1996 Mercedes R129 SL600 interior mirror shake repair
MB-Dude describes disassembling a loose interior mirror, adding a rubber pad and adjusting its springs on a 1996 SL600. A later owner reports windshield damage during refitting, so this account does not present forceful reinstallation as a general instruction.
Select a photo to view its source post. The source may require sign-in.
The original mirror and symptom
MB-Dude asked how to remove the shaking interior mirror from his 1996 SL600. He identified a nonmotorized OEM unit with an infrared receiver; the later write-up also identifies ambient-light dimming. The account concerns this mirror assembly rather than confirmed compatibility across all R129 variants.
Removing the mirror assembly
A reply from symplered says the mount is held by two spring clips and describes pulling the base down carefully, using a flat putty knife if needed. MB-Dude later says the assembly came away faster than expected and disconnected its electrical plug, which did not appear damaged.
What MB-Dude changed inside
On his 1996 SL600 mirror, MB-Dude found two disengaged springs and could not tell whether a previous repair or disintegrated material explained the condition. For parts that are loose rather than broken, he describes joining two flat 1/8-inch rubber pads into a 1/4-inch pad with thin double-sided tape, placing it behind the mirror, and gently increasing the spring height. He warns that broken plastic may require mirror replacement and says reassembly takes patience. He reported that the repaired assembly felt very solid.
Fitment and refitting cautions
MB-Dude described acting on the upper mount rather than the mirror body during refitting. In a later reply, SailawaySG reported cracking a windshield after snapping the assembly in too briskly. This damage report qualifies the refitting account; it is not evidence of a universally safe installation method.
A later report of recurrence
E30&SL600 later said he had used the same approach eight years earlier and the shaking had returned. His subsequent C230-housing adaptation was still awaiting successful reinstallation in that post. This is a separate owner’s follow-up, not a completed interchangeable replacement or a durability guarantee for the original repair.
A different reported fix
Red Roadster describes wedging a one-inch piece of 1/4-inch rubber tubing between the mirror post and mirror after tilting it down, then reports that the mirror no longer shook during a test drive. This is a separate individual workaround, not the internal repair above.
Source reply ↗ · Red Roadster