Trunk stays unlocked in 1998 C230.
 

My father's 1998 C230 trunk does not lock with the rest of the doors. All the doors can be locked and the trunk is unlocked. Has anyone else had this problem before?

TIA,
Steve

check the manual
 

I believe you have an electronic key that locks and unlocks the doors in the car. In that case check the driver manual to see how to set the locking control of the key. On my 98 E300, there are two setting, global locking or local locking. In the global mode, it unlocks every lock including the trunk. If it is in local locking, it will lock each on its own depending on how the button is pressed. Hope this helps...

Basically what W140 said. Read the manual. I found that part of the manual to be the most complicated. The various locking modes on the car are fairly involved, and some are even programmable. I really think they should have a flowchart to explain it all. If you don't have the owners manual then let us know and I or someone will look it up for you. I will review my manual to see if I can provide an answer for you.

Mike

I don't think this is the problem. TRUE the remote can be set to unlock "everything" (all 4 doors, gas flap and trunk, this is called "global") OR just unlock the drivers door on the first push, and everything else with the second push (this mode is called "selective").
But he says just the trunk isn't unlocking. You can use the metal key in the trunk lid lock cylinder and make it so the remote won't unlock the trunk at all, although I believe the trunk lid remote button will still open the trunk (not sure about that). I am pretty sure he needs to read about the trunk lid lock cylinder settings and get it so the trunk lock is being operated by the remote.

Gilly

Gilly,

I believe you are correct, although I do not know what you mean by trunk lid lock cylinder settings. Do you mean that there is a position you can set the cylinder with the key so that it ignores the remote command to lock? I am thinking there is something wrong with the lock mechanism or the electrical connection to it. Steve, one question is can you at least lock the trunk with the key? If not then obviously something is wrong there. I do not know how the car sets the lock on and off with the remote, but there is an electrical connector on the lid latch assembly so maybe there is a little solenoid or motor in there. I pulled up as much as I could on alldata and this is about as much as I could make out, without taking my own car apart! Some other time... I could not find any wiring diagram for the electrical part of it. Let me know if you have any specific question and I might be able to find the info on alldata, but maybe not since they should change their name to somedata.com.

Mike

The normal locking and unlocking are done with a vacuum servo, there is a part under the back seat cushion called the PSE pump which does this.
YES there is a way to set the lock cylinder in the trunklid which "locks out" the trunk lid from the normal unlocking system (makes the vacuum servo inoperable, or at least prevents the vacuum servo from unlocking the latch).
It is done by twisting the key 90 degrees (I forget which way) then removing the key. The owners manual should describe this, I hope youhave one. 90+% of the confusion of operation of various systems are caused by owners NOT having a manual, so if you don't have one, get one quick!
Gilly

<<90+% of the confusion of operation of various systems are caused by owners NOT having a manual,>>

G,
90% is about right,
..but, I find that to be 45% have no manual and 45% don't read the one they have .