W203 boot won't open

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Nov 3, 2007
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The boot won't open on my w203 2001 C220. Is there anyone who can help me assess what's going on?

Yesterday I went to open the boot, using the handle on the boot in the usual way. The usual whirring sound happened (sounds like an electric motor) but the click that usually follows didn't happen and the boot stayed firmly shut. I think there's some sort of release mechanism from the handle down to the latch at the edge of the boot lid and I suspect that might have failed.

So then I tried to open the boot with the key. This was very stiff - probably hadn't been turned for 10 years - but I managed to turn it 90 degrees anti-clockwise. At that point, there was a kind of click or resistance and it would move no further. However, it would also not move back to its original position. And the boot still didn't open.

With the lock in the new position, the boot lock handle, the key fob and the driver's door switch no longer have any effect - ie there's now no whirring sound coming from the lock.

I've tried lots of WD40 and jiggling of the lock with the key but the lock stays stuck in the new position. Feels as though the levers have engaged, leaving a bit of room to jiggle slightly back and forth but it won't turn back to the original position.

I've tried both keys and both work fine on the driver's door but neither will turn the boot lock, though they both insert ok. I'm fairly certain the key matches the lock because it turned 90 degrees before getting stuck in the new position.

What I'd like to know, if anyone can help, are some details of how the key is supposed to work (apart from opening the boot, of course!)

1. Does it turn off the circuitry to the remote boot unlocking? Is this why I no longer hear the whirring sound.

2. What are the lock's possible positions? On the driver's door the slit for the key is vertical. You can turn it 90 degrees from the vertical position anticlockwise to unlock the door (to 9 o'clock position) and 90 degrees clockwise from vertical to lock (to 3 o'clock position). But its normal position is vertical, though I can't remember whether it springs back to this position.
Is this the same for the boot lock?

3. Do the symptoms suggest that the lock levers have got stuck and are stopping the key from turning back to the "vertical" position?

I've looked for a diagram on the internet but without success. One contributor (was it Dec?) provided some very useful pictures of a w202 boot lock. But I haven't found anything specific to the W203. Hope someone can help.
 
Anyone with an early W203?

I wonder if there's anyone who's got an early W203 (mine's from 2001) who could spare a couple of minutes to look at the manual boot lock.

What I'd like to know is which direction the key is supposed to turn to unlock the boot. Does it turn anti-clockwise to unlock?

Does it turn clockwise at all from the original vertical position?

And when the key is turned 90 degrees anticlockwise, does this disable the electrical circuits so that nothing happens when you press the normal boot unlock handle?

If anyone could spare a couple of minutes to look at this, it would be much appreciated. Many thanks.
 
Hi, just tried mine. 2001 w203.
no movement anti clockwise from the vertical start. 90 degrees from start locks the boot and it then does nothing. no response to button so think your right,
cheers

Nige
 
Many thanks...

Hi, just tried mine. 2001 w203.
no movement anti clockwise from the vertical start. 90 degrees from start locks the boot and it then does nothing. no response to button so think your right,
cheers

Nige

Many thanks for checking. That's a great help.

Can I just clarify this a bit to make sure I've understood? I've been talking about a "vertical" start but of course the lock is actually on a horizontal plane underneath the boot ridge. So the slit starts with its line running front and back. When the key is turned 90 degrees the keyhole is then running to the left and right of the car.

That being the case, I turned my key anti-clockwise when looking from the ground upwards at the lock. Is that the movement that unlocked the boot for you? And after you've turned it there's no response from the handle, suggesting the electric opening mechanism has been turned off. Is that right so far?

And secondly, you say there was no movement anti-clockwise from vertical. Am I right in thinking you're looking down on the boot towards the ground when you describe this as anti-clockwise? (ie the same as what I called clockwise looking up from the ground to the lock.)

Lastly, could you tell me what happens after you've opened the boot with the key? Does the keyhole stay fixed in the new position - left-to-right rather than the original front-to-back or can you turn it back to the original position?

And what happens when you close the boot - does the keyhole spring back to the original position?

If you can help with these points, it'll be a big help. I much appreciate you taking the time to check these points for me.
 
Hi, I recently had this issue with a 98 CLK. Does anyone know if they have a similar boot lock release system. Mine had an air compressor mounted in the boot behind the lining on the drivers side and the pipe that pressurized the boot lock release had broken off. Fairly simple fix but a pain to get at? If they are similar I can tell you more but no point if not the same. btw can you get into the boot through the back seats?
 
Thanks. Been away for a few days so no further progress yet. The diagrams of the boot lid on C class and CLK look similar but the C looks as though it's just a cable running from the boot lock assembly to the latch on the rim.

Access through the back seat also looks possible but as I say, no further progress at the moment. I'll try to do an update when things become clearer. Thanks again.
 
