I just had a similar experience: By error I inserted the key for my W113 car. It went in smooth, but didn't turn. That's when I noticed I had used the wrong key. I couldn't pull it out. It was stuck. MB road service offered to come but cautioned me that they would most likely break the key off, using pliers. I made a tool: Looks like a slim jim: It's a blade made from .3mm thick sheet metal and 7.8mm wide. It was narrow enough to slip in besides the key on the left side. I made another one, same dimensions, for the right side. That one I cut a sliver out in the middle, longitudenally, about 1.2mm wide, to clear the ridge in the lock. When both are inserted, they lift the tumblers and I could pull my key out very easily.

This is getting good
 

Just finished with the auto locksmith from the most established firm in the area. After asking me questions that revealed that he had never worked with this style, he retrieved a hammer & screwdriver from his van. He explained in detail how his "contact" was very familiar with this unit & that the cap had to be unscrewed. I told him this was what you do for the 1-hole c-class, so he suggested "drilling it out". I sent him home, explaining to him that should he bill me hourly, his actions might only enlarge my troubles.

Ok, today, I'm going to the bike shop to get every diameter spoke until I find one tight. I will grind down a 70 degree angle on each of the two ends.

But help me here - How in the world does the cap release by pressing in the detends. I can't envision a means by which this large hardened cap can be released by releasing the the tumbler - BECAUSE the cap is over the tumbler. Once I purchased a tumbler, I became baffled at the thought that....

How can the tumbler's release remove this hardened collar, when the tumbler is inside the collar? If I can envision this, I'll feel much more confident in giving the extra effort.

My best guess is that the collar turns 90 degrees to lock on to the tumbler before inserting the set... but I don't see any such cutout on the tumbler.

Thanks again!

Oh, John - I can pull on the tumbler by turning a screw tight into where the key slot.

To the engineer - all that I have read about this subject, I'm shocked that you were able to do such a thing. My key broke off, so I don't have this option. Sounds like the sander / jigsaw vibration applied to the key might have worked for you also.

Don't worry about the collar, it comes out with the tumbler. Also the right size wire diameter is not the size that will fit in the outer holes. it necks down somewhat inside when it gets into the grooves of the tumbler.

The collar is wider down below; the tumbler fits inside the lock body then the collar covers both. it is free to spin. With proper tool this is less than 5 min job, including drinking your coffee. unsure of which position the lock has to be in, mine works one detent ccw from the run position. Its the one where the radio wil still play. Good call to fire the "locksmith". Most of the chassis shop manuals will have a sketch of the factory tool, with dimensions.

Free to spin?
 

Thanks for the quick reply..

You say the collar is free to spin. My collar moves freely very slightly - 1 mm maybe. Spin it does not. It is locked from spinning. As I attempt to turn it right & left, it gives a very solid metalic "i'm not supposed to spin" sound as it stops from it's very slight 1 degree spin.

Do tell, what keeps this collar on? if it goes over the tumbler, yet the tumbler needs to be released for it to come off, I think I'm missing something significant here. Like my socks holding my shoes on?

I think I'm seeing force in my near future here. Not good. Do tell?

Mark: Keep in mind that the key for my W113 is a double-cut key, i.e. it is cut symmetrical on both sides and it is 1.9 mm thick. When I stuck it in, the lock grabbed it. It's supposed to do that, so that you can't remove the key in any position except the "0" position. The key for my W124 is 2.9mm thick with a ridge all the way down on both sides. It is also double-cut. The difference in thickness gave me one mm to work with. Now that you have broken your key off, the key slot is filled. I'll try today to remove my lock cylinder and tell you what I'm going to run into.

Mark: I just removed the lock: Made two tools from a white coat hanger. It's exactly 2mm diameter and filed a taper on the end. The taper is just an angle like, maybe 60 degrees, so that it can push something out-of-the-way. On the other end I bent a loop in the direction of the taper so that I would know which way the taper faced. With my key turned to the accessory position "1" I stuck both wires in the two holes until they bottomed out. I could feel them pushing things out of the way. They went in like an inch and one half. The entire lock came out with the plastic face plate attached. The lock cylinder is surrounded by a strong metal case. The black ring you see from the outside is part of that case. The case is necked down and can be removed only after you pull the lock cylinder out. It appears that, if you can insert the wires, you will release the cylinder. To pull it out, takes maybe 2 lbs of pull. easy to do, if the key still has a head.
I can send you some pics, if you give me your e-mail address. Don't use force yet!

My black cap / collar comes up and around the tumbler exposing only the chrome key entry of the tumbler, while the larger portion of the tumbler cannot fit through the black cap.

Maybe you mean that the collar separates from the tumbler off once both have been removed.

