W124 ignition barrel problem ~ help!

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JumboBeef

Active Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2009
Messages
577
Car
W124 E220 Estate Auto
The key in my W124 barrel worked perfectly, until today. I tried to start the car and it wouldn't turn, just like it was the wrong key. After much turning and bad language, it did turn and I got home. I tried it again and now it is totally stuffed and it will not turn at all. Same with the spare key.

The steering lock wasn't on at the time it jammed (although it is now:wallbash:)

I did spray WD40 into it (as best you can without the little straw: where do they all go?) but it seems just as jammed.

Help! I have tomorrow off, but I must have the car working for Friday :crazy:

Any ideas on what I can do to fix this please.

Thanks!
 
You will need to replace the barrel. MB do an emergency one to get you out of trouble.

You need to slide pins in the hole down the side of the barrel and jiggle it about to release it. It is fiddly and can be difficult to do.
 
OK, thanks. Is it the sort of thing a dealer would keep in stock? Any idea how much it will cost?

You say a 'emergency one': how does this differ to a 'real' one?

Thanks again.
 
It has a seperate key and not one made for your car. Dealers do stock them.
 
OK, thanks again. I'll give them a call in the morning.
 
OK, thanks again. I'll give them a call in the morning.
I had the same problem 2 weeks after buying my W124. Assuming the ignition hasn't already been changed in the past you can order a new barrell for about £70 from MB with a copy of the log book and chassis No.
However, although the job should be really simple as long as you can get the key to position 1, mine wasn't!
The specialist I bought the car from offered to do it FOC which is just as well as it took 4 hours and most of the dash had to come out. MB labour charges would have cost quite a bit. Might be worth looking for an independent mechanic to fit it as the cost is all labour.
Problem solved now, Good luck.
 
Mr Walker has a How To here http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/interior/5406-howto-lock-set-change-w124.html ops wrong one - just off to check search again.:eek:

If you can't get a new barrel quickly it should be possible to strip the levers out, see which ones are worn (i.e. sit proud when the key is in), and miss those out on re-assembly (or file them lightly). Not as secure but gets you going.
 
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You need to get the key to turn to position 1 or you'll need to dremel off the black outer front cover in order to see the two holes for the insertion tool for lock removal.
 
Firstly: thanks!

Right, got the key to turn!

Tried the coat hanger trick, but it will not fit. Alan keys will not work.

Rang a local MB garage and they said to be careful as you can spread the pins inside and then you are stuffed. They have quoted £116 for them to change the barrel to a 'workshop spare' until a proper barrel for the key comes in, which they will then fit.
 
Thanks: is there a danger of breaking anything though? This garage has now worried me that I mine screw it up.....
 
I used a couple of jewelers screwdrivers last time I did this. Still took a bit of poking around to get the pins to release though.

£116 is huge amounts of money for this as it'll take them less than 5 minutes to swap the barrel over for the loaner. A fairer price would be £20 for removal and maybe another £30 for the loan of the lock. (Replacement is only £70 or something)

I dont think you can screw it up unless you get violent with it - the garage is just scaremongering.
 
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Got the little bugger out! I'm going to buy a workshop barrel from my main dealer for £62.68 + VAT. They will then order me the correct barrel (again for £62.68 + VAT) and once that is in, I will fit it and return the workshop one for a refund.

I hope fitting the new one is easy!

Thanks again to everyone who has posted on this thread.

PS: actually, my wife got it out. She came out to see what I was fing and blinding at and asked to have a try. It just came out for her.....
 
You can actually use the car with no barrel in the ignition, just turn it with a screwdriver.

If you're worried you can immobilise the car some other way such as removing the distributer or fuse or something.
 
Oh, interesting. What about the steering lock?
 
I did mine with a screwdriver for a week, the steering lock as I recall was disabled because of no barrel, but I might be wrong, either way I was ok for the week until replacement came in
 
Steering lock works as normal IIRC.

All you've done is remove the need to unlock with a key.
 
OK, thanks. So it is safe to drive like this: the steering lock will not suddenly come on? (sorry to be a bit dim on this point).
 

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