Les, the simplest approach for you is to remove the battery, install the black plastic cover and reinstall the battery. Once the battery is out of the way you will be able to see how the cover fits into place.

Instead of completely removing the battery it may be possible to simply move the battery forward slightly (with the terminals still connected) to provide more room for installing the cover. Once you get it installed it will seem so easy the next time around.

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Fred Hoelzle

Sounds as much fun as a 300D W123 fuse box cover

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1985 300D 198K sold
1982 300D 202K
1989 300E 125K
1992 940T

"If you dont have time to do it safely, you dont have time to do it"

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

That's what I thought yesterday. So I took out the battery. I remembered that wiggling it out around the battery was a PITA. But still no lights came on, I remained unenlightened! My Karma is Bad!

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<<Les Garten>> 1988 300TE 280,000 Miles

I always wondered if they were supposed to have a screw holding the one side or not with the fork like projection, that was slotted?

when i reinstalled mine i put the bottom in first on the bottom behind the batter there is 2 slots for it to fit into,then you need to bend the cover to get it up behind the moulding weather strip,it has a small white clip on the right side that catches the under part of the weather strip,but becarefull,cuz mine ended up cracking in half from being so old and dried out from the engine heat.goodluck,slow and steady,walk away take a break and keep on trying.

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enjoy life,take the coal that is handed to you and turn it into diamonds. { PHILLIPIANS 4:13}

Mine is now in. It is fashionably two toned from Duct Tape holding it together.

What was keeping me from getting it in place other than a Mini Stroke, was I saw that one side looked finished and one side didn't as far as the plastic was concerned. The side I thought looked unfinished was what faced outward that you could see.

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<<Les Garten>> 1988 300TE 280,000 Miles

yeah, it is a tricky little bugger to replace.

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enjoy life,take the coal that is handed to you and turn it into diamonds. { PHILLIPIANS 4:13}