SyberTiger

The driver's door has an issue where most attempts to close the door it will not latch and stay closed...it just bounces back open. The door has not been damage and there isn't any trim that has come loose to prevent the door from latching. Occasionally, when you slam it hard enough it will latch and stay closed.

Using a screwdriver I played with the latch mechanism by pushing on the latch to simulate the door closing and the latch moves like it should...as compared with the passenger side which works. No clue what the problem is but I sprayed the mechanism with lubricant to see if that solved the problem but it does not.

Is there something broken, need an adjustment?

SyberTiger

The issue in not that the latch is in the "latched" position. It's clearly in the unlatch position and doesn't consistently grab the latch post.

shadenfroh

If you tried latching it with a screwdriver and it works as intended... Maybe you can compare the position of the striker plates on both sides to see if they differ?

If you decide to loosen and adjust the striker plate (assuming it's adjustable on the 202, mine is not), keep in mind that the bolts are quite soft and may be well stuck on, so there's a danger of rounding them.

SyberTiger

I've come to the conclusion the problem is not the striker plate rather I believe the door lock/latch assembly is worn out. I'm not 100% certain but I think it is item #7 (part number 2027204535) for my 1998 C230 w202 driver's side front door. What does "lock with infra-red" mean? Does that mean that the key FOB unlocks the doors? Also, I wonder what the different is between part numbers 2027204535 vs 2027203535?

Does anyone know how difficult it is to change out this part?...or are there instructions somewhere?

SyberTiger

I came across these two links:

Door Panel Removal Instructions