[rogerpart]

I had just purchased a 1999 s420 with about 93k miles when a neighbor decided to back his pick-up out of the driveway into my right rear door and rear quarter panel.
The body shop appeared to have done a very good cosmetic repair. However when I got the car home and pushed my key fob to lock the car, the lights blinked like usual, but none of the locks locked (4 doors + trunk). When I used the key to lock the driver door, the driver door only locked (other 3 doors did not lock). When I tried to lock/unlock the trunk I noticed the handle that sticks out does not project to lift up as it should. I do not have a front pass key hole to test.

Since the locks worked perfectly before, i believe the body screwed something up.
Questions
1) Is it likely the body shop caused this?
2) What is the source of the problem so I can at least direct them (I doubt they are MBZ knowledgeable)

In hindsight, I should have insisted in taking it to a MBZ shop instead of a insurance company "highly recommended" shop.

I plan to take it in to them this morning to take a look and appreciate a quick response.

 

[Mercedes>Bmw]

I honestly think its your fault but either way go back to the body shop.

 

[rogerpart]

I honestly think its your fault but either way go back to the body shop.

HaHa....please elaborate

Was hoping for some constructive advice.

 

[Mercedes>Bmw]

HaHa....please elaborate

Was hoping for some constructive advice.

Truth hurts... Body shops are supposed to get the car and restore it to the previous condition it was in before the accident, if your locks were working before they shall work now or else you have to consult your body shop and most likely they will help you. If they cannot help you maybe you can get reperations from them or the insurance company to get it fixed somewhere else (Just a thought)

 

[ScapinBenz]

Mercedes>BMW, the truth hurts? What kind of answer is that? The guy is looking for help not insults and inuendos. To answer the OP, the car should work as it did before the repairs, if the locks worked prior to the body shop visit, the should work after.

 

[trikertomsk]

Maybe the vacuum unit on the rear door lock was damaged in the crash and is bleeding air into the door not into the lock as it should so the other doors dont get enough air to operate

 

[Mercedes>Bmw]

Mercedes>BMW, the truth hurts? What kind of answer is that?

Meant it as a joke, no offense to the OP.

 

[bluerooster]

Rear door, and dogleg (1/4 panel).
The pump is located under the seat.
Did you try the locks post accident, prior to body shop?
It's possible that the air line in the affected door has developed a leak, either due to the wreck, or due to the repairs performed.
Did they repair, or replace the door?
If the former, they didn't hook up all the connections.
Does the close assist work? It's a seperate pneumatic system.
If not, then mabe the air lines haven't been properly connected, or have been damaged.
It's also possible, (mabe not probable) that the shock of impact damaged the pump under the rear seat.

Also, in the future, Always take it to the shop of your choice, it's your car, and they owe you payment for damages, they don't owe the shop a dime.
Reason they direct you to a "preferred" shop is because they get the work done cheaper, and pay the shop directly, leaving you out of the equation. AKA "direct repair" shop.
I do this for a living, and I tell everyone who comes in to our shop, that it's their choice what shop to take it to, or to not take it to a shop at all, and keep the money.
They usually leave, and in a day or two, come back to get the repairs done.
Don't let the insurance companies try to run your business, after all, you're the boss, and pay their salaries, through the high premiums they charge.

 

[rogerpart]

Thank you all for your posts.

To answer your questions. The pick-up was backing up as he was exiting his drive somewhat diagonally as he was backing. I was on street passing his drive when he backed up far enough to scrape against the rear door and quarter panel. Fairly low-speed low impact but definite $$ body damage. The damaged rear door opened and closed without a problem and the locks worked perfectly after the accident. Consequently, I believe the repair shop did not reconnect something (as opposed to damaged in accident).

I took it to the repair shop, and they took a look at it and after a few minutes one of the employees came back and tried to tell me there was no way they did. I insisted that the locks worked perfectly before and after the accident and he talked to his manager and they begrudgingly said they would take it to a MBZ dealer to determine cause and "would go from there". I contacted my insurer to inform them of the issue and they confirmed this process..... so I after 2 weeks of driving a new Ford Taurus (pretty cool gadgets but w140 way better) now I am in a Chrysler minivan.

