Alright, I returned the crap that I mistakingly purchased and got a mityvac.

Thanks for the info, I'm going to check it now.

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1982 240D.
My name is Michael, and I am an 18 year old binge-drinkin', cigar-smokin', novel-writin', all around unsavory and unnattractive guy. I tell long-winded stories, and I only shave once a week, although I've had to do it every day since I was 16.

Alright, the tube for for unlocking the doors holds a weak vacuum that leaks with time, this explains why the doors will unlock right after I shut off the engine but won't function after the car sits.

The tube for locking the doors holds no vacuum, nor does the tube that runs from the (I believe) front passenger door. The tube for the driver's door works fine, but since the conjoined line coming from behind the dash isn't working the door isn't locking.

What do I do now? How do I replace/check the tubes that are not functioning? I'll have to, like, pull them out and replace them, right?

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1982 240D.
My name is Michael, and I am an 18 year old binge-drinkin', cigar-smokin', novel-writin', all around unsavory and unnattractive guy. I tell long-winded stories, and I only shave once a week, although I've had to do it every day since I was 16.

You need to test them individually (I really need to do a photo-post on this... someday). Start with lock or unlock and work through each of them. On the drivers side is the three-way connectors.

One comes FROM the drivers door master switch (make sure its either locked or unlocked depending on which line youre testing), one goes TO the left rear door and one goes TO the 4-way splitters on the passenger floorboard.

On the passenger side, one line comes FROM the 3-way splitter on the driver side (it runs along the front of the seat line and over the console between the two splitters) One goes TO the right front door, one goes TO the right rear door and one goes TO both the gas flap and trunk lid (gas flap only on lock side, no unlock line, it has a spring instead).

When you suck vacuum on each line look for which lock knob moves (or attempts to move) and make sure it holds vacuum on that line, otherwise you'll need to replace that actuator for whichever line you determine that it belongs to. Once you determine which line goes where, it will be a lot easier to tell which one(s) are bad. process of elimination

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

Get a handfull of golf tees and plug any lines which you find have leaks.
This will allow you to isolate those actuators which can then be manually operated, but still allow the remainder of the central locking to operate correctly.
Note. If the lock line to a door is leaking, plug the unlock side so that you don't need to manually lock those ones everytime after unlocking the Drivers door.

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Tony from West Oz.
Fatmobile 3 84 300D 295kkm Silver grey/Blue int. 2 tank WVO - Recipient of TurboDesel engine.
Josephine '82 300D 390kkm White/Palamino int.
Elizabeth '81 280E, sporting a '79 300D engine.
Lucille '87 W124 300D non-turbo 6 cylinder OM603, Pearl Grey with light grey interior


Various parts cars including 280E, 230C & 300D in various states of disassembly.