The driver's side door is not closing as well as it should; there's abrasion marks on the top of the B-pillar door lock catch so that tells me the door needs adjusted upward on the handle side.

I couldn't find a video of adjusting the door (I saw a lot for previous models), but I saw this article.

https://www.benzworld.org/forums/w124-e-ce-d-td-class/1878617-how-do-i-adjust-my-w124.html

Before I go to this extent of loosening the door from the hinges and trying to move it, hold it, and tighten it, I'm wanted to see if this is the right way to do this. My door seems level, so I hate to adjust it. Is the door lock latch or B-pillar catch adjustable? Nothing looks adjustable; ie, it's not like there's a slotted hole, at least not one that I can see. I figure each of these components just has a single hole drilled in them for a bolt to go through.

In all the years I've owned 124's and 201's, the most I've ever had to do was to adjust the striker. All you need to do is loosen the fastners (just a turn, you don't want to remove them) and the striker can be adjusted to any desired height or angle.

I thought the striker on the B pillar had one regular hole, not a slotted hole where it'd be adjustable. But that's what I thought about the door as well. I'll try the striker first. Much easier than trying to adjust a door where gravity is working against you.

I don't think the actual locking mechanism on the door is adjustable, or is it?

Thanks

The backup bolt plate behind the door pillar is a loose fit. Loosen the screws holding the striker and you can move it around. If need be, there are shims that go behind the striker to move it further away from the door pillar.

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Current stable:
1995 E320 157K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 125K (SLoL)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
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1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

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1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™) [Definitely NOT a Benz]

The only adjustment on the lock itself is the height of the button and the length of the plunger on the vacuum pod. I don't think those help you.

Does the margin across the top look even front to rear? Does the door margin on the rear of the door look the same top to bottom. How about the margin between the door and the front fender, even top to bottom?

The door shouldn't have to move up or down to engage the strike and snap closed.

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84 300SD
85 380SE
83 528e
95 318ic

The door drops slightly towards the B pillar. Seeing that the door, and not the catch on the B pillar was the problem, I loosened all 4 bolts on the 2 hinges on the A pillar. WRONG THING TO DO if you're doing this by yourself because you'll almost never get the door back to where it was on your own. It takes 2 people, one to lift and pull the door outward, and another to tighten the bolts back in.

So, I made the situation MUCH worse for a while but finally got it back to about where it was before I messed with it. There is some secret to getting the door back perfectly aligned with the catch but I don't know what that secret is. At least my door will close again after I made it worse!

My '95 wagon has two doors that need to be shut hard to get them to latch, the two front are noticeably harder than the rear. My wife never gets the door to latch on the first try, she has to slam it again sometimes twice.
I tried adjusting the striker on the passenger side every possible way but couldn't get it to shut without having to slam it.
I suspected the latch so I sprayed TriFLow lube into the door latch mechanism just to see if that would fix it. Nope.
I asked a mechanic friend what he thought since he once owned a '95 wagon (his wife said selling it was a big mistake she liked that car a lot!).
He said the mechanism in the locking unit (in the door pillar) was bad.
I wonder if anyone else has found this to be a matter when it comes to getting a door to close like it should?
I'd hate to guess what the latching mechanism sells for at the stealership.
DDH

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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!

Dieseldiehard, in your case you would look at the B pillar door latch catch. If there are any scratch marks on the top of the catch it like mine has, that tells you one of 2 things. Either your door is hitting into the catch, or the catch needs lowered. Compare the other side (a good working door) to see the difference. In my case, the driver's side door slopes slightly toward the B pillar. On the passenger side door which closes fine, the door is level. So the problem is not with the catch, but the door.