Here's the problem: Came home, parked the car in the driveway (slight incline), came back out about an hour later and found the key would not turn! Tried turning the wheel left and right to the stops, jiggled the key while doing so, rocked the car while jiggling and turning the wheel and was just short of getting a screwdriver! I have a 1991, 190E, 2.3. Is there anyway to unlock the wheel without tearing the dash apart? How hard and where can I find the proceedures for replacing the ignition lock on this model car? Any help will be greatly appriciated!!

http://dieselgiant.com/repairignitionlock.htm
The above link is a great place to start.
You may not be as lucky as it's author, but if that is the case you will have already figured out where to start cutting... you'll want to leave the plastic plug connector in the back un harmed...
A new tumbler (including 1 new key) runs about $80.00
The other parts of the steering lock/ignition switch assembly total up to about $150.00 ...but if you can get them out of a junk yard that has a key for the car (otherwise the labor costs will go up) you can probably get them for less than 50 bucks. In my case they diddn't have the key and I was forced buy a new armored cover and cut theirs off.

Best of luck...

Judging by the number of tumblers going bad this summer, maybe there should be a stickie about this... then again I have a feeling it will do limited good overall.

__________________
-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html

Sounds like it went bad, do a seach for "replace ignition cylinder" and you will find lots to explain how to do the work. Be sure that the incline did not jamb the lock tight. If you are not positive that the wheel is not just forced against the lock, jack up the front wheels off the ground,this will take off all the stress that the incline might be causing the lock to jamb. if the wheels are off the ground and the lock is still jambed, you have a bad ignition cylinder and Lord help you as you learn to fix it, it is not fun and not cheap, but it can be a DIY job

__________________
Christopher Henkel
1990 190E 2.6 - Arctic white SOLD
1986 190E-16v - Blauswartze
1993 300CE - SOLD
2003 W208 CLK 320 Cabriolet - Magma Red

I pulled the knee shroud and with a flashlight, looked under the dash. I was filled with despair! From underneath I couldn't even see the ignition switch! I'm sure it's up there, somewhere! After lookiing at the link that gave prety good instructions on how to pull out an ignition lock I was wondering if that's the same proceedure for the 190E? It's Sat. and I would like to complete it by Monday night! I was hoping that by some miracle that I would go out there this morning and it would work so I could get my boat out of the driveway! No such luck!

I will look at the threads on how to pull the instrument panel and hope that I have an enlightened moment when it all comes together! Any suggestions on this project would be a great help! Is there a site specific for the 190E? There is always the option of high explosives if the project becomes too complicated or well beyond my budget! Thanks to all!

Ignition Cylinder Tumbler replacement; mixed diesel/gas
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/142232-ignition-cylinder-tumbler-replacement%3B-mixed-diesel-gas.html#post1065596




Have a great day.

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1983 300D
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With the lower dash removed, you might be able to reack up from below and push out the cluster to get it started. That's what I did eariler this summer. you will need to unscrew the spedo cable and if you unplug all the connectors ...be sure to label them. I did not unplug them and just moved the cluster off to the left and up out of the way th access the bolts that hold the steering column and do some cutting.

__________________
-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html

I have the instructions with pictures for the 190 on a Word Doc. PM me your email address and I'll send it to you.

__________________

1993 190E 2.3
2001 SLK230
1971 LS5 (454) Corvette Convertible

WHEW!!! What a task! First I want to thank SLK230RED for the instructions he sent me that got me to this point! And a big thanks to everyone else here and the help you provided!

But now I am at a stopping point! Everything went pretty smooth, relatively speaking, with a few points I had to improvise on. Like grinding down the pin. I didn't have a small grinder so I took a hammer and punch and pounded the the thing with a vengence! It didn't push it down to the point where it would allow the switch to rotate in the tube but the pin was mangled enough so it didn't spin anymore. So I took a drill to it and drilled it out! So far, so good!

But here is now the problem. SInce the key is in the 0 position the connector on the back of the switch is not coming off! THere are 3 screws holding it on and there is not enough room to access the back of it maybe drill through the plastic a bit to get to the screws. So I'm looking for alternatives here!

