300SDL Door Problem

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Geoff Miller - 23 Feb 2006 18:36 GMT

The left-rear door of my '87 300SDL started making a
"graunching" sort of noise when I closed it awhile back.
It sounded like the hinges needed to be greased. I
figured I'd get to it in due course. It wasn't terribly
urgent, I reasoned, because I rarely carry passengers in
that car.

The other day something seized up inside the door, and it
appeared for a moment that I wouldn't be able to get it
closed. The door was fully open, and wouldn't swing more
than a few degrees toward the "closed" position before
bouncing right back. It would've been awkward trying to
get home that way.

There's a sheetmetal bar extending into the forward surface
of the door from the B-pillar which engages the detent that
holds the door open, and that seems to be what's binding up.
Is there any way to fix this without removing the interior
trim panel of the door?

Geoff

'91 300D 2.5 95K
'87 300SDL 256K

Signature

"Liberals have made this the era of surly automobile bumpers, millions
of them, still defiantly adorned with Kerry-Edwards and even Gore-
Lieberman bumper stickers, faded and frayed like flags preserved as
relics of failed crusades." -- George F. Will

Reply to this Message

Hazey - 23 Feb 2006 18:45 GMT

You need a new door check (that sheet metal thing hanging out of the
door). I don't know the chassis well enough to know if it can be
replaced without removing the interior trim panel. Sometines they can
and sometimes they can't, but it does need to be replaced, or at least
removed if it is doing that.

Reply to this Message

Richard Sexton - 23 Feb 2006 19:27 GMT

>You need a new door check (that sheet metal thing hanging out of the
>door). I don't know the chassis well enough to know if it can be
>replaced without removing the interior trim panel. Sometines they can
>and sometimes they can't, but it does need to be replaced, or at least
>removed if it is doing that.

Not having one is not an option. I can't see how you'd replace it
withoutreplacing the panel since it's inside the door.

Taking the pane off os hard - the first time. I could so it in
10 minutes these days. The onlygotcha is removing it when all the
attachments are off. It has 4 plastic tabe that hold it on. Break
one and you'll hate life and will probbaly have to get a new panel
which will probably never match correctly.

You pull up, not out and whent's off you'll see little J shapes
hooks with the long axis of the J perpendicular tothe door panel.

Signature

Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
Richard Sexton | Mercedes stuff: http://mbz.org
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Home page: http://rs79.vrx.net
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | http://aquaria.net http://killi.net

Reply to this Message

Richard Sexton - 23 Feb 2006 19:24 GMT

>The left-rear door of my '87 300SDL started making a
>"graunching" sort of noise when I closed it awhile back.

Leave it closed. Don't open and close it again, it can screw up
badly. You need a new "door check strap" and it'll be fine.

Not a hard DIY repair, I could do it in 2 hours at a very leasurly
pace, a dealer should be able to do it in one.

Signature

Reply to this Message

Geoff Miller - 23 Feb 2006 22:28 GMT

Thanks a lot, guys. I'll have my mechanic take a gander
at it next week.

Geoff

Signature

Reply to this Message

Someone who loves his Bens - 25 Feb 2006 04:35 GMT

I had the same problem on my 300SD .I added a bit of *door ease* Its a
product sold here in Canada and problem is now fixed!

Reply to this Message

wolfpuppy - 25 Feb 2006 14:53 GMT

>I had the same problem on my 300SD .I added a bit of *door ease* Its a
> product sold here in Canada and problem is now fixed!

Is that product something like a standard wheel bearing grease?

Reply to this Message