Thanks so much of the offer of the photos! email sent private, Mark

Do you see the small black clip on the lock? This is what must be depressed. There is just
one. So I didn't need two wires. The one is at about 11 o'clock. The black (hardened?)
cover slips in & out when the key is at the "1" position, but you must remove
the escutcheon cover first. It just pops out. It's plastic and has two hooks on the right
side and one on the left. It's covered on the left by the steering column cover.
The hardened collar slid in without any resistance with the key slot at the
"1" position. I inserted the lock cylinder first, then the collar then the
escutcheon plate. I must not have had the key in the lock because the collar will not fit
over the key. It went together very fast. In the "1" position the opening for
the wire tool is about at 2 o'clock. I'd try to achieve that position and try to insert
the wire tool. It has to go in about 1 and 1/4 inch. At about one inch you should feel a
resistance. That's the tab you have to depress to remove the lock cylinder. When the tab
is depressed, the cylinder should come out. Can you reach into the key opening with a snap
ring pliers? (That type of tool opens the jaws when you squeeze the handle). Leave the
wire tool in place when you pull.

My bad dreams are just like this.

COLLAR is the subject. My parts are similar but I think you can slide your tumbler through the opening of your collar.

My hardened collar holds my tumbler in. I know the clip(s) are pressed in, but the collar holds the tumbler in.

I know the collar holds in the tumbler, so when I'm told that the clip(s) will release the collar, then something is wrong. How can they each hold each other in?

Anyone?

Ken: Normally, when you are in "1" position the key is inserted. Now you insert the wire tool and that releases the lock because your wire tool depresses the latch. Now the lock comes out when you pull on the key. It comes out together with the collar. For the purpose of this exercise the escutchion plate has been removed. If the escutchion plate has not been removed it will come out too because it sits around the small diameter of the collar. Yes, I know, you don't have a key handle. What you have now in your hand is the lock and the collar. The collar is still around the lock. But because you can manipulate the lock, like turn it, you can remove the collar by pulling it off. You have to pull the key first, because the collar opening is smaller than the handle of the key. Now you have the naked lock in your hand. It looks to me, that it may not be a repairable part, but I did not take it apart. To assemble the stuff: Remember, the lock is still in the "1" position: You insert the lock cylinder into the location in the dash: There is a 1/4 inch keyway that indexes the lock cylinder. The key is not in the lock at this time. Then you insert the collar. Then you install the escutchion plate. Everything is in place now, the lock is still in the "1" position. Now you can insert the key and it works. That's how I remember it. I hope, I remember right.:(

Thanks much - I do have the plastic decoration panel off and the knee pad so that I have a good grip on the hardened collar. After much research, I have come to know one thing and have hunched another:

Realization: There are detends on each side beyond the one clip (near the base of the collar) that actually release the hardened cap. Important: The 300e is different than all others. Since finding this out (I would love a photo of it) and before finding this out, I have worked aggressively with the identical tool called for - with no help.

Hunch: Much of the tumbler is still between #1 & #2 position, so though I can get my tool in, because the forward portion of the tumbler is broken from the rest, I'm wondering if my cylinder and cap will not release because the switch housing for the tumbler is somehow keeping everything in place until I get the balance of the tumbler to completely to pos #1.

This is all specific to the w124 (my 300e).

I did eventually find a post where someone had the same struggles as I did, and it was the detends beyond the clip that were stuck.. I've worked too hard at this to think that is what I have - anyone with 1st hand experience able to prove my hunch right?

Thank again & again.

Ken (mark's dad)

A link to the 300e w124 collar issue
 

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=158328&page=2

Interesting?

Ideas about my hunch, is the ignition switch holding the tumbler in because I can't get the key 100% to position #1? But the tool goes in fine because the forward part of the tumbler with the holes spins freely.

?? Who is my hero? Ken / Mark

Ken, Just replaced mine this evening. I know the cylinder was at position 1 during removal last week because the wire tool went in fine and both tumbler and collar came right out. I don't know if position 1 was indicated on the collar while doing this because when it went back together the collar indicators are not aligned. It is however, in there the only way it would fit. I would check your position 1 by having the key in the run position, then CCW back one detent to where the radio stays on but ignition is off. This will be position 1 irregardless of what the marks on the collar say. I am of course assuming that you can actually turn the whole tumbler to the proper position and not just the front slot where the key fits. My front piece had broken off from the rest of the tumbler. As stated before, the tumbler and collar release together when proper shape/orientation (slash point) and diameter tool is inserted while the assembly is at position 1. I found putting it back took more time than removal.

Thanks Hanno - Ahh, so the front portion of your tumbler was separated also.

The big question for me then, are you certain that the rest of the tumbler needs to be in the #1 position? I can't get mine there, but the tool goes in fine.

Also, not sure if you have the exact same setup as my w124 300e, but I just heard back from someone that there are 2 holes that the tool has to go through after the first clip to release the detends for the removal of the collar.

Thanks Hanno for this - Ken / Mark

best to have your cylinder change, cause if a wrong key can turn the ignition switch, the ignition switch cylinder is now defective and can no longer provide the purpose it was made for.