jester2ll2

Hi everybody,

Just picked up my '05 E320 CDI and I absolutley love it!

But, while I was still at the dealership I was crawling around the car making sure everything worked and then came to the trunk lock. I could not for the life of me figure out how to lock it separately form the rest of the car. I asked my sales guy, he said due to a new Federal Law trunks cannot be locked because the internal trunk lock needs to be active. That doesn't sound right to me, wouldn't it still be active if the entire car was locked?

I read everything in the manual about the trunk and couldn't find anything on it, has anybody found a way around this? I do not like not being able to secure my trunk.

DWP

M-B dropped the ability to separately lock the trunk with the metal key somewhere between the '03 and '05 models. My '03 has that ability. I suspect that the reason that M-B dropped that ability has a lot more to do with saving money (a/k/a "decontenting") than it has to do with a change in federal law. If M-B wanted to make a mechanical lock compatible with the electrical release triggered by the green button inside the trunk, they could do so. They obviously don't want to spend the money to do so. You might want to search for the previous thread or threads on this topic.

Barry45RPM

mY '04 BUILT 11/03 HAS IT, ITS A LOCK THAT IS SORT OF LIKE A DEADBOLT THAT PREVENTS THE MANUAL SQUEEZE HANDLE FROM BEING "SQUEEZED" TO activate the electrical lock.

They seem to have done away w/ it by March/April

sorry for caps, too tired to retype.

jester2ll2

Anyway way around it?

Rewire or a way of modding something?

Do the Euro models have this problem too? If they do not, what is different?

ATS

I think the reason they got rid of it is that if you put a person in the trunk and MANUALLY lock it, the electrical green button inside stops working.

I mean, how many complaints did they have re: this.. Geez.

DWP

The only people who would complain about not being able to get out of the trunk because of the key lock are sleeping wit da fishies.

BudC

My E320 was built in March and doesn't have it. I think BMW has it.

I've also heard that MBUSA have replaced the old locks with the new ones at dealer parts departments.

Barry45RPM

It wouldnt be a rewiring job, since the key is simply moving a piece of metal so thet the squeeze handle cant be squeezed together, making the electrical connection. It stops moving in millimeters. They have altered the mechanical portion of the lock so that the key still turns, but doesn't move the little piece of metal so the handle cant be squeezed together. You turn the key to any position & the handle can still be squeezed actuating the electical lock release.

sung113

The same problem with the trunk lock, I tried to lock the trunk with the metal key and it won't turn all the way to lock it. So I called the dealer on 08-26-04 to tell the trunk lock problem and I took the car to the dealer for the problem on 08-27-04.

The next day, they found the problem and they have order a new trunk lock mechanis on 08-27-04. Now I 'm hoping that it will done by tomorrow as they have promissed.

Build on march/04

****sigh****
"crossing my fingers"

Rudegar

That's why they call it the anti-Sopranos feature

jester2ll2

Any updates?

sung113

I just got a call from the service advisor saying that the car should be done by today and I could pick up the car by today.

So, for a minor problem like this takes about 5 working days to fix, wow, I'
m begining to think that may be MB has not so good service as Lexus does.


The reason for taking many days to fix, could be because we are far away from German and it takes couple of extra days to ship the parts to U.S.A? or is it because my dealer are lazy asses....

I hope everything works as it should like other cars(I know Lexus does),
like pressing the remote trunk release button will open the truck even thought its locked with the metal key.

Matt.

DWP

The reason for locking the trunk with the metal key is so that it won't open with the remote trunk release. That's so you can give your electronic key to a parking valet but lock stuff in your trunk so that only you can open it with the metal key. People with late '04 and '05 cars are (justifiably) upset because they can't do that.

sung113

ok, just got another call from the dealer saying that the needs be in service for one more day because they need to order one more part that they didn't know but luckly they are saying that the part is at local area so that explains that I only have to wait one more days.

So, I guess I will have to wait one more day and see what happends
tomorrow.


Matt.

jester2ll2

Update?

sung113

so, I check the trunk to see if it unlocks with the key blade and now it does so thats been fixed.

The other problem that I wanted to be fixed was that I wanted the trunk to be locked all the time, even with the all doors unlocked. So this way the valet guys won't dig my trunk or worry about it, if I put some valuable stuff.

The service advisor said to me that they weren't supposed make it work to unlock with a key blade ,on late 04 and later models from the factory.

He said that they didn't know and order the parts and later they found out that they are not supposed to do that, but he fixed it anyways.

So final comment on trunk locks, late 04's on later models does not have the lock features as the early e320 04's.


oh well.....
I Kind a wasted my time..
sucks. ~
Matt.

BudC

So did they or did they not change it so that the Valet feature now works?

If not, do you know if it would be a matter of just getting the old parts if it were possible?

jester2ll2

Sung what dealership did you go to?

sung113

Long beach, Ca.

sung113

The valet mode ? no i would say they couldn't do that because they found out that they can't do that anymore for late 04's and after models.

I was thinking about telling then to put it back on the original but I just desided not to do that.

If get the original parts were back on, then i wouldn't even able to open the trunk with my key blade.

After the part was replaced, now I can turn and open the trunk with the key blade before I wasn't able to turn it to open the trunk.

jester2ll2

That really ticks me off, guess I'll have to figure out something. Maybe somesort of hidden switch that locks out the trunk. Or something.

DWP

So, now you can unlock the trunk with the metal key, but you still can't lock it with the metal key? At least you now have a way to get in the trunk if your battery goes dead - a Good Thing, since the battery is in the trunk.

Considering how large the trunk is, maybe M-B should offer an accessory Kevlar safe for people to mount in their trunk if they want to secure their expensive goods when they hand over the key to a valet.

jester2ll2

What about the trunk drawer they offer? Does anybody have it? Is it lockable?

If you want a safe, there are plenty of options. Why would you say kevlar?

konigstiger

Matt,

Simply, can you lock & unlock “your” trunk with the key now?

sung113

Simply, just unlocks to open the trunk.

More explanation:
All doors locked
To open the trunk, insert the key to turn and open the trunk( it triggers the alarm)

All doors unlocked
To open the trunk, it does not matter if you insert key and turn, its already unlocked.


I can unlock with the key blade to open the trunk when all the doors are locked but when the car (all) doors are unlocked then there is no purpose in turning the key in the trunk because its already unlocked.


There is no way to lock the trunk independently(my other cars did lock) weather all doors are locked or unlocked and my key blade only works to unlock the trunk to open.

Its kind a messed up but at least now i can insert the key to unlock and open the trunk although this way it triggers the factory alarm.

Matt.