Mercedes C Class W203 180k 2005 Machine gunning lock actuator – fixed

[jpod]

Part
I used ebay for the spring part: It was from X8R Ltd which sell loads of cool solutions to the automotive ‘usual suspects’. 4 springs, they are sided so 2 near side 2 off side – mosquito forceps and a great booklet with loads of offer kits that they sell to fix the automotive industries pants design flaws.

Search for “FOR MERCEDES C E CLK CLASS W203 W211 W209 DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR REPAIR 4 SPRINGS” on ebay and it should come up. I paid £9.99.

Armamentarium

• Hand mirror for looking up at the lock mechanism that you are trying to remove through too small an aperture!
• Torch – one of those hideously bright LEDs is mega useful for looking into the door.
• A selection of screw driver bits is useful
• A set of torx screwdrivers is advisable because opening the bolt which retains the external key mechanism is reached through a tiny hole beneath the rubber door seal – a torx bit in a screw driver will not fit through the hole! E.g. Sealey S0897 8pc TRX-Star* Screwdriver Set. I just got away with it using a naf torx penknife thing which I took apart so it would reach.
• Some masking take to tape the tweeter up out of the way
• A tennis ball (yes you read that right)
• Metal cutting drill bits & a drill to cut out the rivets
• Plastercine or a magnet picker upper – to retrieve your cut rivets.
• Selection of small to medium nuts – to keep safe hold on the external door key assembly and stop the screw falling inwards! I used an MDF style captured nut filling which was a perfect fit.
• Light and magnification and a clean flat surface – for when you are tinkering with the tiny spring and it pings off into the distance!
• A rivet gun and rivets – for putting the black bar back on again.
• A comfy low stool to sit on when working on the door.

Pry off door handle cover.

Undo the inner fitting with torx

Pull out SRS cover and undo the screw behind it

Undo door latch surround

Pull off tweeter and tape it up out the way

Pull door card off – towards you then up – it is quite hard to remove – tease it upwards.

Undo the door cable – lift that hook out

Unplug speaker cables, and lower door light assembly – and window controls click out

Tinker with the cable to the actuator to give some slack

 

[jpod]

Part 2

Undo screw below door latch

Unplug – assumed air bag!

Inside door – using mirror and torch – there is a plastic cover which unclips

Remove door rubber to reveal a little hole use torx screwdriver to reach the screw keeper for the external key hole assembly – tricky to locate. Just managed it with a naff tool try to use proper torx screwdriver.

Pull out key hole assembly

Fret about that bolt hanging out the door and the risk of it falling in to the bloody door! Yikes.

Attach a nut to it to keep it safe

Drill out the 2 rivets and push in and retrieve so they do not rattle around to your fav Adele CD

Just bend the bit where the rivets were towards you – you won’t notice – you can bend it back

***** about with actuator then concede that you need to bend it towards you like I said above and do it.

I jammed a tennis ball in there to make more space and a piece of wood at the bottom to make space to lift that thing out. That was the second most difficult part!

Get comfy with good light and magnification. Open up the actuator. I could see but could not retrieve the broken spring.

The new spring was very difficult to insert – they are sided – choose the right one and try to insert it – most difficult part of the job. Use the forceps. Expect it to ping off a few times – persevere and you will do it – do it somewhere you stand a chance of finding the blighter!

The string goes into a little hole – and you can see the one above in my image.

Putting the door back is the reverse.

Tying it out for the first time when the door was back together – it did not work! But there was pressure on the car door lock pin – the thing that pops up and down – once that was running clear it worked fine. Fixed now and working perfectly for several months.

All the best pod

 

[jpod]

Summary

1. Pry off door handle cover.
2. Undo the inner fitting with torx
3. Pull out SRS cover and undo the screw behind it
4. Undo door latch surround
5. Pull off tweeter and tape it up out the way
6. Pull door card off – towards you then up – it is quite hard to remove – tease it upwards.
7. Undo the door cable – lift that hook out
8. Unplug speaker cables, and lower door light assembly – and window controls click out
9. Tinker with the cable to the actuator to give some slack
10. Undo screw below door latch
11. Unplug – assumed air bag!
12. Inside door – using mirror and torch – there is a plastic cover which unclips
13. Remove door rubber to reveal a little hole use torx screwdriver to reach the screw keeper for the external key hole assembly – tricky to locate. Just managed it with a naff tool try to use proper torx screwdriver.
14. Pull out key hole assembly
15. Fret about that bolt hanging out the door and the risk of it falling in to the bloody door! Yikes.
16. Attach a nut to it to keep it safe
17. Drill out the 2 rivets and push in and retrieve so they do not rattle around to your fav Adele CD
18. Just bend the bit where the rivets were towards you – you won’t notice – you can bend it back
19. ***** about with actuator then concede that you need to bend it towards you like I said above and do it.
20. I jammed a tennis ball in there to make more space and a piece of wood at the bottom to make space to lift that thing out. That was the second most difficult part!
21. Get comfy with good light and magnification. Open up the actuator. I could see but could not retrieve the broken spring.
22. The new spring was very difficult to insert – they are sided – choose the right one and try to insert it – most difficult part of the job. Use the forceps. Expect it to ping off a few times – persevere and you will do it – do it somewhere you stand a chance of finding the blighter!
23. The string goes into a little hole – and you can see the one above in my image.
24. Putting the door back is the reverse.
25. Tying it out for the first time when the door was back together – it did not work! But there was pressure on the car door lock pin – the thing that pops up and down – once that was running clear it worked fine. Fixed now and working perfectly for several months.

The end

 

[Petrol Pete]

Nice write up. BTW you do not have to attach a nut to stop the door lock bolt falling into the door. it is 'captive' ...well it is on a 2006 C class W203 so there is a chance it was an 'improvement' on the slightly newer cars, the 'nut' you put on was at least belt and braces.

And to add, fair play to you getting said bolt undone with your less than ideal multi folding Torx tool ! It is a bit of a pig to get to

 

[jpod]

Nice write up. BTW you do not have to attach a nut to stop the door lock bolt falling into the door. it is 'captive' ...well it is on a 2006 C class W203 so there is a chance it was an 'improvement' on the slightly newer cars, the 'nut' you put on was at least belt and braces.

And to add, fair play to you getting said bolt undone with your less than ideal multi folding Torx tool ! It is a bit of a pig to get to

Cheers Pete and noted. That makes sense because I would not like to witness that bolt disappear into the door! I had to search around for the torx tool which was Christmas gift I never thought I would use. I had to take it apart to use the right size torx - it just reached! I was relieved because your well into the disassembly by that stage.

 

[Petrol Pete]

Cheers Pete and noted. That makes sense because I would not like to witness that bolt disappear into the door! I had to search around for the torx tool which was Christmas gift I never thought I would use. I had to take it apart to use the right size torx - it just reached! I was relieved because your well into the disassembly by that stage.[/QUOTE
Get yourself a set of torx T bars and a 'long' 3/4 drive socket Torx set, male and female.
NOTE: some jobs on your car (wing mirror removal for example) require Torx head with 5 splines not 6 and usually need to have a hole in them to accommodate anti theft bolts. Get yourself a set of those as well.