1. Home
  2. Mercedes Autos and SUVs
  3. Car door lock for '83 240D

Car door lock for '83 240D

Hi again Experts,

This time I'm back with a car door lock problem.

The driver's door has been a "bit reluctant" to close in the past few weeks and I had to give it a firm jolt for it to close properly. The spike was going correctly into its guide but the lock was catching only at the first "stop." I checked the other three doors and they were closing perfectly with a nice crisp thud.

The little cam-like plate rotates properly when pushed manually and releases when the handle, that is forward on the door, is pulled out. It also can be rotated another step manually, so it is moving freely and the spring and catches seem to be strong. Again it releases when the door handle is pulled out.

Today I decided to loosen the striker to allow it to move a little but I have not succeeded in a proper closing.

I measured the location of the striker on the passenger's door and set the driver's door to that, but it did not help. The first catch works but the door will move in no further.

There must be a secret somewere. Anyone know it?

TIA

Reply to
RF
Loading thread data ...

Expert?

Defined.

EX= has been Spurt = a drip under pressure

Spmeone who learns more and more about less nad less until the4y know everything about nothing.

It seems to me from your description that the latch is OK but your problem could be either one of two things.

Either the strike has shifted inward a bit, or

Something (crud, loose gasket stray seat belt etc.) is preventing the door from closing all the way.

Since you have attempted to adjust the strike, look to some reason the door is not closing all the way.

Reply to
Roger Shoaf

Hi Roger,

I posted this problem a few days ago and, after a few hours of thinking and working on it, I solved it. Because there were no replies I deleted it.

I solved it by taking the striker plate off the jamb and offering it to the door lock. It would not fit i.e. the second catch would not fit into the slot on the striker. I spent about 10 mins filing the slot and then the lock accepted it. Finally I replaced the striker on the jamb and tightened the screws slightly. Next I squeezed the door into place and the second catch clicked into place. I opened the door, tightened the screws and then pushed the door shut to the sound of a very healthy click..... and they have lived happily ever since :-)

Thanks for your interest :-)

Reply to
RF

You know what that sounds to me? You need a new door weatherstrip seal... it is too rigid that is preventing you from being able to shut the door properly.

I have changed one door seal on my older MB... a W126 and once I did, I noticed the door shut much tighter... that when I opened the door... the door would pop out.

In your case, I think it hardened so it can't be compressed properly so your door latch will catch.

Reply to
Tiger

Thanks for the suggestion Tiger but I don't believe the seal was responsible. This is because I took the striker off the jamb and tried to force it into the lock by hand. It just would not lock and the seal was not involved here. I looked at the outer (as when installed in the car) metal edge of the slot in the striker and found it rounded off a bit. It may be that the fit (catch in slot) was not very good and for months I pushed the door harder when closing - resulting in the corner being rounded off. I filed the slot to lengthen it about 1/16" or a little more and then, when I pushed the striker against the lock, it snapped in place.

Finally I mounted it on the jamb again and it worked great

Have a great weekend :-)

Reply to
RF

OK, now all you need to do is to find out what caused the metal in the strike to deform in the first place so it does not happen again.

I suspect you might have worn hinges and the door is drooping a bit, hence the condition you describe.

Reply to
Roger Shoaf

To be honest I am baffled by this situation. The space around the driver's door

- on top to the gutter and to the front edge of the rear door is virtually identical and both slots are parallel. So the door is definitely not sagging.

My best guess is that the rounding off of the edge of the slot in the striker was caused by the second "catch" in the door. The first catch is like a bird's beak and the second one is about 1/2" wide and rounded off at each end. This second one needs to be in the slot in the striker for the door to be completely shut. I can only suspect that the striker moved a little and then the bumping of the catch moved it further until the door couldn't close.

Reply to
RF

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.