Ouch

Things like this I guess best to nip before they fail..

I got a door lock
Enrique said I should have a locksmith look at it
thinks something loose

Sometimes the key doesn't go perfectly in right away

I personall am not sureif there is 2 sides to the key
are they the same inserted either way?

Been thinking alocksmith.

handbook says you can use powdered graphite in door lock.
Would that hurt to try

What about ignition is that the same

I don't know if that is failing
I don't lock steering wheel
Last night I moved it & it locked
then I had a hard time turning key to 1
I moved the sterring wheel & the key turned
but I got scared

Would powdered graphite help that.

I assume a trip to locksmith is warranted
but which one>

Rhing is I have a Euro car
So do they have access to the keys & locks for a 83 500 SEC if its a Euro?

Arrrgh ...didn't think of that...

I just got the car so I am a bit new to inserting the key
but I guess it should just go in
somethings it hangs a bit
but I am trying to insert it gently until I get a feel for it...

M main question is in the use of powered graphite
& if MB would be able to obtain a replacemet lock.

I;m guess a good locksmith would be able to duplicate the cylinder
but they would charge alot too
so maybe it would be best to got to MB?

Thanks

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83 500 SEC Euro 198K

Deburr the key and use the best condition key you have for driving.

Most duplicate keys for these cars can only be duplicated bt the Mercedes dealers.

Costs you about $25 and up per key, with proof of ownership required to duplicate a key: the dealers are pretty strict.

The red carpet won't be exactly rolled out for owners of gray market euro cars, at the dealers, which should be no surprise

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

My brother is a locksmith and his favorite "outside salesman" is Graphite lock spray after other people have used it!
The stuff cakes up and generally is no good on the long term the opposite is that it has brought him some business! All locksmiths will tell you that its a waste! It must be a conspiracy to sell it if its that bad. My experience was it crapped up the locks on a SAAB once and I'll never us it again.

TriFlow is good. It has some teflon in it and is a thin solution that is sprayed into a sticking lock cylinder.
I think the real problem is often that the brass pins have worn down and start going sideways or they are binding in the channels they ride in and the lock needs to be rebuilt as no amount of spray will help fix that kind of thing.

As for a Grey Market car you will need to make friends at the parts counter of your local MB dealership! I doubt they can access the VIN# its probably alien to the US system, and they have special computer programs used for the key making part of sales.
In the worst case you may have to have the door panel removed and look for a code number sequence on the lock, the drivers lock that is. A good locksmith can do wonders but a bad one will make you wonder why you went to one in the first place.

If the dealer can't help you then possibly you could buy a set of locks off a wrecked car, you know a similar but US model, and swap them all out. The US locks should fit but I don't have experience with Euro locks so that is only a suggestion and not based on experience!
Whatever you do get it fixed soon before it jams completely and you are dead in the water without a paddle.
Good luck

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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!

Got my new MB lock cylinder in there today, finally. Driving around with screwdriver to start was pretty ghetto (but damn convenient!).

The new 1 from MB is nice, had a key fitting rest of my car too.

Why is it every time I reassemble dash I end up with extra screws..this is 5th time. Beginning to wonder what is still holding it together...

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Paul
Benz-less
I need an SDL !

I got to poking around at my ignition lock after hearing all of this, and found out that my aftermarket cylinder is just fine, it's the main latch assembly that is binding up!

When the cylinder is out of the ignition assembly, it turns just about as slick as can be. The part that has the switch and the column lock keeps binding up, so it looks like I'm not going to be one of the lucky ones to fix it with a simple cylinder swap!

Now to fix that shutoff valve first, as it looks like the oil leaking through the vacuum switch didn't do the electrical part of the ignition switch any favors...

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-Josh
Testing the cheap Mercedes axiom, one bolt at a time...