The FSM (print and CD-ROM versions) section 68-150 are pretty good for the driver's side under-dash cover but they are missing a couple of items for the passenger side. Since I had to learn the hard way, I thought I'd post it here for others. This is for my 1987 300D and I don't know how far into the 1990s it might be valid for.

One of things you must do to remove the passenger side cover is to remove the right side air nozzle (so you can get at two screws cleverly hidden behind it). The FSM says "Pull out outer (meaning right-most) air nozzle..." as if it just pulls out. It does not. There are four metal clips, two on top and two on the bottom, just inside the louvers, that must be bent or pulled with a small screwdriver or very long fingernails to release the vent. Look into the vent with a small flashlight and you will see them.

You should be able to work each corner free as you pop its clamp -- you shouldn't need four tools and four hands. As you carefully pull the vent out, you will discover that the "volume control" for the vent is illuminated -- there's a lamp on a pigtail stuck in the control. Carefully unclip the lamp socket and let it hang on its pigtail while you clean the accumulated dust out of the vent. This is also a good time to turn on the parking lights and see if that lamp works; mine didn't so I put in a new one (12 Volts, 1.2 Watts).

Finally, you remove the last screws per the FSM and the under-dash cover is free. Almost. There's one last thing the FSM didn't mention: the little fan that sucks air through the in-cabin temp sensor (the sensor is up in the front dome light assembly, remember?). Unplug the hose from the pump and carefully wiggle the electrical connector free -- it's held to the pump by plastic clips. Now the cover can be removed and you can get down to whatever work you needed to do.

Assembly is the reverse of disassembly -- I didn't have any problems. Remember to plug in all the things you unplugged and don't lose any screws.

Jeremy

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970

Jeremy,

A nice step by step...Thank You.