Door Locks

[dickiegoodman]

Have the dreaded "machine gun lock" on drivers door.

Anyone have a good online site that sells the door actuator? Tryed a few and can't find one outside the dealer. And they have to special order it.

The bright side is it's only $78, the downside is don't wanna have to order it.

The WIS is useless on this one, and the online write ups I have found are rather bleak as well. Anyone got something with pics and so on?

I may have to do one if no one steps up to the plate for what appears to be a very common ailment to the beloved ML.

Can anyone confirm the P/N is: 163 720 12 35 ?

Dickie
97 328i
00 ML 320

[jgburke]

I'm not sure what part of the country you are in, but mine was $58 from the dealer, which had it in stock. The dealer I deal with is Walter's Merecedes Benz in Riverside, California. As for actually doin the job, it's not that hard and doesn't require a guide. You just have to drill out some rivets and replace them. Also, there is a hidden allen screw that must be removed to get the lock unit out.

[dickiegoodman]

I got most if this from an online post on one of the MB forums, and to the author, I thank you. I have edited it from my job yesterday for clarity and to flesh it out a bit. Should you see your work here, feel free to take credit, I forgot where I saw it first.

This is a pretty accurate depiction of the fluttering/machine gun door lock DIY. Hope it helps someone, the original helped me. The WIS has a little info, but as usual is pretty cryptic on details.

You can definately get the job done nicely with a "normal" manual pop rivet and tool. Only about $10 at Harbor Freight.

You don't need to take out all 4 rivets (2 top, 2 bottom) for the vertical window channel at the back end of the door. You only need to take out 3 of the 4 (2 bottoms & 1 top) I prefer to remove the one closer to the back of the door. This allows you to slide the rail out of the way (forward) but it's easy to reinstall the other rivets later. This is how dealers do it supposedly.

One more thing:

On the fronts: to take the lock actuator out you need to release and remove the door cylinder. This is held in place by one screw that can only be reached through a hole inside the door. There's a small hole just above the height of
the door latch opposite the lock cylinder on the inside panel. Mine had a black rubber piece stuffed in it. The reason you have to remove lock tumbler is there is a phillips screw behind it that is the last fastener holding the door lock actuator to the door.

The tumbler's retained with a 4mm allen {sockethead cap screw} bolt.....accessible thru the rubber plug above the lock mechanism towards the inner surface of the door.

Just replaced the drivers side door lock on my '00 ML 320. Its about $75 at the dealer. Could not find one online.

Here's my experience.

1. Be careful when removing the door panel. Use a door panel removal tool (bent tool with a forked end available at parts stores like Schucks/Autozone/Pep Boys). The plastic clips that hold the door panel to the sheet metal have plastic holders that are integral to the door panel. If you just use a screw driver to pry the door and then give a hard tug you have a good chance of breaking the plastic clip holder. Mine has several holders broken by the previous owner. When I reinstalled the door panel I purchased new clips (about $3.00 ea) from MB, different design than the original clips. The new clips work better than the old clips and now the panel is less prone to popping loose. You will probably break some. I did.

2. To remove the door panel. The wood trim on the door handle can be pryed off by inserting a small screw driver into the slot located at the bottom end of the trim piece. Remove the two screws under the door handle trim. Also
remove the screw behind the "SRS" tag on the door panel (tag pops off). The small triangular panel (sail panel) by the door mirror just pulls off. Pop out the door door clips using appropriate tool to pry the door panel. Unhook the door latch cable and the courtesy light at bottom of door.

Some write ups mention disconnecting/removing SRS airbag. Don't mess with it. You DO NOT have to drill it out, nor even disconnect it. If you power on the vehicle with it disconnected you will get SRS fault light and a reset tool is
required to turn off the light. Remove neg batt cable to power off truck while doing the work. Remember that with batt disconnect you get the BAS/ESC light (reset by turning wheels both ways lock to lock) and will have the reenter the radio code.

