Hi, I have an 85 300TD wagon. The rear lock works fine with the key, the outside button, and vacuum lock/unlock, but the inside lever does not open the hatch. It moves pieces inside the door, but not enough to open the latch. Nothing obvious appears to be broken or missing, though I haven't taken it apart to examine it yet. Any ideas? Thanks

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84 300D "Soy Benz" - Soon to be WVO Conversion. 277K

You will have to remove the trim on the inside of the door....lots of screws and clips.

Once you do this, you will see that the lever is connected to a push rod that leads to the push-button/lock assembly.

You can go to any Mcparts auto store and buy the assortment of lock clips for Fords. These are plastic clips for lock rods in the door. One of these will work to reconnect the push rod to the lock assembly.

Search the autozone site for part # 75450 and you will see what I mean.

It sounds more complicated than it is. The hardest part is that the work space is small and dark

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Current Mercedes
1979 maple yellow 240D 4-speed

Gone and fondly remembered:
1980 orient red 240D 4-speed

Gone and NOT fondly remembered:
1982 Chna Blue 300TD

Other car in the stable:
2013 VW Jetta Sportwagen TDI / 6-speed MT

Thanks, Zeke,

I have examined the insides and taken off a metal rod with both ends bent at a right angle. Both ends have a plastic piece with barbs. The top end of the rod is snapped into the handle, and the bottom into a metal piece with an L shapped slot. The rod snaps into the lower end of this L.

When I move the handle, it moves the rod and this metal piece, but not far enough to open the door? Playing around with moving the metal piece forward doesn't seem to do much. I'm not sure if it just needs to pull the metal piece farther, or if something else is wrong.

It doesn't appear that the rod is disconnected, or that the plastic ends are missing.

Any other ideas?

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84 300D "Soy Benz" - Soon to be WVO Conversion. 277K

Did you ever get the hatch to unlatch? It seems I'm having the same problem. The button on the outside is just short of unlatching the mechanism when it is fully depressed, but the inside handle does fine. I'm wondering if there is a way to adjust it? Thanks