***Urgent Ignition Barrel help required***

[Sp!ke]

Damn and blast it!

With absolutely no warning my ignition barell has given up the ghost. I've sat for two hours wiggling the damn key in the thing to get it to position 1 hoping I can then extract it using the famous tool but no joy whatsoever.

I'm getting worried now, the car is parked in a really bad spot near a really dodgy estate and I cant move it nor can I call the AA because its too close to my house and I havent got home start.

Does anyone know the brute force attack to get this off or perhaps a particularly special key wiggle that might free this damn thing? I really dont think the car will be in the same state that I left it in if I leave it there overnight

Oh and to make matters worse I'm supposed to be driving my wife to the airport at dawn Timing wise, it doesnt get much worse


Anyone got any ideas?

 

[MBenzNL]

the mercedes dealer ought to have a tool with which you can brake the ignition lock off - after that you can start the car with a screwdriver - drive to the shop - have the steering column removed and swapout the lock...

If the lock does not turn at all - it is gonna be a brutal-force repair.

greetingz from singapore,

 

[Sp!ke]

Hi Mate, No can do, I cant get the key to possition 1 so cant use the tool to remove the barrel.

Any ideas on getting the key to position 1?

 

[andy_k]

brute force is the only real answer - Slide hammer?

unless you know an RAC member - they are covered not the car so you could borrow their card

Otherwise I think you are looking at getting the car towed before it gets dark.

As a last resort have you tried spraying graphite powder into the lock?

Bad luck

Andy

 

[Sp!ke]

Going out to try once again armed with a vibrator

 

[guydewdney]

so - did the ... um... personal device work? LOL - hope the missus doesnt read this - she'll want a new one after you have sullied it..

 

[Sp!ke]

so - did the ... um... personal device work? LOL - hope the missus doesnt read this - she'll want a new one after you have sullied it..

Erm... nope it didnt work - not powerful enough New one isnt a problem really, we have about 40k worth of stock in the loft (I kid you not)

Guess its going to have to be a locksmith now. Dreading the bill

 

[MBenzNL]

Hi Mate, No can do, I cant get the key to possition 1 so cant use the tool to remove the barrel.

YES you CAN use the mercedes tool...mercedes has one tool for those locks that do turn and one tool for those that no longer turn...and that is the tool with which it takes a lot longer before everything is back in again.

and spraying graphite or any other substance in the lock will make sure that it never turns again...

greetingz from kuala lumpur,

 

[Sp!ke]

YES you CAN use the mercedes tool...mercedes has one tool for those locks that do turn and one tool for those that no longer turn...and that is the tool with which it takes a lot longer before everything is back in again.

and spraying graphite or any other substance in the lock will make sure that it never turns again...

greetingz from kuala lumpur,

Do you know what this second tool is? It sounds like your talking about using a slide hammer or something similar to remove the barrel.

 

[Ian B Walker]

Spike assuming you can put the key in and out of the lock try spraying something like WD40 into it then move the key up and down vertically whilst turning back and forth. Ooops, just read the opening bit, you manage to get the Good lady wife away on time and is your Coupe safe?

 

[Sp!ke]

Stuck the wife in a Taxi (£££££) just been back to the car after vibrator testing for the most powerul one .... (ladies send me a PM and I'll tell you which one has the most power).

At first glance, the car looks like its survived the night without being keyed. Tried the vibrator and it was jiggling the hell out of the key in the barrel and looked promising to begin with but no joy.

Looking up locksmiths now (£££)

 

[Sp!ke]

Cant believe this.... Tried two locksmiths and they both said that mercedes have sealed units so its a Job for a mercedes dealer - nothing they can do

 

[Shude]

Cant believe this.... Tried two locksmiths and they both said that mercedes have sealed units so its a Job for a mercedes dealer - nothing they can do

Better get your documentation sorted then, ownership papers, utility bills, insurance/mot, references from a non-family member etc

 

[Sp!ke]

Well I've stripped the lower dash out and can see the pin thats holding the lock assembly in place.

I have a friend coming to the rescue with a generator and an angle grinder. Its going to have to be a brute force attack to remove the lock which in turn will release the steering lock so I can tow it home. This is the theory at least.

George Fraser and Colin Ferns both stated 2-3 hours to get the lock out so I know its not going to be easy

Why is there never a car thief around when you need one?

 

[MBenzNL]

I have a friend coming to the rescue with a generator and an angle grinder. Its going to have to be a brute force attack to remove the lock which in turn will release the steering lock so I can tow it home. This is the theory at least.

get somebody from mercedes over with their tool - that takes less then 1 minute to get the car going again!!!

greetingz from kuala lumpur,

 

[Sp!ke]

get somebody from mercedes over with their tool - that takes less then 1 minute to get the car going again!!!

I did ring two mercedes independents and a mercedes main dealer - none of them knew about this tool Steve - caan you be more specoific as to what it is?

Anyway, two minutes with an angle grinder and I got the whole assembly off and steering lock free.

I then shorted 4 wires (must right down colours for future reference) , got the car started and have driven it home :bannana:

Next step, get the lock assembly on the bench and try to figure out how to dissasemble the barrel bit without destroying the rest of the lock.

 

[Sp!ke]

OK, Last call for help... my haynes manual has vanished somewhere and I want to double check the wiring combination into the back of the ignition switch in case I got them jumbled.

Can anyone with a w124 haynes manual help?

Each contact on the switch is numbered, just want to know which colour goes where.

Anyone?

 

[andy_k]

you have a pm spike

Andy

 

[Sp!ke]

Thanks very much Andy for the scanned info I neded. The car is now back together minus an ignition barrel. New barrel to be ordered tomorrow.

Car now currently starts with a screwdriver pending replacement barrel so I am having to take some rudimentary measures to make sure it cant be driven away by just anybody.

For what its worth - it isnt *that* hard to remove the barrel even if the key wont turn to position 1, just be prepared to use some brute force and have your vehicle stripped down to the same sort of state as in the picture below.