and just replace the steering lock and tumbler now, while you still can get the tumbler out without having to grind it out. Mercedes uses a very hard steel in the tumbler body making it very difficult to drill out and remove once it freezes up. To complicate matters, the steering lock is not made very well, and at some point fails in the locked position - regardless of whether the tumbler is in good condition or not. My '84 300D steering lock (the L shaped body that contains the lock tumbler, switch, steering lock, etc) failed at about 174,000 miles and it was many days of blood, sweat, and tears before it was out. This issue, more than any other, made me have bad thoughts...