Idiot car design SLK200 R172. No laughing matter

[whizzer74]

I had the misfortune to have the battery fail. So I used the key to open the door and got in to release the bonnet but the door closed behind me. At that point I became locked in my car and could not open the door due to no power in the system. What stupid Engineer came up with such a dangerous idea is beyond me and Mercedes should be banned from selling cars if they think that this is a good design feature. It is potentially lethal and must never, ever be used. I had had to phone my father to come and connect a charger to the battery to provide sufficient power for me to open the car door since I was stuck in my garage. Any cars should be able to be opened mechanically from the inside with no hindrance in the event of an accident, to have to have a power source to enable the system to open the door is stupidity beyond the extreme.

 

[sl500amgsport]

? Surely as the door was unlocked you just pull the inside handle

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[alexanderfoti]

You should always be able to open the door from the inside, even with no battery connected. In fact, MB dont "deadlock" their doors like other manufacturers. I assume the passenger side was the same?

 

[Bogus]

That sounds ridiculous. I had a similar scenario in my BMW when I managed to blow a central locking fuse , but although all other doors could not be opened even from inside, the drivers door could so not quite as bad. Even that seemed a bit dangerous and ridiculous to me but to have ALL doors inoperable seems one step crazier.

 

[V6Matty]

Easy to test or recreate, open the bonnet, close the door and lock the car, pull the lead off the battery and then use the key to get in the car, close door behind you and try the handle (just ensure someone else is around just in case this really is try and the inside handle is electronically controllers some how)

 

[flowrider]

I know the OP said it's no laughing matter but it did make me smile.

 

[LostKiwi]

You should always be able to open the door from the inside, even with no battery connected. In fact, MB dont "deadlock" their doors like other manufacturers. I assume the passenger side was the same?

This.
MB don't have deadlocks. The door will unlock as soon as the handle is pulled.

 

[ZZZZ]

18 days too late?

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome

 

[rorywquin]

This.
MB don't have deadlocks. The door will unlock as soon as the handle is pulled.

Operator error did spring to mind. My wife immediately blames the phone/ computer for her random button pushes.........

 

[EmilysDad]

This.
MB don't have deadlocks. The door will unlock as soon as the handle is pulled.

but .... I tried this on my ML to compare with the R Class before it and to check the alarm sounder
If I'd locked the R Class with a window open I could reach in & open the door using the inside door handle however .... doing the same on the ML (W166) the door will NOT open ..... no idea how that works. I know that when the central locking clicks to unlock the car you then need to wait a moment before the door will actually open

 

[John Laidlaw]

18 days too late?

Got to be ....

 

[fabes]

Yup, I'd agree

You can fix a Mercedes, but you can't fix stupid

 

[mioba]

No more from the OP.....
Hope he is O.K and not trapped in his car.

 

[sl500amgsport]

I think the battery went dead on his phone and now he can't post...

Mercedes SL500 R231

 

[Naraic]

Everyone is very quick to dismiss the OP...yet, it happened to Emily's Dad with an ML. Does anyone really think he didn't try the door handle to open the door?

 

[alexanderfoti]

Everyone is very quick to dismiss the OP...yet, it happened to Emily's Dad with an ML. Does anyone really think he didn't try the door handle to open the door?

I agree, there must be something here, the test option is the best one.

 

[LostKiwi]

I agree, there must be something here, the test option is the best one.

There are two things at play here.
1. MB don't use deadlocks.
2. The door somehow re-locked after he opened it with the physical key.

For it to relock suggests there was power in the system or the door was faulty (putting aside the deadlocks).

 

[ajlsl600]

i will check my ml in the next few days . maybe benz will issue the same pick hammers sncf fit next to the doors on trains. seems unlikely but i check.

 

[umblecumbuz]

I find it hard to believe that any car - not just cars built by MB - could go through the normal rigorous and lengthy gestation period without the manufacurer making sure that at least one door (and certainly both front doors) can open internally under any conditions.

What would happen, for instance, if a car was submerged in water due to an accident and no door would open?