What ho one and all,

Starting to remove all the under-body plastic panels, not only to clean behind but also to apply some anti-rust, etc.

There is a front to back, below door sill trim that I cannot find in the workshop manual, nor can I see how to remove it. Seems that it is is held in place by a number of sliding clips, my guess is that the whole thing slides towards the front and all the clips will disengage, but.... Something seems to be holding it and I cannot seee what or where. It is next to the pinch seam but also has a rubber sealing strip against the car body.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and toodle pip

 

More research and it is called a Stone Guard. It is held in place by the gray rectangles that slide on the guard. Need to go towards the rear about one inch. The problem still is, I cannot seen what prevents it sliding to the back? There are two round plastic things, one at either end that look like a rivet top, but I don't know how to get them out without breaking. Do they just lever out? Or like the little buttons, the top lifts before they come out?

Grateful for any advice.

 

I would just pop those plastic connectors out. You can get a big assorted box of those connectors at harbor freight for $10 or so.

 

Thanks. Will have a look but since I am not in the US, will have to find another source.

 

The white clips at each end are just pop-in / pop-out. why are there so many different clips that more of less, do the same job?

Anyway, as an experiment, managed to pop-out one at the front and did so without breaking it. Now I know for certain that I will be removing these sills. The front section was tightly packed with fine dust, stones, etc, thrown up by the front wheel. By removing the stone guards, I will hopefully be able to inject some Waxyol into the sills.

And I have some mud flaps to fit, so that will reduce (prevent?) further build-up of stuff inside the stone guard. But I imagine that the sill has never been removed so it is likely to be ten years of accumulated debris.

 

Don't imagine that anyone will be following this thread but....

I did manage to 'pop' out the white trim clips and slide the entire stone guard forward sufficiently to drop off. That is when found that the single clip at the front and the two at the back, also slide off. The only 'item' that keeps it all in place is a small metal clip at the rear (just in front of the back tire.) With this off, the whole thing can be tapped towards the front and it is free.

Putting it back is challenging as one needs to get all the sliding clips in simultaneously. And that includes the one at the front and the two at the back.

 

Bit of an update.

The trim is clipped at the rear end with a sprig clip that just levers off. But it is also held by the trim clip at the front. This needs to be levered out of the body (put the tool between the plastic trim and the body; do not attempt to lever the clip out of the trim.) The two rear clips can stay in place as they 'slide' into a slot with the grey clips.

Then the entire stone guard can be tapped towards the rear to remove. As said above, replacing is tricky as I left all the clips in place.

My Maz 3 is 2015 (ten years old); I am the second owner and it only has 45k on the clock. Been fully dealer serviced and I think probably garaged. I am in the process of removing every under-body panel to clean and apply some sealer to prevent (reduce the chance) of future rust.

I will be removing the wheel arch liners but today, since I had the stone guard off, I access the panel behind the front wheel by releasing the two lower arch clips.

This is what I found! Ten years accumulated road dirt and leaves, all a bit damp. About a large mug full. Cannot see any evidence of rust, but I will be doing it again to apply some under-seal.

 

You can get a big assorted box of those connectors at harbor freight for $10 or so.

 

Thanks, but we don't have Harbour Freight in the UK. I did find a web site with every clip known to mankind and have ordered a box of the necessary.