Both front doors are starting to need a good 'slam' or 'english' to get them to close all the way. They usually just want to close to 'safety latch' position 'half closed' 'whatever'.

I assume this has something to do w/ the latch in the door.

Is there an article on how to resolve this anywhere?

Thanks!

-bd

1982 - 300SD - 286k

The nib is broken off the striker. See pic.

You can also swap a good one from the same side back door as a temp measure.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Well that was the perfect response.

Much Thanks!

-bd

FWIW, the 126 I am familiar with use different strikers., no nibs like the 123 have.
A missing nib will result in a metallic sound for sure. Sometimes though a door settles on the hinges (or someone "hung" their body weight on a door and lowered it) in that case you need to simply move the door back up, or, if its just a tad out of adjustment you move the striker block down a small distance to meet the door latch mechanism properly.
Or, sometimes the striker needs to come out (or in) a small distance, even 1/16 inch can make a difference.
To adjust the striker I loosen it but only enough that its still relatively tight against the door pillar. Hopefully you don't damage the hex openings on the screws while trying to loosen them!
Loosen the screws a little at a time until the striker just starts to move when tapped on with a hammer (medium taps) that is what I mean by relatively tight.
Now move the striker one way or another and slam the door, doing this process repeatedly until it closes properly. The thing to listen for is the "bank vault" sound a Mercedes door is supposed to sound like. The tighten all the screws.

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

Sometimes, a little lube works wonders on the door mechanism itself. Teflon spray seems to work the best for me. (WD-40 is nearly useless as a lubricant)

However, if you are having to put your arm into it there are more serious problems.

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

Same thing happened to me, I replaced my striker but it was unnecessary.

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'02 BMW 325i
'85 300D 450k
'93 190E 2.6 170k(killed by tree)
'08 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S 6k
'06 Ducati S2R800 14k(sold)