Storage compartment, flap jammed

[philharve]

Deaf and blind

"The blind leading the deaf"?

Flaps stuck in the open position is a worrying concept - potentially dangerous? :Oops:

Hi Alex

That reminded me of the film starring Gene Wilder & Richard Pryor who played an unlikely crime-busting duo, one blind, one deaf. But they achieved teamworking, of sorts.

I've also participated in a management 'team building' exercise involving wooden skis, a blindfold and several pairs of ear defenders. Great fun but utter nonsense.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[Alex M Grieve]

I've also participated in a management 'team building' exercise involving wooden skis, a blindfold and several pairs of ear defenders. Great fun but utter nonsense.

That must make you the ideal man to solve this problem Phil!

Alex.

 

[philharve]

Storage compartment

That must make you the ideal man to solve this problem Phil!

Alex.

Hi Alex

Almost. If I could shrink myself to 3 inches high, I could climb into the storage compartment and take a close-up look. But all I can do is peer into dark recesses with a torch.

I can visualize the 'action' but how do I re-insert the flap without breaking the flap or knocking a lug off. There must be a MB procedure to cope with eventuality but I don't know what it is.

My car goes in for a service this coming Monday so I will leave the task to my indie. I will report back on what he does. I think I will include a photo, or two, because many members are unfamiliar with the flap mechanism I have described and where the storage compartment is located.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[television]

Hi Alex

Almost. If I could shrink myself to 3 inches high, I could climb into the storage compartment and take a close-up look. But all I can do is peer into dark recesses with a torch.

I can visualize the 'action' but how do I re-insert the flap without breaking the flap or knocking a lug off. There must be a MB procedure to cope with eventuality but I don't know what it is.

My car goes in for a service this coming Monday so I will leave the task to my indie. I will report back on what he does. I think I will include a photo, or two, because many members are unfamiliar with the flap mechanism I have described and where the storage compartment is located.

REGARDS

Phil

I dont know Phil, you have just been reinstated and now you want to get into a flap

 

[philharve]

Storage compartment

I dont know Phil, you have just been reinstated and now you want to get into a flap

Hi Malcolm

Well, secrete myself into a 'dark place', maybe.

Me, in a flap? No, rarely.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[philharve]

Problem solved

Hi All

I thought I would end this thread with some photos of the problem and its solution.

The fix was simple once my indie had managed to open the flap that covers the storage compartment. The flap had jammed closed because its lower edge had caught on the the storage compartment's liner. [ I DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS A LINER ]. This had the effect of forcing the flap's lower edge upwards so that it stands proud of the gear selector and switch panel. See first photo.

With a little gentle persuasion it was possible to force the flap open thus enabling it to be lowered back into its recess (open). Simple when you know how.

Removing the liner gives access to arms around which the flap rotates and the channels which accommodate the flap's lower lugs.

REGARDS

Phil

 

[philharve]

The 'fix'

Hi All

I recently received a PM from a member (Mike Blatt) concerning how to reset the flap to the cubby storage compartment when it gets stuck in the closed position.

About 2 years ago my cubby flap stuck 'closed' but my indie reset the flap within seconds so that it could open. I did not inquire about the fix at the time because it was working again but Mike's inquiry has prompted this posting.

I have reproduced my reply to Mike below, word for word, and append a credit to my indie for the information.


Hi Mike

I visited my Mercedes Specialist this afternoon and he gave me a detailed description of how to reset the flap. I will post the description on the MBOA website for other members. I have attached 3 photos which I hope are sufficiently clear and help explain what to do.

Firstly ... there is a special procedure (a trick!) to resetting the flap. If it doesn't succeed, try it again until it works.

*** **IF THE HINGE MECHANISM IS BROKEN THE RESETTING PROCEDURE WILL NOT WORK AND YOU WILL NEED TO REMOVE THE TOP OF THE CENTRAL CONSOLE. There is an easy and a hard way of removing this panel - another special procedure. *****

My first photo is of the top of my console showing the cubby flap adjacent to the arm rest. My flap is closed and working OK.

My second photo shows my index finger pushing the top of the flap inwards. My finger is pushing horizontally. Notice that the bottom of the flap has raised itself above the level of the top of the console by about 1/4". In your son's case the bottom of the flap is probably another 1/2" wider, just like mine was before applying the fix.

My third photo shows my index pinger pressing down on the bottom of the flap. My finger is vertical.

AND THE TRICK ...

You need both hands to implement the fix which I cannot show because I was holding a camera.

1. Press the top of the flap firmly inwards as shown in photo 2 and MAINTAIN THIS PRESSURE (important)

2. With your other index figure push down abruptly on the bottom of the flap. This pressure must be sufficient to overcome the pressure applied by your other index finger.

3. If all has gone well the flap will retract into the console.

4. If the procedure has not worked, repeat it until it does. The trick is knowing how much horizontal and vertical pressure to apply to the top and bottom of the flap. Once the flap begins to open you must remove both index fingers.

My indie says this 'stuck flap' problem is terribly common and it usually occurs because there is too much stuff packed into the cubby.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

Regards

Phil

PS - my thanks go to Jason Purseglove of Truro Motor Services (TMS) for supplying this fix.