Questions re: 1982 280E
 

I just purchased my first Mercedes, a 1982 280E imported from Germany. Can anyone provide some tips for fixing/replacing a stuck antenna? The car has the original Becker Autoradio; should the antenna raise and lower with power on or off?

Also, the door locks do not operate well manually, and the owner's manual suggests that they are part of a "Central Interlock System". How do I go about getting these to work properly?

Thanks for any and all help with these issues.

280e questions
 

the antenna may be able to get unstuck with wd 40 or the like. if it is factory the mast is removable by using, i think its a 12 mm, chrome bolt at the base of the antenna. pull it all out and clean and oil then it should feed back in automatically if you have the radio on then turn it off. two people make this easier. the plastic 'tail' should suck down into the base when you turn the radio off. if the motor doesnt run when the radio is turned on or off then it is an electrical problem. check fuses and the wires. these antennas are very long lived and about 60% of the time the above description will fix the problem.

door locks
 

these are vacuum operated and can be trouble shot. it is tedious. i usually just use them manually.