What if I were to drill along the side of the switch until the screws were exposed? Then hopefully I could pull the switch in two and rotate the connector side enough to drill and expose the heads of the screws and get them out. Of course this would destroy the switch assembly and have metal shavings flying everywhere ( I did put a towel behind the switch and have a good shop vac!)?

So, any other suggestions you may have will, of course, be greatly appriciated! And again, thatks for everyones help here in this forum!

Craig

ok, ran down to Ace hardware to see if they had any C4 explosives, no such luck! Figured if I couldn't get the ignition lock assy out I would just blow it out! It's a technique! All I have to do is get those *^%& screws out holding the connector on the back of the switch and the rest should be a piece of cake! Any help before I haul it to the dealer?

Why can't you pull the entire switch out of the column, plug attached, now that the pin is gone? See post #11 in this thread Ignition Key Will Not Turn - Help

__________________
1986 560SL
2002 Toyota Camry
1993 Lexus

A dremmel and a bunch of cutoff disks is the way to go (if you don't have a die grinder). My plug connector had nowhere near enough loose wiring to get a good angle on that third screw (as it sounds like yours might not)
And I had to cut the ignition switch as well as the steering lock to expose the inside of the ignition switch. At which the car can be started.

The dremmel will be cheaper than the dealers will charge to open the hood, and your almost home as far as being able to start that baby up. It's a good feeling just to be able to get the steering wheel to turn isn't it.

Remember to use safety glasses for the broken, flying cutoff wheel shards, and remember to tighten up the steering column before you take it out for a test drive.

__________________
-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html

I was thinking hard about just taking it to the shop but figure that I'll invest in the dremmel tool after work and give it a try! The third screw is going to be the bear, the whole assy. now spins so I'm hoping to get enough rotation to get to it! Wish me luck! And I will be wearing safety glasses!

SUCCESS!!!!! Didn't know I knew so many cuss words! But in the end I got it out! EVen when I got it conpletely out the key still wouldn't turn! After seeing the condition of internal workings I'm surprised that it worked at all! I owe so many thanks to everyone on this forum that gave their input and directed me to the sites for the information I needed! Thanks again SLK230RED, the instructions you gave got me through the rough parts! Perhaps when I'm done with this project I can then add my 2 cents worth for those that come after me! I'm ordering the new parts tomorrow and hope to have the car up and running by the weekend!

Congratulations.

If your ignition switch ism't screwed up too badly you can start the car by turning it with a screw driver... drove mine for a few weeks like that before my parts got assembled.

I think this job has one of the highest 'feel so good it's done' factors going... of course that is because it is one of the worst to do.

__________________
-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831799-post13.html
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/831807-post14.html

The ignition switch is shot! Even diassembled it won't turn! The question I have now is there a way to disengage the shifter so I can at least move the car to get my boat out and on the water where it belongs?

Also I think I have a couple of points to add to the removal of the ignition assembly.

1. Removing the pin: Since I didn't have a dremmel tool to beging with to gring the pin down I took a punch and hammer and beat the tar out of it! It got to the point where the pin wouldn't spin anymore. At that point I took and drilled it out!

2. Removing the Assembly out of the tube: I could turn the whole assembly in the tube but it would not move forward for removal. With my son pulling part of the dash and center console I took a wide tip chisel and pounded it out! With the center console screws removed ( 2 right below the heater vents) it is able to pull it out enough to give the assembly enough room to come completely out. WARNING!!! Do not pull too hard or you will hear things start to crack!

3. Removing the screws holding on the connector: I bought a Dremmel tool and quickly found out that it was too big to get the angel I needed to get to two of the screws. I went and bought a 40" flexible adapter which cut through the screws in less than half an hour! Worth the investment!

4. When that frustration level gets to the point where you are repeating a string of words that your mother use to wash your mouth out with soap, step away, grab a cold beer, and relax a bit, it will all come together!

Hope this helps someone else and hope to continue to hear from you!