3. Pull enough of the door panel plastic/sound deading material out of the way to gain access. Its secured with cool resealable black goo and will peel back nicely if you are careful. Roll window all the way up. Drill out three of the four rivets holding the window guide in place. Two at the bottom one at the top. The one to drill at the top is the one closest to the door jamb and can be reached without removing the door air bag. I used a 5/32 bit to drill out the rivets and then used the 5/32 bit to open up the holes slightly to accept 4mm diameter aluminum rivets. 5/32 is too small, use next bigger size bit.

4. Unplug the lock actuator by reaching in the door panel and removing the wiring harness. Only one clip to undo here, its retention clip is toward the outside of the door.

5. Remove the two screws holding the lock actuator to the door panel. These screws are in the edge of the door where the door latch is located. Two black torx head screws.

5. The lock tumbler needs to be removed next. There is a small 4mm hex screw hiding behind the lock actuator. A good shop light will illuminate it nicely from the door openings below. Its kinda hard to see. Normal allen wrenches won't reach. I bought a set of T-handled hex wrenches. Even then I had to grind down the plastic on the handle a bit to get enough length. To expose the screw, the rubber plug in the door panel needs to be removed and the lock actuator rotated counter clock-wise about 3-5 turns. Don't go too far or the screw will come out and then you have trouble. The rubber plug is in the face of the panel opposite from where the key inserts the door. Loosen the 4mm screw and pull / wiggle out the lock tumbler. The tumbler will just pull out with some effort.

6. With the tumbler out, door jam screws out with now exposed phillips screw, and with the wiring disconnected, the lock actuator is free. Rotate the window track out of the way (slide it forward) and wiggle / worm / wrangle, the lock actuator out.

7. Install is reverse of removal. you will have to transfer the old plastic piece for the manual door lock pin (the piece that sticks up into the cabin, you'll see) It screws off and on again. I used 4mm dia aluminum rivets and a standard manual riveting tool to re-attach the window guide.

Things to trip you up, the 4mm hex behind the lock, the clips that hold the door panel on. If the tumbler pin does not line up, you can just rotate the socket in the new actuator with a flat blade screwdriver to mate up the pieces.

This is about a 3 hour job for the first timer, maybe 1-1.5 if you have done it before. Work slowly and methodically and this is definately a home DIY. No need for dealer intervention here. More time consuming than difficult.

[jfreezn]

Anyone have a good online site that sells the door actuator? Tryed a few and can't find one outside the dealer. And they have to special order it.

The bright side is it's only $78, the downside is don't wanna have to order it.>>

I got mine for $52 from Rusty @ *************** or 1800-741-5252. Buy some filters or something to get the total over $75 and the shipping is free. Also no sales tax if you don't live in Georgia. 2 day delivery is uncommonly quick.

There are two micro switches built into the lock assy and one of them will be intermittent. I saved my old lock to filch the good micro switch out of it for next time (there will be a next time)

The above description is good, I did a back door so can't confirm the whole part number it start out good.

For 98 and 99, you need a torx tool with a 3 3/4 inch reach. I used is a T30 X 4" driver with an ACE hardware part #25128.

Good luck,

Jim in Phoenix

[MSpielberg]

Just to let all and sundry know, the price on this lovely piece of high quality MB replacement part has more than doubled to an MSRP of over $160. Available from Steve at Duval Motorcars for $125, which was the lowest I could find.

[sunedog]

99 ML 320 with machine gun lock on front passenger door. I have the new actuator in hand but I'm having trouble removing the old one because I can't figure out how to remove the lock cylinder. There are plenty of write-ups on how to R&R the actuator, but I can't find any detail on removing the lock cylinder other than what is quoted below.

Originally Posted by dickiegoodman

5. The lock tumbler needs to be removed next. There is a small 4mm hex screw hiding behind the lock actuator. A good shop light will illuminate it nicely from the door openings below. Its kinda hard to see. Normal allen wrenches won't reach. I bought a set of T-handled hex wrenches. Even then I had to grind down the plastic on the handle a bit to get enough length. To expose the screw, the rubber plug in the door panel needs to be removed and the lock actuator rotated counter clock-wise about 3-5 turns. Don't go too far or the screw will come out and then you have trouble. The rubber plug is in the face of the panel opposite from where the key inserts the door. Loosen the 4mm screw and pull / wiggle out the lock tumbler. The tumbler will just pull out with some effort.

