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

renaissanceman · #1 01-31-2015, 02:42 AM

I must have bad luck and an old style without the little metal "ears" aid in turning the lock ring. Mine ended up loose with the spring loaded part cocked to one side before I gave up before I made it worse.

All I wanted to do was remove it before taking off the hood to replace the liner so I could lay the hood on blankets on the ground...!

Skid Row Joe · #2 01-31-2015, 03:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renaissanceman

I must have bad luck and an old style without the little metal "ears" aid in turning the lock ring. Mine ended up loose with the spring loaded part cocked to one side before I gave up before I made it worse.

All I wanted to do was remove it before taking off the hood to replace the liner so I could lay the hood on blankets on the ground...!

You've got one shot when setting a new one too. Ask me how I know.

Zacharias · #3 01-31-2015, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

You've got one shot when setting a new one too. Ask me how I know.

x 2.

The engineer who designed the retainer for the hood star must be the most hated Daimer Benz employee by owners around the world. It's effing ridiculous.

If someone who has mastered the procedure would do a DIY (or even better, a video) I would be eternally in their gratitude.

renaissanceman · #4 01-31-2015, 12:20 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiFNaN38zfk

This is a newer style, but it looked pretty straightforward...until I f-ed it up. going to try again after I have my coffee so I'm not as p1$$ed when it gets worse.

Zacharias · #5 01-31-2015, 12:30 PM

The earlier style isn't that straightforward. IIRC you have to pull the retainer out a bit, then turn. That is where you fall into the hurt locker. If the retainer slips during the procedure, everything goes off... like guts spilling out of a clock mechanism. Only way I can describe it.

Someone else who has done it recently can chime in. It's been a few years since I had the pleasure.

I messed mine up that time but my retired neighbour, who lives to fiddle with anything mechanical, spent a quality hour or two on it and managed to sort it out.

renaissanceman · #6 01-31-2015, 12:49 PM

Yeah, I don't think I am totally in the hurt locker yet, I am probably going to try to get it to just pop back into place...looks like removing the hood is unnecessary to do the liner anyway. I will get a board and give that a try.

Hopefully I can get it back together without (further) disaster.

oilslick · #7 01-31-2015, 12:54 PM

This is probably the most incorrect way to remove and/or install the hood star assembly but it has worked easily for me on w123's, w124's, w126's, and a w201. I use needle nosed pliers to remove the little "key" that is held in the end of the spring and then the assembly comes out of the grill easily...1 minute tops! To reinstall the assembly I position it in the grill as it should be and then use a thin yet stiff wire to run up in the assembly and hook it into the end of the spring and pull down to reinstall the "key". Takes about two minutes tops to reinstall. As I stated earlier, I'm sure this is the most incorrect way to do this but it works extremely well for me and causes no damage to the equipment.

I also may be misunderstanding what the OP is trying to do.

Skid Row Joe · #8 01-31-2015, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renaissanceman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiFNaN38zfk

This is a newer style, but it looked pretty straightforward...until I f-ed it up. going to try again after I have my coffee so I'm not as p1$$ed when it gets worse.

As it happens, the linked-to YouTube above is the exact same W211 series model that I own. Very informative on how easy it is when you have the assembly properly seated before releasing the spring assembly in the hood. They stressed the need for it being in the seated, flush position to begin with. Thanks again!

There's also removable star kits where you simply pull your three-pointed hood ornament when you think you may be in a bad area to leave it unattended. Don't know how much those aftermarket kit emblems are, but they're not MB-issue if I recall correctly.

renaissanceman · #9 01-31-2015, 08:13 PM

I got it back seated correctly after about 30 minutes of twisting and cursing. I'm not touching that tarbaby again. Now to clean off all that decomposed foam and reline with a new one.

Skid Row Joe · #10 01-31-2015, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zacharias

x 2.

The engineer who designed the retainer for the hood star must be the most hated Daimer Benz employee by owners around the world. It's effing ridiculous.

If someone who has mastered the procedure would do a DIY (or even better, a video) I would be eternally in their gratitude.

It was because of vandalism and theft that I lost one on my newly acquired 300SD many years ago. The partscounterman @ the MB dealer didn't offer a heads up on the difficulty of needing to release the mechanism in the proper position when setting the new one in place.

Stretch · #11 01-31-2015, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renaissanceman

I must have bad luck and an old style without the little metal "ears" aid in turning the lock ring. Mine ended up loose with the spring loaded part cocked to one side before I gave up before I made it worse.

All I wanted to do was remove it before taking off the hood to replace the liner so I could lay the hood on blankets on the ground...!

Next time remove the whole radiator grill assembly. That unbolts quite easily and it is then a chance to remove all the dirt that gets stuck between the grill and the bonnet.

funola · #12 01-31-2015, 08:40 AM

The hood pad is easy to do if you use a plank. There are some lessons learned in this thread.
www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/343510-85-300d-hood-pad.html

renaissanceman · #13 01-31-2015, 10:51 PM

Got the star back in place after 30 minutes of cursing and manipulating with various metal instruments. I'm staying far from that thing from now on.

shertex · #14 02-03-2015, 02:56 PM

Just did it for the second time in my life, on my 99 E300....I concur, it's a bit of a PITA. While it's fresh on my mind, I learned the following:

1. It helps to have pliers that have the right shape at the end, to fit nicely into the thing you turn.

2. It helps to make sure the mechanism moves freely before installing.

3. It helps to get the hood latch mechanism out of the way....otherwise you're turning at an angle and risk pulling the bottom part off hood star.

renaissanceman · #15 02-03-2015, 03:03 PM

It's much more of a PITA with the type that has no ears to grab. I'll have to take a photo next time I'm in the garage working.