W124 Ignition Lock

[SJMaxson]

I'm sure I read somewhere recently about replacing the ignition barrel on W124 when faulty.

The steering lock on mine has, this morning, become intermittent - locking on the second attempt on my first journey of the morning, and not locking at all on the second one. Does this mean that its on its way out, if so, presumably it needs to be replaced ASAP.

Any idea of likely cost for this?

Thank in advance.

 

[NormanB]

Hurry

Do not tarry get down to your dealer/indy (maybe phone first!).

Get a spare barrel in there pdq and order a replacement so you can get back to one key operation.

If current one fails completely your in for a £££££repair.

NormanB

 

[dave e]

Norman is right, get it done SOON, if it goes completely, then you are in for some major stripping to get it apart.

Remember to take all your parerwork for the car, log book, address id, photo id, licence, passport. i'm not joking the dealers will require it before they will order anything like this now days.

Finally, i hope you have better luck than me, i still haven't got the one i ordered on 9th november!! but when i rang last week to chase it up, the guy covered the phone and asked his mate about it, but i heard him say, "tell him early next week, thats the one we forgot to order"!! which i think you will find is about the same as what happened to Norman. Maybe they wait until you chase it up to see if you really want one who knows??

 

[Andy]

Hi

Are you saying that the ignition barrel sticks or jams when you try and turn the ignition on. Then if so you will need to replace ASAP. £45.00 barrel plus vat. 1/4 hr job if the right tools are used and the barrel can be turned to number 1 position.


Regards

Andy @ www.mercedesservicing.com

 

[NormanB]

Confirm and do it NOW!!

I can vouch (if there is any real need with such experts as Andy and Dave) the above.

Once you have collected all your documentation together, see if you can get the local hospital to carry out a DNA test and take that with you too as the Mercedes requirement for identification seems to get more stringent each time you visit :lol:

Regards

 

[SJMaxson]

I've heeded the advice given, and have just returned from the stealership, and am now the owner of a new ignition lock - and an additional key (note, just the one key!).

Having been quoted £32 for a new barrell, and £30 (+ VAT in each case) for labour, I was more than a little surprised to receive a bill for £144 inc VAT!

They had given the car a thorough external wash, and I had had a "free" cup of coffee whilst waiting, but even so, £40 for a coffee and £40 for a car wash is a little excessive?

Is it worth returning, spending £42 + VAT + Labour for an ordered lock to restore one key operation, or am I better off simply having a spare key cut for the new lock? I know which way I'm thinking at the moment!

I very much doubt that I will be seeing the inside of my local stealership again soon. Indeed, I am thinking about not driving past the outside in case they charge me for that, too!

Back to Andy for the next service (although there was never any doubt about that, either).

PS Forgot to say, on the invoice they managed to get my name, registration number, odometer reading and car model wrong! And I wasn't asked for any identification - my V5 and passport stayed firmly in my pocket!

 

[NormanB]

Shock

Hi SJ

Sorry to hear of yur shocking stealership experience.

I took my mine to my local indy and he put a spare barrel in there until mine arrived. When it eventually arrived at the stealer I gave him a call and he said 'come on down'

He took 5 mins (max) to remove spare insert new and when I said how much did I owe him - he said no 'worries don't bother'.

I am sorry to say I bunged him £15 (all I had in cash) - he seemed dead pleased!

If I was in yr position I would order a spare key and put up with very slight inconvenience.

NormanB

 

[Andy]

Hi All,

Steve, if you have had a barrel fitted off the shelf then no documents are needed. You only get 1 key! Check your invoice and see if there are any other parts on it. Like an steering lock.


Did you have your old barrel back. If you did, check to see if it look like its falling apart or sticks. I think from what your are saying. IE The steering lock dosn't always come on. That it may be the steering lock ass and not the barrel.

Check it out. You will see what I mean if the barrel is knackered.


Regards

Andy @ www.mercedesservicing.com

 

[SJMaxson]

Thanks for all that.

I didn't get the barrel back, and so can't say what state it was in.

There's no mention of any parts on the invoice other than the lock. 30 minutes after booking the car in, they came to tell me that they were just finishing off and were about to start to wash the car, so the actual job took about 30 mins with the only part supplied being costed @ £32+VAT.

With regards to getting a spare key, the stealership said that they couldn't supply one. When I asked if I could get one cut elsewhere, I simultaneously got the answer "yes" and "no" from two members of staff there, the general consensus being that I could!

However, upon taking the key to a key-cutting place, they said that only a main dealer could cut it, as there was an immobiliser in the key. I'm sure there wasn't on the old key (I thought it was activated with the alarm via the after market remote merc key-fob), and think it unlikely that one would have been fitted today!

Any advice on where to get the key cut as the dealer and the key-cutter say conflicting things - neither one of them claiming to be able to cut a key!? :?

 

[dave elcome]

I had a spare key cut at a shoe repair place in town, i think it was Timpsons?? very cheap, matches the original type perfectly, was done while i waited, and it works!!

Which is more than can be said for MB supplying me with a new barrel, i ordered it on 9th november, and i'm still waiting, even after numerous calls to chase it up. Needless to say i'm not impressed.

 

[Andy]

Hi Steve,

I must admit long term I would order a barrel to chassis number. Then there is no problem. MB can't or wont supply keys to their replacment barrels. So in the future there may well be a problem. Keep it standard and your options are always open.


Dave I don't know why you having so much problems. We order barrels all the while. As a rule 2wks max.


Good luck


Regards

Andy @ www.mercedesservicing.com

 

[SJMaxson]

I take some of it back - :? !

I've just had a telephone call from the service manager at the stealership. I sent a fax to them on Monday, querying the amount charged for the work, particularly compared to the quoted sum.

He agreed, and assures me that there is a cheque in the post for the additional £60 of labour + VAT!

Still a £62+VAT bill I could have done without, but better that than £144

 

[SJMaxson]

Replacement lock started to go a bit funny, so I booked it in with the local stealership.

They replaced the lock again, and we're now back to one key operation with a fully functioning ignition lock. Not impressed, though, that the replacement barrel stopped working so soon.