Which Door Lock to Fix on Rotchester? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

TylerH860 · #1 04-15-2009, 01:13 AM

Even though I have sold Rotchester to a friend of mine, the interior is waiting to be swapped with Norm when Colin comes back in June. Rotchester has a working vacuum locks, but the drivers side lock is completely jammed, and the passenger twists fine, but doesn't lock the car.

I've never messed with door locks, but have pulled door panels. I'm curious which one would be easier to fix, and what could be the problem.

TylerH860 · #2 04-15-2009, 01:15 AM

I assume there's no motor oil gong through the doors, so perhaps I won't mess this one up.

JimmyL · #3 04-15-2009, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerH860

I assume there's no motor oil gong through the doors, so perhaps I won't mess this one up.

With your luck the shutoff valve diaphragm will rupture and send oil throughout the vac system, ending up in the door locks.......

derburger · #4 04-15-2009, 01:20 AM

They'll be oil running through your door's vacuum lines if the vacuum pump diaphragm ruptures and sucks in oil from the engine

For my car it would be unlikely but possible to have an oil leak from under the seats

MBeige · #5 04-15-2009, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyL

With your luck the shutoff valve diaphragm will rupture and send oil throughout the vac system, ending up in the door locks.......

My car's vacuum shutoff valve ruptured, but luckily I had a filter before the vacuum went into the main vacuum line, so I prevented it from circulating and diagnosed the problem spot on. Replaced the shutoff valve.

Very cheap insurance but well worth it.

If the door lock does not turn with the key I would check for the plastic bushing between the tumbler shaft and the lock mechanism itself. It happened to mine when the front passenger door would not lock/unlock with the key, turns out the shaft was not aligned with the lock mechanism.

I'm hoping that's the same case with my wife's 190E, I have to use the trunk to open the locks.

daw_two · #6 04-15-2009, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyL

With your luck the shutoff valve diaphragm will rupture and send oil throughout the vac system, ending up in the door locks.......

x2

pizzachef · #7 04-15-2009, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyL

With your luck the shutoff valve diaphragm will rupture and send oil throughout the vac system, ending up in the door locks.......

Now how can this happen? The oil would travel with the vacuum from the shutoff valve to the key switch, then to the main vacuum line, then to the pump. There's no vacuum source in the door locks to pull the oil there.
Hmm...okay, maybe you were just joshing

Tyler, which car is Rotchester? I'm having trouble keeping up with your fleet.

Its probably a jammed linkage in the door...they're pretty easy to work on. I have a question though, if the driver's door lock is jammed, how do you know the central locking system works?

TylerH860 · #8 04-15-2009, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pizzachef

Tyler, which car is Rotchester? I'm having trouble keeping up with your fleet.

Its probably a jammed linkage in the door...they're pretty easy to work on. I have a question though, if the driver's door lock is jammed, how do you know the central locking system works?

This is an '85 300TD that I sold to a friend of mine shortly after purchasing.

Here's the thread:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=249372

I know the central locking system works because with the doors closed sitting inside the car you can manually lock the car with driver's puller.

daw_two · #9 04-15-2009, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerH860

I've never messed with door locks, but have pulled door panels. I'm curious which one would be easier to fix, and what could be the problem.

Okay, Tyler, the simple answer is ......All of them. Do you have 2 keys? Can you lock it or unlock it with the key? As I recall, in my w123 entry, I read about having the car running, and then locking the door (with the driver's window rolled down) with the key; if a lock plunger knob\button "stuttered" then it was the one that has the vacuum leak.

But it sounds like from your original post, this is not necessarily a vacuum issue. Go to the junk yard and look at one there and see how it all fits together, then do your doors.

Good Luck. Report back the outcome.

akimball442 · #10 04-15-2009, 09:23 PM

Switch the handles. I did this on my 300CD. The same problem- The key worked on the passenger side, but the driver side one would not work. It was actually broken inside when I took it apart.

I just put the driver side one in the passenger door, and vice versa, so the passenger side one was on the driver side and locked the car.

The added bonus is that the chrome is better on the bottom side of the handle from not getting rained on for years, and when you switch sides with them they end up upside down.

It definitely works, I did it.

The screws are kind of buried under the weather stripping, though.

-Aaron

mobetta · #11 04-16-2009, 08:42 AM

yup, get the working one on the drivers side. I could not unlock my pass. side for years, until I got a good used latch assy to replace the afore mention plastic clippy thing- why did they cheeeep out on that??- but who needs to open that side first, anyhow???

and while your there, you may be able to do a quick fix on the drivers lock.

TylerH860 · #12 04-16-2009, 10:45 AM

By the way, changed the oil, filter, and fuel filters on rotchester without issue yesterday.

I still don't think its getting much boost, but its fine until next time. Probably a banjo bolt cleaning, or the overboost protection is crapping out, and I'll replace the older line.

TylerH860 · #13 04-16-2009, 10:47 AM

Some mechanic ingeniously zip tied all the vacuum lines into one cluster away from the oil filter housing. I think I may replicate that with my cars.

UriahT · #14 04-16-2009, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TylerH860

Some mechanic ingeniously zip tied all the vacuum lines into one cluster away from the oil filter housing. I think I may replicate that with my cars.

That's a good idea.
And much easier once you remove all lines going to the mess on top of the valve cover to the EGR.
I removed all vacuum related goodies on top of the valve cover, looks much cleaner under there, less vacuum mess.

How long do the door locks hold their charge for? Sounds like this is more of a mechanical/tinkering issue than a vacuum problem, though. I don't think the passenger door actuator is supposed to unlock everything- at least it never has on my cars.

TylerH860 · #15 04-16-2009, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UriahT

That's a good idea.
And much easier once you remove all lines going to the mess on top of the valve cover to the EGR.
I removed all vacuum related goodies on top of the valve cover, looks much cleaner under there, less vacuum mess.

How long do the door locks hold their charge for? Sounds like this is more of a mechanical/tinkering issue than a vacuum problem, though. I don't think the passenger door actuator is supposed to unlock everything- at least it never has on my cars.

The vacuum lines in Ol' Turbo have been cleaned up quite a bit, but Rotchester still has all of his 1985 garbage attached.

The door locks will work forever it seems. I locked unlocked them 5 times and this still functioned perfectly. The problem with swapping the passenger lock is it doesn't work either. The lock turns with the key, but doesn't do anything with the doors.