HOWTO: Option Code 543 : "Sun visor with additional function"

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

ptruman

Active Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
288
Location
Birmingham
Car
No longer a Merc!
It's rather bright on the commute these days, courtesy of the low sun - and I'm forever faffing with the sun visors, or gently cursing I can't cover it all....

So, having seen this (for ML/GLE models) and then discovered the same option existed for my 2010 E Class (via my car handbook), I thought - "that's for me"....

This will give you sun visors that flip down and around as normal, but also extend back to cover the driver/passenger doors fully, and give you an additional pull down visor to continue covering the front window, now your main visor is off to the side.

[WARNING : OCD sufferers - look away now - there is a colour match problem here!]

All part numbers you need for this are listed here : https://www.ilcats.ru/mercedes/?vin...odel=212074&group=69&subgroup=018&language=en

Specifically you want the parts labelled 10,20, 30, 40, 50 (x2), 70 (x2).
Usefully the colour are NOT listed, so you may have some fun there.

These are another "hens teeth" item in the UK apparently, but I found a seller in the US selling both visors for both sides, with the clips and covers (or, as it turns out, one of my 2 part 70s is missing, so I'll get another....

The more annoying thing (for me) was that not knowing the colour codes, I was buying off eBay via a computer image - and took a punt - and got it a shade wrong (literally).

Anyway, on to the how-to - as it's mostly a direct swap/rip & replace.

First of all, you're going to fiddling with the two brackets (on each mirror) as ringed below...
Visor1.jpg

Using a shim/plastic wedge, prise off the cover on the main clip, as shown below. It's tight, and clipped in several places around the bracket.....for reference, I shall call this the "primary clip".
Visor2.jpg

Below (and out of focus) you can see the length of the bracket 'teeth' that stop it wiggling....those holes are just moulding and don't provide any useful function to let you wiggle clips around (see below)....
Visor3.jpg

Next comes the "fun" bit. I say this through gritted teeth, as this next set of clips are total and utter bastards to remove. There is picture of them at the end, to show the many many clips involved, but basically you can slide it forward/back and downward to get some to release, then (keeping doward pressure on) slide it left and right and down. It took me about 5 mins just to get the driver side one to release - whereas the passenger side one came off in about 30 seconds. Gits.
Visor4.jpg

The metal poles on the bracket in the ceiling are just to complete a circuit to enable the vanity mirror light to come on. The mirror flap in the visor (when closed) keeps the circuit broken, and when open, completes it. If you put any metal between the two poles and connect them, the light comes on.

Now to the visor hanger itself....as with the first bracket cover, prise off the outer cover. This is much easier/less clippy. For reference, I shall call this the "secondary clip"
Visor5.jpg

Here is the bracket with the cover off.
Visor6.jpg

To remove the mirror, you need to wiggle the back (screenside) of the clip left and right whilst pulling downward at the rear. The mirror bracket has a curved piece at the front (toward the seat) which hooks up and over, so once the back of the bracket comes down, you need to pull the mirror down and forward in a curved motion. Imagine yourself beckoning someone forward with your forefinger - it's that kind of shape :)

Now, here is the most important bit. The primary clip that surrounds the metal poles is shallower (vertically) on cars with the normal visors. The primary clip that holds the dual visors is deeper (vertically) - and if you just shove the new one in, your metal contacts will be up inside the clip, and (a) not make contact with the visor to enable the vanity light function and (b) not clip the visor in.

Thus, you need to straighten/bend the poles downward, and then give them a new upward bend toward the front. They metal (as is) is long enough to do this, but the fun part comes from changing the sprung curve. When you put the (bastard) clip back on, you may find one (or both) poles are not touching the mirror - or, if they are, when you unclip/reclip, they move and then no longer touch the mirror. This also caused me a few swears, as I had to get the clip off (again) and fettle. Eventually I realised you can (with a metal rod) bend them in situ, but it's still downright annoying :)

Also note that the plastic piece that holds the poles is free floating in the roof cavity once you have removed the primary clip - so be careful! I couldn't pull it down/out of the cavity, but I suspect enough hamfisted primary clip removing may render it snapped.

Here are my first bends....
Visor7.jpg

And, for reference, here are the passenger side "unfettled" clip/poles....
Visor13.jpg

You can loosely put the visor up and check the connection behaves (at least initially).

Once you're happy the clips/mirrors mate, you can put the visor up. You can try to do this all in one go (with both visors), or put the main visor in first, then attach the secondary one. The secondary visor can be removed from the primary clip via a metal sprung pressure clip at the rear, and a small retaining arm will come out of the secondary clip. You can reverse this disassembly when remounting.

Here we see the mounted visor. Yes, it's a different colour. Oops.
Visor8.jpg

And here is the primary visor down, with the secondary visor "up".
Visor9.jpg

...and with the vanity light working (phew).
Visor10.jpg

...and here are both visors deployed. Primary visor is down, round and extended. Secondary visor is down.
Visor11.jpg

And (avert your eyes OCD people) here is the colour difference. To be fair you can only really see it in bright light, and the camera makes it a bit more obvious. It's not too bad in person.
Visor12.jpg

Doing the passenger side is the exact same as the driver side, just the other way around.
Here are both sets of visors down, shown from the rear.
Visor14.jpg

As promised - here are two better pictures of the primary (bastard) clips. I mean look at it - 4 (FOUR!) small clips on the front, which go in different directions, two more on the rear - and (because why not?!) two more hulking great plastic poles, with sprung clips, on each side as well!
Visor15.jpg Visor16.jpg

Cost to me for this little jaunt was £140 for all parts shown, inc shipping from the US.

I hope you've enjoyed it :)
 
That 'slidy' visor thing was on just about every car I rented in the USA over the last year. Must be because fat people recline their seats back further. It is a useful function though.
 
MODS : I forgot to put "HOW TO" in the subject - but can't seem to edit the subject? :)
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom