SO tonight I went to leave work in my 1981 240D and the key would not turn in the ignition and the steering wheel is stuck in lock. Between me and three other people, we messed w/ it for over an hour but w/ no luck. Need to know if the problem is w/ the ignition tumblers or in the column.
Need to get the fixed ASAP so I can get it out of the parking lot!!

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1981 240D

Search function....electric sander works for some. You may have to dremel it out if you can't chet it to turn.

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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

Like many others I had this happen, it was a few months ago. I used diesel giant's great instructions and had it fixed within 2 hours probably. The only bad part is having two keys, but for me the savings is worth it.

http://dieselgiant.com/repairignitionlock.htm

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1983 300TD - 202k with 5 speed Getrag conversion

There's really no need to buy cylinder with a new (different) key. MB dealer can order you a new tumbler from your VIN that will match your existing keys.

Sure, it's a little more. But for me it was worth it. I got mine the next day.

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'85 300TD "Puff The Magic Wagon" - Rolling Resto
'19 Mazda CX-9 Signature - Wife's sled
'21 Morgan 3-Wheeler P101 Edition
'95 E300d - SOLD
'84 300TD "Brown Betty" - Miss this one
'81 240D "China Baby" - Farm grocery getter

Had same problem a couple of years ago. Used vice grips and massage vibrator to remove key. Ordered new tumbler from MB and drove happily for two years. Then suddenly key stuck again. Vice grips and vibrator again. This time I was pretty sure that the problem was not tumbler, but rather column locking mechanism. A machinist friend helped me (or actually I watched him) fit a metal spacer in the switch that jammed the column lock into the open position. Now the steering wheel does not lock, which is of no concern to me, but the buzzer sounds off if the driver's door is open - even without the key in the ignition. A small price to pay, compared to the amount of work it saved.

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John Schroader
bio burnin' 83 300D, '83 300 SD, '79 240D
"I've never met a man who was good at making excuses who was good at anything else" Ben Franklin
"You cannot permanently help a man by doing for him what he could and should do for himself" Abraham Lincoln

Disable the buzzer? I had the dash out of my 85SD. I think the switch is accessible if you pull the gauge cluster.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Yeah, when I replaced mine last year, I did everything. New lock with switch, new tumbler.

Now I'm driving a different wagon with spotty records. I may just order a new cylinder for this one just to have handy. it's only money, right?

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'85 300TD "Puff The Magic Wagon" - Rolling Resto
'19 Mazda CX-9 Signature - Wife's sled
'21 Morgan 3-Wheeler P101 Edition
'95 E300d - SOLD
'84 300TD "Brown Betty" - Miss this one
'81 240D "China Baby" - Farm grocery getter

We should all be keeping vibrators in our glove compartments.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

You're assuming we don't already.

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'85 300TD "Puff The Magic Wagon" - Rolling Resto
'19 Mazda CX-9 Signature - Wife's sled
'21 Morgan 3-Wheeler P101 Edition
'95 E300d - SOLD
'84 300TD "Brown Betty" - Miss this one
'81 240D "China Baby" - Farm grocery getter

Is there a way to prevent this from happening? Any type of maintenance. I really don't want this happening to me because of course it will be at an inopportune time.

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1983 300SD Turbo Diesel Automatic

One well known mechanic from the PNW believes it is caused by people hanging too many keys & crap off of their ignition.

He recommends keeping your other keys separate. I only have 4 keys total on my ring, so I don't bother. But I know on my '84 that it was a mommy wagon before me. I can only imagine the crap she had on her key ring. If it's any relation to how much crap was under the driver's seat when I first got it... OMG.

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'85 300TD "Puff The Magic Wagon" - Rolling Resto
'19 Mazda CX-9 Signature - Wife's sled
'21 Morgan 3-Wheeler P101 Edition
'95 E300d - SOLD
'84 300TD "Brown Betty" - Miss this one
'81 240D "China Baby" - Farm grocery getter

the only PM I can think of is PM on your brain. Go ahead and dismantle the ignition cylinder and mark where the holes are ect so you know exactly how to do it when you have a problem. It would have saved me SO much hassle if I had know how it worked going into it.

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77' 300D, "Cartman" SOLD @ 150K (didn't know what I had)
83' 300SD, "The Superdon" 325k+ @ 28mpg
95 E320 wagon, "Millennium Falcon" 231k+ @ 24 Mpg
95 E300D, "Sherley" 308k @ 33.69 Mpg, currently anticipating a head
99 Suzuki Intruder "Trudy" @ 45 mpg

If/when the key starts binding, DO NOT ignore it. Order the tumbler from the dealer.

Or you can do what the PO on my car did: drill out the tumbler and then jam some drywall screws into the steering wheel lock and unplug the buzzer. I could start my car with a stout thumbnail - of course, so could anyone else.