To describe the problem with the locks:
---When lock button on remote activated, the car lights blink (rules out remote battery an signal reception) but none of the locks go down.
---When I manually lock the drivers door, the drivers lock does down but the other 3 locks do not go down (they do not even dip down a bit like the vacuum pump is trying).
---There is no vacuum hiss when the remote or manual lock is activated.
---The close aid works on all doors.
---Locking the trunk with the key, locks trunk but none of the locks go down.
---When trunk lid is lifted up, the silver trunk handle that usually pops out--- does not pop out.

I will keep you posted.

 

[Locry]

Weird... the pop out trunk handle is connected to the close assist pump... not the door locks. You say your close assist still works?

 

[trikertomsk]

Weird... the pop out trunk handle is connected to the close assist pump... not the door locks. You say your close assist still works?

I thought it worked off the pse pump as mine works even though the close assist packs up quite often

 

[Fluteguy]

I agree with the poster above. The door locks work on a vacuum circuit and if one door has a massive leak it will bleed off the system causing not enough vacuum to operate the locks. It's also possible that when the truck hit or when they were repairing the damage that they disturbed the vacuum lines running to the trunk lid or the fuel filler door(it also locks with the central locking). On my W140 the vacuum lines run on the passenger side.

The closing assist is a separate pump in the trunk. The PSE is under the back seat.

 

[95Scoupe]

I thought it worked off the pse pump as mine works even though the close assist packs up quite often

Correct, the pop out handle is operated by the PSE pump under the rear seat, as is the function of detecting that the lid has "touched down", initiating the pull down which is operated by the close assist pump.

 

[Sinned420]

If there was a leak, you will hear it. Even then, it should still work. I once had a bad door lock actuator for my drivers door that would leak and wouldn't lock. The rest of the doors locked fine. It was quite obvious as it produced a hissing sound.

Anyways, does the central locking button on the dash do anything?
The comfort module (which located where your car got hit) also controls the locking/unlocking after remote signal is received. It is mounted on the rear quarter panel so when they repaired it, they might have messed with it or something. Check that.

 

[rogerpart]

If there was a leak, you will hear it. Even then, it should still work. I once had a bad door lock actuator for my drivers door that would leak and wouldn't lock. The rest of the doors locked fine. It was quite obvious as it produced a hissing sound.

Anyways, does the central locking button on the dash do anything?
The comfort module (which located where your car got hit) also controls the locking/unlocking after remote signal is received. It is mounted on the rear quarter panel so when they repaired it, they might have messed with it or something. Check that.

I also have a 1993 300se and am familiar with close assist pump since my trunk assist has a leak that I have lived with for years (occasionally pulling the #9 fuse when irritated) ... I am familiar with that hiss.
---- The recently dinged car, the 99 s420 has no hiss or discernible noise or any discernible downward motion of any lock when activated by remote or key in driver door. (of course the driver door does lock when activated by the key --- other doors do not lock by this method).

The central lock button on dash did not activate (lock) any locks.

I am not sure what you refer to as the "comfort module".... what are you referring to?

They were to have taken it to the local stealer .... have not heard anything yet. Will keep you posted.

 

[Sinned420]

I am talking about this module here.

By the way, the central locking button on dash is also controlled by that module. You can get error codes from the module if you could check, it would probably tell you what the issue is (short/open circuits, or lock circuit closing time exeeded etc). But I understand the stealer has the car now, they should find out what the problem is.

 

[rogerpart]

I spoke with the tech at the body shop. He said the car was still at the dealer and is awaiting "a new pump". Not sure if he means the PSE pump under seat or if he means the control mod pictured above.

The damage to the rear quarter panel was minimal - a small ding where the pick-up hitch indented the panel - so I doubt this was damaged by accident. The door had significant cosmetic damage but no real structural injury. Since the locks worked perfectly for at least after the accident until I took it to thr body shopping- I continue to believe the body shop did not hook something up properly. The other possibility based upon reading these forums is that the pump motor just coincidentally died.

In either case .... sounds like it will get addressed.

I will let you know what was repaired or replaced.

 

[CIGAR_LOUNGE]

TRY TO RESET THE SYSTEM !!

 

[600SEC95]

Rogerpart I found this thread by accident.. how did it go?