After hours spraying wd40 into my boot lock and wiggling my key in the lock I have no joy. Took my car to a auto-locksmith who was supposedly an expert in Liverpool "yes" I know sounds like a joke but all he could offER was TO drill a hole behind the number plate which I declined and the next advice was from MB in l Liverpool was to smash the boot light and try reaching inside and try to either pull the cable going down from the MB badge to the lock which I did and in doing so it broke or try unscrewing the lock which you can not reach. Do not follow the above advice because all it does is cost you more money for new parts and even then you cannot fit the boot light securely because you cannot open the boot to attached the nuts from the inside.
So thank you MB and auto-locksmith in Liverpool for your bad advice on my 2001 clk 230.
My advice to save money is get a new boot lock which cost about £250.00 and get MB to fit it
total cost about £400.00 . Because after a round trip to Liverpool which cost me over £120.00
plus a new boot light it makes sense to let MB do the the job and hopefully they do it right.
My boot still does not open and my roof still won't go down because I cannot get into the boot
to do it manually in this beautiful hot weather what a joke MB
Don
 
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Have you actually smashed a rear light?
Will the key fully enter the lock key hole, if so, will it turn either direction?
Is the keyhole slot in the vertical position or horizontal position.


What year is the car?

Dec
 
My car is a 2001 reg clk 230 convertible and the slot is vertical and no I can not get the key fully in even after hours of giggling it and spraying it with WD40 and "yes" I did smash the boot light after taken advice from a Mercedes Benz Technician in Liverpool but not before I bought a new one
Thank you for taking the time to contact me Dec
Don
 
Hi. I believe they be the same because besides the advice I got from a mercedes benz tech to smash my boot light and try to put my hand through the gap and that was to pull on the cable running from behind the mercedes badge and to the boot lock which has two pipes or cables running from it, on pulling at these cables or pipes the plastic connector holding them together broke so now I have to replace the connector. my boot still would not open but my doors and windows still work correctly
 
Depending on what kind of remote fob you have, completely remove the metal key blade from the remote when trying to get the key into or turn in the lock.

The levers inside the lock barrel are seized, the key cant turn until the blade fully enters the lock barrel, you can see how far in the blade should enter the lock by comparing how far it enters the driver’s door or glove box lock key holes.

The best chance that you have at the moment is to keep working the lock with WD40, be sure to put the straw inside the key hole in the same way as it is depicted in the picture below.

attachment.php


Also try tapping the end of the key in the lock with the handle of a screwdriver, don’t use force but plenty of taps like you were knocking on a door.

You could also try an air duster to fast freeze the lock so as to produce a thermal shock, this may help to free up the stuck levers inside the lock barrel, see… Rapidly turning water into ice using a can of air duster. - YouTube

If you can now put your arm inside the boot with the light removed then take some pictures of the lock area to see what might be removable. Do you know if you have two bolts similar to the W202 below?

BootLock.jpg


Dec
 
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Hi. I believe they be the same because besides the advice I got from a mercedes benz tech to smash my boot light and try to put my hand through the gap and that was to pull on the cable running from behind the mercedes badge and to the boot lock which has two pipes or cables running from it, on pulling at these cables or pipes the plastic connector holding them together broke so now I have to replace the connector. my boot still would not open but my doors and windows still work correctly

Cant see any such cable on my W203
 
Cant see any such cable on my W203

Hi I made the mistake of taking my battery off on my w202 as it was flat and duly shut the boot! When I come to use my key it was seized and the key wouldn't even enter, so I couldn't get in and also realised the seat releases were also in the boot. I managed to unbolt the bottom of the seats after removing the lower part you sit on. So got a gap at bottom of the seats coz tops of the seats were still clamped as still couldn't reach release handles! A good breath in and a lot of pushing I got halfway in and pulled leavers, then I could place battery in. You can take the carpet on the boot off to get at the lock and release the boot that way. Once you have take the lock out and apart and then you can rub all the separate leavers down noting were they go and don't lose the leavers little springs, once together use white grease not wd40 to lube as wd can cause locks to come very loose and fail. Hope this helps and you get sorted. Not sure as yours is a rag top if your seats are the same but worth a look.
 
Depending on what kind of remote fob you have, completely remove the metal key blade from the remote when trying to get the key into or turn in the lock.

The levers inside the lock barrel are seized, the key cant turn until the blade fully enters the lock barrel, you can see how far in the blade should enter the lock by comparing how far it enters the driver’s door or glove box lock key holes.

The best chance that you have at the moment is to keep working the lock with WD40, be sure to put the straw inside the key hole in the same way as it is depicted in the picture below.

attachment.php


Also try tapping the end of the key in the lock with the handle of a screwdriver, don’t use force but plenty of taps like you were knocking on a door.

You could also try an air duster to fast freeze the lock so as to produce a thermal shock, this may help to free up the stuck levers inside the lock barrel, see… Rapidly turning water into ice using a can of air duster. - YouTube

If you can now put your arm inside the boot with the light removed then take some pictures of the lock area to see what might be removable. Do you know if you have two bolts similar to the W202 below?

BootLock.jpg


Dec

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As Dec has detailed above, try tapping the key in with a screwdriver handle and pulling it back out, with a pair of pliers if need be, and working it in and out a bit at a time, whilst injecting plenty of WD40 with the plastic tube inserted into the lock. Once the key is fully inserted try gently turning it back and forth, again with pliers if need be, but don't force it too much.

If you do manage to unseize the lock, here are the instructions taken from my W203 C Class handbook. Hope the CLK is similar.
Note that the anti-clockwise turn to the stop is not a full quarter turn.

bootlock.jpg
 
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