hi,

i have a 92 400E with a stuck ignition. i can stick the key in but it wont turn at all. the wheel is also locked. i tried swaying the wheel while trying to turn the key, but after 20 mins i still didnt get it.

im halfway done in taking out the lower portion of the driverside dash (portion under the wheel). i cant seem to remove the plastic piece with the light knob, which is to the left of the steering wheel. there are 2 screws under that plastic piece that i need to take out to, in order to lower the dash, to gain access to the ingition. i took off all other surrounding pieces, including the bezel that snapped on the ignition key hole.

any ideas? advice? new solutions?

thanks a lot!

You need to remove light knob. Under knob you will see a 24mm nut. Remove it and the plastic piece will come off by lifting and sliding to the left.

I suggest that you spend some time playing with the key. Have you tried teflon? The ignition has to be in position 1 in order to remove lock assy., othervise you will have to cut the assy.

You may want to replace your key. Worn out keys are not good fo the locks.

__________________
Zafar
94 E320 58000 Miles

24mm?!?! thats pretty huge. i couldnt really find it. is it under the thing that pulls out like a tray right under that knob(emergency lights or something)? hehe. sorry its actually my friends car, im trying to help him out. i did take out a phillips head which you can only see or utilize when u pull the tray-handle-thingy out.

can i use graphite? what kind of teflon spray should i use?

i can only replace the key at the dealer?

On the left hand side, when you sit in the driver's seat, you will see the light knob. Pull it out... it should pop out once, this is to turn on the fog lights(when your headlights are on), then you should pop it out again and it will expose the 24mm hex shaped nut. You can get the socket for like $3 if you don't have it.

The key can be made by a PROFESSIONAL locksmith, from what I heard, however... they will most likely use BRASS which will wear and cause your locking mechanicism to go bad again. The dealership will make you a new key, but you need to provide the registration and ID to prove ownership of the vehicle. I paid $25 total for my key and it was ready in 2 days. Some members said they paid less than $25... others paid more. It depends on the dealership prices.