Greg ;

Are you not clear that the driver's side front door has no vacuum chamber ? . there for it cannot be judged against the other doors / trunk / wagon hatch.....

I have off and on issues with the passenger side door of both my '84 Wagon and '82 240D, the 240D's issue was the lock had been damaged by some DOP/DPM's heavy hands, I sourced a good used latch assy. complete from a 1977 W123, cleaned and lubricated it well before fitment Easier that you might think) and it's been fine ever since .

The same deal in the '84 Wagon, removed the cleaned the latch as the lock button rod you showed, didn't go up and down easily by the key .

Once cleaned it worked perfectly and easily for about two years, now the key part is stiff but the vacuum lock works fine .

BOTH cars had the exterior handle mis installed so the long rod from the key lock cylinder, wasn't inserted in the latch's 'butterfly' shaped aperture ~ remove the inner door panel and peer in with a flash light looking up to see if the rod is correct before doing anything else .

The devil is in the details here .

__________________
-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better