W210 driver side door handle swap questions - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Maximan1 · #1 04-30-2019, 01:19 PM

My dad daily drives a 96 E300D with the RF sensor on the driver side door handle instead of a key hole. The sensor is busted, as it is on nearly every W210 that I've seen. I have noticed that at the junkyard, gasser W210s have a normal key hole on the driver side door.

Has anyone done a swap to the key style door handle? Currently, my dad has to unlock the car using the trunk lock, the P/S door handle, or attempt to use the remote (works ~25% of the time). I'm assuming there is a actuator in the drivers door that is activated by pressing the remote button, but I have never really dug into the 210 and I don't want to have too many surprises.

Any help would be appreciated. I would even be willing to swap out an entire door from a gasser if need be.

Thanks
Max

sixto · #2 04-30-2019, 02:02 PM

Maybe you can move the tumbler from the passenger side to a handle with keyhole in the driver side.

I don’t know if the typical locksmith can rework a tumbler to work with your key.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon
02 C320 wagon

jay_bob · #3 05-01-2019, 12:57 PM

1996 W210 used the IR only key. The receiver in the door handle is IR based. And yes you are right the UV destroys the lens on these and they are all shot in the JY. No RF used on a 1996 W210. The primary IR receiver is behind the rear view mirror. Have your dad try pointing the key at the RV mirror thru the windshield and see if it helps.

In 1998 they went to the SmartKey and this has both IR and RF.

The handle receiver can be easily removed. There is a rubber plug in the door edge, remove this, and stick a long 4 mm? Allen down there and engage the Allen head screw. Give it about 2 or 3 turns and the lock/IR sensor piece should loosen up and you can pull it out.

Maximan1 · #4 05-01-2019, 01:11 PM

Yes, I meant IR. I knew RF sounded incorrect but I couldn't remember what it was, thanks.

I know how to remove it, I just don't want to spend $350 on a new part that will do the same thing. I was hoping to swap the key hole over to the driver side.

The IR receivers on the trunk, mirror, and door all work very intermittently. No rhyme or reason as to when they decide to actually work. Key is in decent shape and batteries have been replaced several times to no avail.

jay_bob · #5 05-01-2019, 01:18 PM

Unfortunately the door receiver parts are not symmetrical L to R.

The IR system never worked well back in the day. Family member had a mid 90s W202 and I remember how difficult it was to get it to work even when the car was new.

A hint, maybe the IR LEDs have degraded (yes LEDs do wear out gradually over time). It may be possible to pop open the key housing and replace the IR LED in the nose of the key. I know someone on the forum did this with the active intermittent wiper control (which uses IR LEDs) and it greatly improved the performance.

Also make sure the contacts inside the key that contact the battery are not oxidized. But use no abrasives! You're only working with 3 volts out of a coin cell and any voltage drop is really going to hurt the LED performance.