Stuck Trunk Lock Tumbler
 

Hi,

My trunk lock tumbler wont turn all the time. It is just stuck. Jiggling the key sometimes helps to make it turn. Sometimes I cant get it/dont want to force it.

A few questions:

Can one get a properly keyed trunk lock?

Is this a straightforward replacement?

Also, am I wrong in thinking that one should be able to unlock the whole car via the trunk lock?

Thanks!

Which car?

doh! The 82 300CD. The question about the trunk lock being able to unlock the rest of the car should stand true for the 81 240 as well.

I drilled out my lock, got one from the junkyard, and repinned the lock myself. I did a write up on this site too. It's not difficult.
Found it. http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/tech-help/214650-w123-trunk-lock-question.html

the only car I have that will unlock all doors from the trunk is the 87's in my sig. the older ones do not.

The trunk doesn't unlock the whole car, so no, that won't work.

But the trunk lock is a two-position thing. Rotated horizontal (or vertical, I don't recall the specifics off-hand) it is tied to the central lock vacuum and will lock/unlock with the driver's door. You can temporarily bypass this with the key - partial turn, then push.

When rotated the other way the trunk will stay locked regardless of the driver's door lock/central lock. Do the problems occur in both positions?

Maybe cleaning the linkage behind the panel will help.

Do you have a different/spare key you could try? If your lock set is all original with the original key, I'd assume the key is fairly well worn out where the lock is pretty much intact. This may make it hard to turn. MAYBE ordering a new VIN-matched OEM key might help.

How's your ignition tumbler?