Key blank for W123
 

Hi,

I just got a key blank for my 85 300D from Lowes. They said they didn't have anything listed so I just started looking for something that looked the same. They have the Axxis+ key making system, the same as Home Depot.

I found the 31R rubber head blank for Toyota looked the same as the vallet key. Their key cutting machine wouldn't hold MB key properly so I just bought the blank for $1.97 and had it cut at the FORD:rolleyes: dealership next door that still had a manual key cutting machine. It works fine.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/122926-cure-stuck-ignition-lock.html

see this thread about non original keys

Spend the $20 and get a steel key for daily use. Brass is ok for backup.

I already spent the $20 for a factory key. With the wear in the door locks, the factory key hardly works at all. (wife can never get it to work). The brass copy or the old key works all the time.

i would suggest that you use the factory key for the ignition and the brass for the doors, if the factory one works well on the passenger door, install that one on the drivers door. the dilema caused by brass keys in the ignition will have you thinking twice about it, if that happens it can exceed $500.00 to repair it

Actually the factory one (actually 3 factory keys) never works in the drivers door, rarely in the passanger door and with great difficulty in the ignition. The brass copies work well everywhere. It looks like I need to replace all three locks (4 with the trunk) to use the steel keys.

That key will for a while. I got a steel valet key, but only a brass master key, and just noticed yesterday that the bumps on the master are starting to wear round. Other brass keys for other locks that I have don't do that, so there is something about the MB ignition tumbler that will slowly shave the brass off the keys, changing the bumps.

More importantly, the shavings will probably eventually plug up the tumbler mechanism :(, which I suspect to be the actual root of the "only use a steel MB ignition key" wisdom (this seems a little more likely to me than the standard reason that a soft brass key can break a hardened brass tumber).

I'm going to switch to using the steel valet key until I can get some steel master keys.