Hello, all,

The sunshade -- the little upholstered panel which slides back to let in light from the moonroof -- on my W202 has been giving trouble. I've done a search, and nobody has posted about a problem like this.

Some time ago, while closing the sunshade, something plastic broke and two little T-shaped clips came loose. Ever since, the sunshade has rattled over ripple-bump roads -- you know, the concrete things where the roadbuilders don't bother to slap down any blacktop. And we have lots of those around here, along with other roads which make you grind your teeth.

A good local upholstery shop pulled the headliner. Apparently the plastic clips are guides for a frame that is supposed to hold the sunshade in place. They've tried three times, using the moonroof schematic, to order the clips. Each time the dealer sends the wrong parts.

The upholstery guys think it's going to be darn near impossible to get the sunshade to work without the parts, and almost impossible to get the parts. Their suggestion to me, since I hardly ever use the moonroof, is that they rig something to make the shade quiet, but which will impede the sunshade's normal operation.

Does anybody know how we could find the right parts, and if Phil might have them? Failing that, is this dysfunctional moonroof -- which doesn't bother me much -- going to make the car harder to sell/trade in a few years?

Thanks in advance,
.

__________________
* *
-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino

Which part(s) do you think it is?

Attached Thumbnails

     

__________________
Daily Driver: 02 E430 4MATIC
In the family: '03 E500 // '04 ML500 // 64 220SE

Skiier,

Thanks; these are much more detailed than the one Phil had (though they may be the exact ones the upholstery shop is looking at). I've seen the little parts; they look like plastic versions of the Greek letter pi. In the first thumbnail, the tiny bracket on the near end of part No. 41 resembles the pieces that came loose. Or it could be No. 44, right next to it.

In the second thumbnail, it might be part 113, or maybe 104. (See how useful I am at diagnosing these things? Especially second-hand!) In the third one, maybe part 23, though that diagram appears to be of the moonroof itself, and not the sunshade or its attendant parts.

If the upholstery shop can pinpoint which part, and if I can send this thread to Phil and tell him which one, that'll be great.
.

__________________
* *
-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino

#104 - A140 988 14 78 - Clip: Bottom Frame
#113 - A000 990 71 91 - Nut retainer: Frame to reinforcement frame
#41 - lots of p/n here
A202 780 01 12 - .Angle Replaced by A 202 780 09 12
A202 780 09 12 - .Angle Left Code: 412 (color code)
A202 780 03 12 - .Angle Replaced by A 202 780 11 12
A202 780 10 12 - .Angle Right Code: 412

#44 - A126 782 01 30 - Sliding Jaw: at lifting angle

If it were me - I'd take it to the dealer (with the plastic clips if possible or with the headliner removed) and show them whats wrong. They could probably tell you the correct part.

__________________
Daily Driver: 02 E430 4MATIC
In the family: '03 E500 // '04 ML500 // 64 220SE