Any here that have replaced the manual opening of the trunk lid using the manual trunk lid handle? 2003 SL, R230
That might tell me of the best/most easy way to replace the micro switch so i can use tha manual handle so the trunk opens

As it is now i have to use the remote or the door switch to open the trunk

 

The handle is mechanical. If it is not working with the key in the proper position, you probably had the actuation rod come loose.

 

I'm sure in my 2005 there's a 'click' in that grip, whether the car (lid) is locked or not. When locked, the 'click' happens to ignite the courtesy led in the rear view mirror.
(I actually believe the day has come that one can correct MikeJ65 on an R230 issue )

 

If i use the mechanical key i can open the trunk lid without any problem.

But i can not hear any "click" when pulling the handle

But i thought of that it is still a chance that the rod might not "hit" the microswitch so it opens the trunk lid
Since i have to take off the trunk lid cover to acces both the rod and microswitch i bought a new microswitch just in case. The microswitch was cheap as well and i get great discounts at Mercedes

 

I have not taken the cover off from the underside of the trunk lid yet so i have just loooked at some pictures

From what i can tell the micro switch must sit close to where the yellow arrow points to at the picture below. Part S88/8 must be the micro switch since have written that down a long time ago
S88/8 i suppose is the micro switch and the switch must sit close to where the yellow arrow points to






The handle mechanism have a micro switch as well from what i can tell. See the red arrow at the bottom of the picture

Looks like there is a micro switch on the handle part as well

 

I was wrong.

 

S88/8 is the switch for the lever. S134 is the lockout switch on the lock mechanism. If the key is turned fully clockwise (looking from the bottom), the lock tumbler actuates this switch and the trunk will not release even if the car is unlocked. S62/21 is the keyless go button. You still have to have the mechanical connection to the S88/8. Given the quality of plastics used elsewhere, I would not be surprised if that is the problem vs. the actual switch.

I was thinking that the switches were on the actuator, not at the handle, but of course the actuator rod is only mechanically engaged when the key is fully CCW. The two prox switches on the actuator are for the two locking stages of the trunk. On a side note, I have one car that allows the key to be removed in the full CCW position, but the norm seems to be that it can only be removed in the center or CW positions. Any thoughts?

 

Mike. Just to check that i got this right
What you are saying is that the micro switch i need to replace is the switch on the bottom picture whee the handle sit?

It is not the S88/8 switch shown on the picture below. I was sure that that was the switch i would need t o replace.


Do you mean this switch (S88/8)?














From what i understand you say the switch i need to replace is this one that sit on the handle mechanism on the picture below.



I really never thought about this switch before but if this is the switch i guess this switch is more easy to replace than the S88/8 switch that sit further up on the trunk lid.

 

I believe that in your picture, S88/8 snaps in right behind the Q2 sticker, S134 would be in the very top left corner of the picture, and S62/21 would be off the picture to the right. If you do not hear a clicking sound, you probably need S88/8, but a bad S134 could also disable the unlocking (if equipped). I think the US spec cars might use a slightly different approach since they have an emergency trunk release button inside the trunk, which I don't think was required elsewhere.

 

No emergency switch inside my Euro '05.

 

The US regulation was effective in September 2001, so right about the time R230's started regular production. I'm wondering if the original design was a mechanical lockout with the key instead of the S134 electrical lockout that we got in the US. WIS implies that S134 was US only and EPC lists the escape switch as Code 494, which is US spec. In any case, there were definitely some US specific features to meet the regulation. Is the rest of the world smart enough to avoid crawling into the trunk and shutting the lid?

 

MikeJ65.
First i will check that mechansm pushes in the little round switch on the miocro switch and if that is okay i will try to replace the micro switch behind the Q2 sticker first and check if that helps.
This switch must be the most easy switch to get access to i think. Just lift up the "locking" tab and replace. See the picture showing this switch from several angles
I do not want to take out the handle assembly so i just loosen the trunk lid carpet so i get acces to check the mechanism pushes in the switch and if it does i can replace the switch
On the picture below you can see the green litte switch that get pressed in

Do you have any diagrams showing the switches you are talking about?
Is you do would you mind posting a picture of this?

As Frederick NL say i do not have any emergency switch inside either on my eruo spec 03

The switch behind the Q2 sticker seen from different angles

 

A few years ago i had the license plate part of the trunk lid off to replace the loose nuts for the rear license plate and doing this job i had to take off the trunk lid carpet

When checking uder the carpet i have a loose blue connector that is not connected to anything

Can this loose connector supposed to be connected to any of the micro switches? I phoned the technical department at Mercedes and they said it was prepared for a back up camera

You can see the blue connector on the picture attached below

 

Forgot to say that i can hear the "click" from he micro switch when the trunk handle is about halfway engaged.

I will replace the switch later this evening since it is so warm outside during day time

 

Yesterday i finally got myself to pull the cover off on the trunk lid.
Have to say that access to the so you can loosen the micro switch for manual opening of he trunk lid is not any good but i knew that before i started.

I had to use a stirring stick for paint which i used duct tape and taped a small screwdriver to the end of the stirring stick so i could acces the "locking tab" for the micro switch to get i loose.
Using the stirring stick with the screwdriver taped to it worked at once

After i got the micro switch and the connector for it out it was easy to tell why the switch have not worked. The connector where fully corroded so it looked almost blue and also 1 of the the 2 pins that stick out of the micro switch that hooks on the connector was broken off.
Not strange that the manual handle was not working.

Just to test it i made a connection to the new micro switch to check if it worked and it worked at once when pressing in the "little ball" on the micro switch
I had to stop yesterday since i need a new female pin to replace the broken pin inside the connector for the micro switch

I am just back now after buying a couple of smal pins for the connector and i will solder it the wire later tonight if it does not to start to rain here.


Here is a couple of pictures of the corroded micro switch and connector with 1 "pin" broken off.


The micro switch was very corroded and had 1 of the 2"pins/legs" for the connector broken off



Picture of th connector that is corroded and have 1 "pin/leg" stuck inside (Number 2 on the picture)

If you look close at the left and right picture you can see that the connector (where it says 7 on the right side picture) comes off so you can easy push out any broken pins and the same when installing a new pin.
The part on the connector is taken off on the picture to the left.

 

I had to order a new connector and "pins/legs" from Mercedes for the wires since the "pins" i bought yesterday did not fit after all.

I reused the old connector since there is nothing wrong with it. I had to crimp on the new "pins/legs" and the tiny small pins are pain to get on the wires.

I knew this job would involve a lot of fiddling so that's why I've put it off for so long.

Now with new pins in the connector everything works as it is supposed to

But if anybody here on the forum needs to replace this micro swith be aware that the new connector does not fit in the micro switch.
You will have to cut off a little plastic "tab" on the new connector as shown on the picture below with a red arrow.

The black original connector to the left on the picture and the new white connector (from Mercedes) to the right on the picture

The old black original connector to the left and the new white connector to the right

 

After i replaced the bad micro switch for the manual lever for opening the trunk lid everything works fine as i said in my previous post

But when i pull the lever so it opens the trunk lid i can hear a little swoosh sound coming from the lock so is this how it is suppoed to be?

You can hear the little swoosh sound for about almost half a seond.

I am sure there is no vacuum /air leak on my car since i never had any problems at all with my car except for the faulty micro switch

Just wannna make sure.

Note that i have never had any problems with any air leaks on my SL, R230