That would depress the pin but you would not be able to slide the steering Colum Lock into where it mounts which is sort of a tube.

Look at one of the threads where the pin had to be ground off in order to get the Steering Colum Lock out of the tube like mount. there may be pics of the mount there.

There is a thumbnail in post #7 from under the Dashboard that shows how the Steering Colum is mounted. The yellow arrow points to the pin that needs to be depressed and or drilled/ground out to get the steering Colum Lock out of the tublike mount.

Unfortunately the pic is kind of dark.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/407340-1984-7-pin-ignition-switch-column-lock.html

Putting a screwdriver in the slot and twisting informs that there is indeed a spring inside. Behaves just like the normal operation with the key. After you twist into the spring you need to go back to square one in order to twist into the spring again. The resistance feels about like what you should feel when you twist the key.

Why wouldn't the resistance in the plate to which you refer operate in both directions? As it is, when I finish twisting the key it move back to the position just before.

The "spring action" you feel in the ignition switch itself is the contacts. They're spring loaded, but they're not what gives the "spring action" of the ignition lock assembly. Unless the switch fell apart inside, it is extremely unlikely to be the cause of your stiff ignition lock.

In the attached pic is my old steering column lock. The spring on the far right is the one that your key, tumbler and the other part in the middle turns against.

The part that is in the center also has a spring loaded detent. On mine that was cracked.

The spring which I refer to loads a "detent", meaning a ball which partially drops into a hole at various places when the key is turned, holding it in each position. Unless you pry off that steel plate on the die-cast housing, you will never see it and understand. I took no photos.

Might have been 10 years ago when I took it apart on my 1984 300D to find the broken pieces which were jamming the key turning. It is an axial spring which applies a force in a radial direction to the rotating shaft. It is not oriented axially with the steering lock rod.

This could be good news for me. Will explain after I investigate.

W123/126 Ingnition Lock Service
 

? Is there a tutorial on how to remove the little electric key buzzer switch ? .

I broke it when replacing my 300CD's worn out lock and key cylinder, I now have a spare lock assembly complete with key and I'd like to find out how to remove that delicate little switch without damaging it.....

TIA,.

I am stuck describing something that I did not do. When I did mine the steering column lock was broke and I had to replace it so instead of fooling with the the seat belt switch I cut the lip of on one side of the switch. After I removed the switch like that I saw a means it might be removed.

If you look closely at the bottom of each end of the switch you will find that under one side there is a channel in the metal. looking through that channel you need to rotate the switch till the switch plunger is all the way up.

Unseen on the sides of the switch is little plastic rounded hooks made of the same plastic material as the switch body.

What I think would work best to depress those hooks is the old cheap black or brown bobby pins made with flat wire. You need to grease the end up good and shove one of the straight parts on each side of the switch (do that from the side where the electrical connector goes) and the switch is supposed to slide out on the side where you can see the channel under the switch.

The dial up internet I am on does not allow me to post pictures any more.

Old thread on the safety belt switch.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/401054-w123-check-electronics-without-key.html

Dang Key Buzzer Switch
 

THANK YOU ! .

It took me a while to find another complete lock cylinder with key and all, I broke my #8 switch and now have a spare and will print this out (I made up a cheat sheet with pictures and the written description) and put it in my files, I have much to do.... :P .

When it rains it pours. Now the switch sometimes balks at going from position one to two. I was worried it was getting in the danger zone so I took the tumblers out of my SDL, not yet headed for the boneyard, about two years old - the whole works - and pretty smooth, Was a bee-awtch to get those suckers out. FINALLY I found and compressed the springy-dingy.

And then I could not get it out of my 300D for love or money. So I looked it over close and it's not that bad. Just need to jiggle it a bit to get it over the detent for position two. I once had some of that lube that the Kent who shall not be linked distributes, supposedly ideal for tumbler cartridges. Can't find it now.

I've heard that WD40 is a mistake to spray into the key slot. I'm wondering if some of Kent's brew injected with big needled into the tumblers might provide some relief.

Lock Cylinders
 

WD-40 is a solvent, not a lubricant so it *may* quickly loosen things up it promotes rapid wear and attracts dust and dirt same as oils .

Lock cylinders are all designed to use dry lubricants, graphite etc .

Once an old lock gets dirty adding more lubricant tends to make things worse .

I don't mind taking the serviceable locks apart, cleaning all the bits them matching the correct 'dog' or 'leaf' to the key at hand, re assemble and lube with graphite .

Recently I struggled with a non serviceable key lock and wound up cleaning it by flushing out an amazing amount of dirt and old gummy oils, then I lubed it properly and it worked O.K. in spite of being very badly worn from two decades of others forcing the stiff key into it .

Kent used some stuff that looked like vasoline only thicker. I had some graphite spray once, maybe I can find it.

Good Lord this stuff frustrates me sometimes. I've taken many a lock cylinder out with the push pen method, but none of those were Mercedes. Kent refers to a technique of rendering the locking in with that raised bit non-functional. I tried it, was not ideal. At this point I'd be happy to disable the steering wheel lock and the need to remove the lock cylinder with the push pen. Who in the hell is going to know that such a Benz would be slightly easier to steal than other 30+ year old Benzes?

I mean, yes, in the mid to late 80s, my 300D would have been an attractive theft target. No longer.

I'll go further: the aftermarket product that is needed now is a part that provides the stuctural support of the steering wheel lock assembly but w/o the lock part. And a tumbler cartridge that can be removed without an act of God. My 300D cartridge is about 2 years old and I could not get the damned thing out. Might have to take it to seasoned pros for that. Perhaps buying the Febi cheapy is a mistake.

I feel your pain....