Name this part! C'mon, it's fun!
 

Hi folks-

Can you name this part, and also perhaps supply a part number?

The closest thing I can find on Fastlane is a "Vacuum element brkt," but there's no picture! The item called "Vacuum element linkage" sounds right, but the picture shows an item that is clearly not the one I need.

My passenger door vacuum lock stopped working automatically, and I heard a rattling in the door. I looked up the info on how to take the door panel off, and how the locks should work. Sure enough, one of the little springs broke (see red circle in pic) and the other spring is cracking (other red circle). I drew a green arc where the now broken spring is supposed to be.

One more question: should this item connect to the lock linkage with just a small metal tab through the hole circled in yellow? It doesn't seem like a very secure fit.

Thanks for all your help!

When I picked up that part from the MB dealer, it wasn't more than a couple bucks. The threaded rod (which the lock knob screws onto) comes as one piece with the weird spring-clip thing that broke. The part is 123-723-00-39.

It's a door lock "jimmy" of the type used by the police in Nevada.

Someone probably locked themselves out of their car and called the cops. The officer probably bumbled the job and dropped the jimmy into the door cavity...
;)

Thanks!

I'll buy 2, since if that spring cracked, one of the other doors might go too.

How should the linkage engage with the lock mechanism? Is it really just a little metal tab?

(Definitely not a lock jimmy)

Thanks!

I just repaired that item on my W123. The top connects with a clip made of flat metal. That's it. My springs broke too. The first one went about three years ago and I jury rigged a scrap spring that worked fine. The other spring broke last week and the dealer said he'd have to order the part so I just jury rigged it as well. By the way, the dealer parts guy told me the official name was a "rod" and he asked for my vin number because there was a change in design at some point. On my car the threaded part at the bottom clips into a plastic connector on the vacuum actuator. It looks like it should screw in but it doesn't, there is a definite clip that opens and closes on the plastic connector. I believe the purpose of that part is to allow a little give when the lock actuator works. If the springs are gone you get too much give and the actuator moves but the locking linkage itself doesn't.

edit: On rereading Speedy's message I think he's describing the linkage that goes to the locking knob at the top of the door. The part I am describing goes from the vacuum actuator at the bottom center of the door to the locking linkage at the top center of the door. The entire rod is inside the door.

Oops, I made a mistake. My W123 has been gone for almost two years, so I can't remember exactly what it looked like. This diagram should clear things up before you go about ordering anything though:

44 is what you need. It's 123-800-16-80.

Thanks Speedy, that's what I think he was referring to. By the way, 59 is the metal clip that attaches the rod to the L shaped lever (56). 65 is the post that attaches the L shaped lever to the door.

awesome! Thanks again!