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An alternate method requires that you have a switch (item 7 in thumbnail above) that has already been removed from another car, or obtained online. The harness connector can then be pulled off the switch that is in your car (remove instrument cluster for access), and connected to the separate switch, which can be operated with a screwdriver, as noted by D911 above.
Here is the lowest priced one on ebay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ignition-Starter-Switch-Mercedes-1977-2004-2025450104-New/292344116030?fits=Year%3A1985%7CMake%3AMercedes-Benz&hash=item441111333e:g5cAAOSwcBhWXy4e

That is not what I remember. Mine is a 1984 300D and it has a piece (see the attaché pic) that locks the Connector to the Switch unless the Key is in the same position that you would remove the Lock Tumbler in. The older model years can be different and don't have the lock.

But, I think that was over 4 years ago so my memory on that is not 100 percent.

The attaché picture is the stock Steering Colum Lock I removed from the Car. The rotating T piece and the extended shroud/tube that are not on the earlier models I assumed were increased antitheft devices so that you cannot pull of the Electrical Connector and use it to hot wire the Car.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

What I want to know is :

How to remove and replace the electrical contact switch, #8 in the photo ? .

I just replaced the lock cylinder as it locked and I had the devil of a time getting it to unlock , not an impossible job by any means but now the key buzzer is dead and I like everything to work .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

There is a couple of issues. On is that depending on which position the locking pin is in the Switch Plunger will be depressed up into the switch which is the position you would need to remove the switch.

Next in the Picture the yellow arrow points to the direction you need to go to move the switch get it out. The red arrows point to an area you need to stick something on each side to depress the springy plastic hooks on the switch.
The old flat wire Bobby Pins that girls used to use when I was a kid would work fine I think.

Since my Steering Colum Lock was broken and I did also did not know at first how to remove the Switch I carefully took a Hacksaw and sawed off the Aluminum retaining lip and the Switch was easily pulled out.

I am looking for some other pictures and will add them to this poste when I find them.

The middle pic shows where I cut off the retaining lip in the red circle.

The last pic is of the buzzer switch showing the plastic hooks that need to be depressed.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Experience is with older models; that lock was not present, and based on the pictures of the replacement parts offered online, is not present in the replacements (which makes the replacements universal).

Prying the harness connector out of the switch will result in breakage of the t-lock, the connector face, or both. The amount of acceptable breakage in this instance is a judgement call for the OP.

You have more faith then I do as to what part is going to break whey you pry on it. Also the newer models have a shroud/tube that prevents you from sticking something in between the ignition switch and the connector.

There is a replacement T piece for the newer ones. It is just a metal stamping out of sheet metal. The end that goes into the Ignition Switch has 2 forks and the outer edge toothed so that when you shove it in the teeth catch and of course the T end sticks out.
I can't remember if that replacement T piece came with my new Steering Colum Lock or not or if I just saw a picture of it. But, either way I did not use and T piece.
Note I also pushed the locking plunger of the Steering Colum in the unlocked position and pushed the pin inwards and epoxied that pin so that the plunger would never again lock the Steering Colum and the Ignition Lock Tumbler would never again have to deal with the stress of compressing the Spring on the Steering Colum Lock Plunger.

I put a red X on the protective shroud/tube. The electrical connector is mostly enclosed by the tube.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel