OK on to my next problem, by the way I have almost replaced the entire car now!

I need to replace my driver door lock actuator.

Does anyone have a source other than the dealor for the part AND

Any tips, links etc for the relacement process???

Thanks

 

Hello,

Well, the door panel needs to come off of course. When you get that off, you need to drill out some rivets. Drill out the rivets on the airbag. Remove the airbag(have the ignition off). Next, drill out both rivets at the bottom of the left side window guide rail. Then drill out the left side upper window guide rail rivet, but not the right. When you get that one out, you can move the guide rail over. Then you will need a 4mm allen and remove the end handle piece. Next, remove the handle. Then unbolt the actuator from the two bolts on the side and disconnect the electrical connector. Reinstall everything the way it came out. You will need rivets and a rivet gun to reinstall everything.

 

The lock only comes from MB, the description pretty well covers it, the pop rivets on the regulator are large and need a BIG tool to expand. You might want to get them at the same time.

 

Thanks So much for the tips, that is great and I really apriciate it.

I do have what may be a stupid question:

Do you have any tips on removing the panel, where to start? How much pressure??

I have done other makes and end up breaking tabs

Thanks
Thomas

 

I can not lock rear door on my ML320 1998 with remote key.
Is this problem with actuator or?
It is possible to replace it by myself?
Thank you

 

I just replaced the actuator on my 99 ML left front door. I benefitted so much from all the posts on this topic that I wanted to add my own experiences so the next person who does this can avoid some pain.

The part is 163.720.2835. I got mine from Mercedes Parts Online for $199 delivered with overnight shipping.

Important! You must have a 4mm hex key (Allen wrench) that is no less than 4.25 inches long. A screw driver bit adapter will not work because it has to go through a small diameter hole to reach the screw. If you don’t have a tool like this, don’t even start the job.

1. Remove the inner door panel. Pry it away at the lover corners, then the bottom, then the sides. You have to unhook the lock cable before you can set the panel down. Note: I had several of the push-tab holders break off the door panel, instead of pulling out of the door, leaving the block and push-tab behind. I reattached these with Gorilla glue at the end of the job. It’s perfect for the task since it foams up before curing and mechanically holds the slots and holes on the blocks.
2. Disconnect the electrical squib from the lock actuator. There’s a locking tab on the side that faces the outside of the door. You have to pull the tab away from the squib (without snapping it off) before you can disengage the electrical plug.
3. Drill out the 3 rivets on the rear window guide that are not behind the airbag and pivot the bar about the remaining rivet (otherwise you’ll never get the actuator out).
4. Remove the 2 screws that hold the actuator.
5. Pull out the rubber plug from the inside face of the door, just above the actuator. Using the long 4mm hex key, reach through that tiny hole from the inside of the door all the way to the lock cylinder and unscrew the hex screw that holds the outside key lock cylinder. This screw will stay in the door after the cylinder is loose.
6. Pry the lock cylinder out of the door from the outside. The metal cylinder does not come out by itself – the entire plastic cylinder housing (aft of the outside door handle) comes out of the sheet metal. Mine was stuck after 11 years of service so I freed it by pushing on the head of the hex screw from inside the door until the cylinder housing popped free just enough to grab it. There’s a metal rod on the lock cylinder that goes into the lock actuator. At the end of the cylinder rod is a small that that snaps into the actuator. You have to pull the cylinder out until the tab pops free. You cannot get the actuator out without pulling the cylinder free.
7. Wiggle the actuator out of the door.
8. Finesse the old cable out from behind the airbag module. The new part has a rubber sleeve on the cable that was not on the original part. With this sleeve, you can’t fish the new cable back behind the airbag. I chose to just route that cable below the airbag instead of behind it and it worked perfectly.
9. Wiggle the new actuator into place without damaging it – it’s a ridiculously tight fit, even with the window track out of the way.
10. Make sure the metal tab that faces the outside mates with the slot in the outer door handle.
11. Push the lock cylinder into the socket until the bar snaps into the actuator. You may need to twist the actuator slot with a flathead screw driver to the same orientation as the lock cylinder bar before you mate them.
12. Put the 3 screws back in and connect the electrical squib.

I'm a mechanical engineer and I take longer to do moset service tasks than a mechanic does. That said, this job took me about 2 hours, start-to-finish, which is not much more time than I'd spend dropping my car off and getting it back from a repair shop.
That’s it. I hope someone benefits from these notes as much as I did from the other information I found on this site.

 

I bought a non-MB actuator and it appears that it does not go into the assembly I pulled out of the door. Any hints on something I'm not doing?

 

Does door lock with switch on console
chris