Footwell panel - How Do I Remove It?

[Ian B]

I’m new to the forum and am the proud owner of my first ever Mercedes (1998 E320 Elegance W210) and I love it to bits.
Hopefully someone can tell me how to remove the trim panel from the passenger footwell. I’m referring to the black flexible panel with two rows of holes running along the top edge and has a foam backing. There seems to be two recesses for bolts but when I shone a torch up there they don’t seem to have a head on them to undo.
Any advice would be much appreciated… before I break something trying!

 

[Ian B]

Can anyone help on this one, please?

 

[jberks]

Hi,
I'm not clear on which panel you mean. If this is the upper panel - (under-dash panel), then from memory there are about 3 phillips screws at the front to undo and the panel drops down from the front.

 

[Ian B]

Yes, that's the one. It has dropped down at the front edge and is partially blocking the footwell. It won't go back up and I can't remove it because it is attached (somehow) at the trailing edge.

 

[jberks]

I think its just clipped up at the back. There is a hook in the middle that clips on to the bottom of the fan assembly so I suggest you just wiggle it about - it should come away. The driver's side has a fixing at the firewall end, but I don't think the same is true of the passenger side, though I can't be certain. I do know it wasn't particularly difficult to remove when I stripped mine down to access the fan housing. If its not a classic, there will be a footwell light in it too. You will need to disconnect the wiring before removing the panel.
Its odd that it doesn't go back up, is there some after market kit in the car - say a phone kit? The controllers are normally hidden under the panel so it may be that the box has shifted and is in the way and just needs pushing out of the way.