There's even a MB factory video on youtube showing how to do it. Unfortunately, the vid is 23 seconds long and provides no detail. I tried doing what the lab coat guy does so effortlessly in the vid, but no luck in removing the cylinder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am97MVCc4T4

My main problem is I can't see what I'm trying to unscrew. My eyes aren't good and I can't focus if I peer through the approx .25" access hole for the allen wrench. Anyone have a picture of the lock cylinder out of the door so I can see what I'm trying to loosen?

[sunedog]

Originally Posted by sunedog

99 ML 320 with machine gun lock on front passenger door. I have the new actuator in hand but I'm having trouble removing the old one because I can't figure out how to remove the lock cylinder. There are plenty of write-ups on how to R&R the actuator, but I can't find any detail on removing the lock cylinder other than what is quoted below.

There's even a MB factory video on youtube showing how to do it. Unfortunately, the vid is 23 seconds long and provides no detail. I tried doing what the lab coat guy does so effortlessly in the vid, but no luck in removing the cylinder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Am97MVCc4T4

My main problem is I can't see what I'm trying to unscrew. My eyes aren't good and I can't focus if I peer through the approx .25" access hole for the allen wrench. Anyone have a picture of the lock cylinder out of the door so I can see what I'm trying to loosen?

OK. I went back and tried again and was successful this time. I took everything apart and was able to shine a small LED flashlight up into the corner of the door and could barely see the 4mm set screw I needed to loosen. Put the key in the cylinder and wiggled it as I unscrewed the set screw 4 or 5 turns.

Here is a shot of the inside of the door showing the door handle bracket from the inside. The set screw can be seen on the far right. You couldn't see any of this until the actuator was removed.

[IMG][/IMG]

After the key cylinder is out, you do not have to take any of the rest of the door handle off. The reason you even have to take the cylinder out is the shaft on the back of the cylinder with the tab fits into a slot in the door lock actuator. That shaft and tab prevent you from being able to remove the actuator until they are disengaged.

The one point I disagree with dickiegoodman on is this statement: "The reason you have to remove lock tumbler is there is a phillips screw behind it that is the last fastener holding the door lock actuator to the door." On mine, the only things attaching the door actuator to the car are the two screws in the door edge. The lock cylinder had to come out to remove the shaft and tab from the actuator, but there was no additional fastener as he indicated.

Here's a shot of the cylinder on my bench. You can see the shaft and tab. You can also see the threaded hole on the right into which the 4mm screw enters.

[IMG][/IMG]

A couple of notes from my experience:
1. you'll need a 4mm (or 5/32") hex key that is about 5" long. My original one was 4.25" long and it wouldn't reach. Picked up a new extra long set from Northern Tool for $19.99 and the 4mm key was about 5.5" long.

2. I did have to loosen the two screws securing the top of the air bag to the door in order to R&R the cable from the actuator to the inside door handle. That allowed it to pivot away from the door about and inch. Most of the write-ups indicated you would be able to remove the cable and thread the new one in without messing with the air bag. But that wouldn't work on mine. I did not disconnect the negative battery terminal, but I probably should have.

3. I totally concur with everyone who says you need to drill out both window channel rivets on the bottom and only one on the top. Take out the one nearest the rear of the car on the top. The window channel can then be moved quite a bit to create room to R&R the actuator assembly (which is much larger than I anticipated.)

Today was the third time I worked on this so I got pretty good at taking everything part and putting it back together. (Even though I was unsuccessful in getting the broken actuator out the previous two times, I still had to put everything back together to drive the car.) From start to finish today, it only took 45 minutes.

[hihosilver]

well after finally getting rear door lock changed out and finding out I messed up pulling plugin for airbag now have SRS light and ESP light and a weak battery but alt. putting out 14.2, do I have to go to dealer to get these lights to go out

[hihosilver]

esp light went out and local shop said his scanner will turn out srs light