Over $1,000 for a trunk lock
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 43
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From: Boston, NYC, Indianapolis
1999 E300 TDI, 2000 CLK430, 2000 E320, 2003 S55, 2005 SL500, 2011 ML350
Over $1,000 for a trunk lock
Help guys! Is this right? Over $300 for a locking mechanism and $700 to drill it out at the dealership? I've check the posts and can not get the trunk open for the life of me without breaking something. Can a locksmith or an indy shop handle something like this more reasonbly? Any suggestions are most appreciated. Thanks.
00 CLK430
00 CLK430
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Joined: Apr 2006
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Trunk Locks
Being some what a home brew locksmith I have opened up the two CLK trunk locks I have had and fixed them myself. What I have found on the key not working is that the tumblers are greased at the factory and the grease gets hard. Also my latest 98 CLK had some corrosion on the tumbler drum that made it hard to turn. There are 10 of what would in other locks be called pins. Each one has a small spring with it. If you take them out lay them in order as one in the wrong place and the key won't work. With the key in place they should all be flush with the drum they are in. Lots of parts in it so you need to keep them in order that you take things apart. Also taking pictures helps. Jerry
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 386
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From: New York
2010 C300 4MATIC
Ok. I had the same problem a couple of months ago. These are your options. Purchase a NEW MERCEDES BENZ KEY from the stealership for about 175$ (tax included) or open up the hood of your car (if possible) and at the on the top driver's side corner open up the fuse box and get a special mechanism to send a jolt to the trunk. The fuse is labled on the cover of the fuse box. Your last option, if the battery is dead is jump start your car from the engine bay area. Thats all I know.
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 932
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From: North of Boston
As long as you can get into the car, you can pop the front hood. Jump the car using the jumper cable (driver side close to the windshield..it's covered by a plastic flap). Once started, the trunk should be able to be opened.
The trunk lock is flawed because of the dried out tumblers. I have been able to get it working by using wd40 sprayed in...let stand for 15 minutes...spray again...etc...it will eventually work. Do a few trunk searches...this is not uncommon...here's one
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...ighlight=trunk
The trunk lock is flawed because of the dried out tumblers. I have been able to get it working by using wd40 sprayed in...let stand for 15 minutes...spray again...etc...it will eventually work. Do a few trunk searches...this is not uncommon...here's one
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...ighlight=trunk
Last edited by cindyclk; Jul 1, 2008 at 09:03 PM.
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Joined: May 2008
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1999 clk 320
Yeah pay 1000 bucks to get the lock fixed.
Don't be rediculous, now.
If you ever have problems with a lock on your car, call a locksmith, not a tow truck dip****. Why do you think he drives a towtruck. (If any of you are an intelligent towtruck driver, you know what I mean. No appologies here.)
As for the lock replacement, stop at all the bodyshops AND locksmiths in your area and find out what they'll do it for. You can probably get a lock for much less than 300(and even if you can't,save the labor) and bring it to the shop with a reasonable labor cost. BTW, the locksmith should be able to macth the lock to your key.
I've never heard about the jumping the fuse trick. Sounds like a good one to remember, and use if need be.
Don't be rediculous, now.
If you ever have problems with a lock on your car, call a locksmith, not a tow truck dip****. Why do you think he drives a towtruck. (If any of you are an intelligent towtruck driver, you know what I mean. No appologies here.)
As for the lock replacement, stop at all the bodyshops AND locksmiths in your area and find out what they'll do it for. You can probably get a lock for much less than 300(and even if you can't,save the labor) and bring it to the shop with a reasonable labor cost. BTW, the locksmith should be able to macth the lock to your key.
I've never heard about the jumping the fuse trick. Sounds like a good one to remember, and use if need be.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 43
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From: Boston, NYC, Indianapolis
1999 E300 TDI, 2000 CLK430, 2000 E320, 2003 S55, 2005 SL500, 2011 ML350
Thanks for your suggestions and help. I got my car back from the dealership. They charged me about $65 for looking at it. They said they couldn't get the trunk to pop open by jumping the car. The only option is to drill it out. I'm gonna have a locksmith do it. Any idea how long it takes to drill it out and replace with a new one. I've still got my laundry in the car from last week. 
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Boston, NYC, Indianapolis
1999 E300 TDI, 2000 CLK430, 2000 E320, 2003 S55, 2005 SL500, 2011 ML350
Update.....For anyone who ever has this problem or has it again. I had my friend's brother who is a locksmith fix this for me. We spent hours trying to figure out how to get into the trunk and it was so simple.
Just go and take out the first aid kit. There's a screw that holds a plastic piece. Remove the piece and you have a small room of space to access the trunk. This will also expose a cable on either side. If you use pliers to grip and pull it forward towards the rear windshield, this will trigger the seat to fold down. It's really tough and you have to use a lot of effort, but it works. Now you have access. We took out the lining and interior latch piece. Put everything back together and there was no problem. Tested it over and over. I guess it was just a caught vacuum line. Strange.
BTW, anyone who lives in NY, try to avoid MB of White Plains. They suck. Not only did I get charged for looking at it, but I also got back a slightly bent key, and a few scratches on my trunk lid with missing bolts for my license plate. Knuckleheads.
Just go and take out the first aid kit. There's a screw that holds a plastic piece. Remove the piece and you have a small room of space to access the trunk. This will also expose a cable on either side. If you use pliers to grip and pull it forward towards the rear windshield, this will trigger the seat to fold down. It's really tough and you have to use a lot of effort, but it works. Now you have access. We took out the lining and interior latch piece. Put everything back together and there was no problem. Tested it over and over. I guess it was just a caught vacuum line. Strange.
BTW, anyone who lives in NY, try to avoid MB of White Plains. They suck. Not only did I get charged for looking at it, but I also got back a slightly bent key, and a few scratches on my trunk lid with missing bolts for my license plate. Knuckleheads.
