Hi, I have an 88 300E with a malfunctioning lock (passenger side front). On a previous post a member suggested taking off the door panel and inspecting the linkage. Since this is my first Mercedes (1 week old) I don't know how to remove it. I haven't been able to find any screws and don't want to pull on the thing and break it. How do I take it off?

Please be careful! The snaps that Moraine refers to are common on American made cars,\. The are about 1/4" in diameter and serrated and snap into holes in the door frame, all around the door panel. My '87 300TDT does not use this system and I doubt that your 88 300E does either.

I have only taken my back door panel off, but I would suspect the front is near identical. Here is the procedure as I remember it:

Remove Door Lock button.

Open door and remove about two screws that secure the back plastic shroud around the door striker.

If applicable remove speaker grill (I don't think youreally need to do this, but again, I'm going from memory and my car is not here. Btter to remove and look around for fasteners. For front doors, this is N/A.

This is the tricky part - there is one more screw behind the inside door release handle. The black plastic shroud has to be slipped forward before it comes off to reveal the screw.

I don't know if the seat switch comes off wioth the pael, but my guess is yes, since there is no access to the back side until the door panel is off.

Noe the door panel is free to remove. There are about 8 or so "L" shaped clips around the panel and on the door pull, these slip thru slots on the door frame and then down to secure the panel. So to remove, you must slide up to disengage. My panel was very reluctant to come off, since this it probably had been untouched for over ten years.

Disconnect the speaker wire and set the panel aside.

There is a thin sheet of pastic that is glued to the door frame as a moisture barrier. If you work it slowly, you can probably get it off without ripping it.

Reverse the steps to reassemble and I would suggest an extra set of hands to help push the panel against the door so all the L brackets engage. It took me a couple of trys!

Good luck!



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Deezel
87 300TDT
150,000 miles

On a 124, to remove the door lock, you shouldn't need to remove the door panel. Simply pop off two rubber caps in the door jamb (one to access the set screw and the other to access the alarm connection). Pull the alarm connection out (white plug) and then back the 3mm allen out the entire way and remove. You should then be able to insert the key into the lock tumbler, turn it 60 degrees to the right (if memory serves me correctly), press in to unlatch the detent and pull the lock assembly out separately from the exterior handle. Installation is reverse of removal. Hope this helps!


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Rgds,
Aaron Greenberg
MB technician
Precision Motorcars, Cincinnati, Ohio
'67 250SE Cabriolet
'77 450SL
'79 6.9 (SOLD)
'80 300SD
'85 380SE
'89 420SEL
'93 300E 2.8

The door panel is held by slide on clips. When removing, you have to take out the lock knob, bottom light, door handle, and the rear striker trim. Then the door panel pulls upward to remove. It is hard and can take a while to move it loose.

To get a manuall, just click on partsshop and click on 124 CD rom/ You can order one there.

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Benzmac:
1981 280GE SWB
1987 16V
ASE CERTIFIED MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN
SERVICE MANAGER FOR 14 BAY FACILITY
MERCEDES SPECIALIST 8 YRS
PARTNER IN MERCEDESSHOP.COM

I just took off my door panel this weekend and let me warn you, it is a pain in the butt. The clips that hold the door armrest in place are much longer than the rest of the panel clips, and they are all plastic, very easily broken if you try and force it.

Also, it is very difficult to line all of these clips up when putting the door back. I broke about 3 of the clips during this process, luckily the panel still fits nicely and I cant notice this.


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1987 300E

Arias,

I certainly hope that you didn't "attack" your door panel before you read your reply from "Benzmac", I only glanced at some of the other answers, but it appeared that Benzmac was the only one that explained that you must pull UPWARD on the 300E door panel. If you pried on it like you would most other door panels you could easily destroy it.

I don't know what we would all be doing without Benzmac, he's already helped me greatly on several things.

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Larry Bible
'84 Euro 240D, 516K miles
'88 300E 5 Speed
Over 800,000 miles in
Mercedes automobiles

Even pulling straight up (which I did after reading Benzmacs reply) it is still difficult and easy to break one of the clips, just be forewarned.

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1987 300E

Is the proceedure for removing the door panel essentially the same for later models? My '91 300ce door panels appear to be two or three part and the sideview mirror looks like it will retrict any attempt to push the panel upward? Is there a hidden screw(screws) to contend with?

Thanks everybody for the replies. I tried to remove the panel but I guess the previous owner had the same idea but didn't know how to do it so ended up breaking all the clips. To hold the panel to the door he used generous amounts of glue. I mean the stuff is all over and I'm afraid that I will break the panel trying to pry it from the door.

You don't suppose all that glue holding on that door panel got all over the door lock mechanism and is causing the problem, do you?

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Deezel
87 300TDT
150,000 miles

I hadn't thought of that. It does make sense since the vacuum mechanism still tries to lock/unlock the door and the lock is just sort of stuck. I guess I may be able to heat the glue with a blow dryer and "gently" take off the panel. Thanks!

How do I remove the exterior (rocker?)panel from the front door of a E300 1995. I have a ton of rust where the panel meets the mid level of the door. Somewhere I saw an instruction to remove the screws from the back of the door-panel conection just below the lock then push the panel toward the front of the car, would not budge. Perhaps their a diagram in some book out there?

Alfred, 1) remove the phillips head screw at the lower edge of the cladding panel, 2) unsnap the clips at the lower edge of the door by using a wood or plastic wedge (so as not to damage the paint on the door underneath the cladding), 3) slide to cladding panel toward the rear of the car ... it will come free after sliding about 1 1/2". Note that you'll likely have to replace many of the clips before reinstalling the cladding panel since the clips get brittle with age and break easily. Your local MB dealer normally stocks these clips.

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Fred Hoelzle

Here's a great how-to on this:

94 w124 door panel removal, door check replacement, map pocket fix - DIY

It has pictures and everything.

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2012 E350
2006 Callaway SC560

Thanks for the link it was just was I was looking for!