Here's a good one - can't get the trunk open

[LanciaBeta]

The key slot is towards the top of the button. When I insert the door key, with some jiggling, it will turn to the left. As it turns 90 degrees, the button moves out. At 90 degrees I can't get it to release or get the key out. No pushing the button, pushing down on the trunk or jiggling works.

As I turn the key another 90 degress (towards the bottom), the button moves back in to where it is flush. I can only remove the key when it is in the upper position.

The previous owner had the trunk open so it was recently opened, but I am wondering if I locked it and now it won't unlock. In what key/button position is the trunk supposed to open?

It doesn't help that the top of my key has come off, but thanks to this board I know where to get another made. ;D

[radioal]

Sounds to me like something isn't right there. It should turn 180 to the left and stay out so you can remove the key and push the button. Have you tried pulling out slightly on the key during the last 90 deg to keep it going out?

As for the broken key, the Mercedes vendors have a replacement key head that looks like it should work on our door keys. I've looked really closely at the key to my wife's Mercedes and the shanks look to be about the same size. Next time I need to order Benz parts, I'll get one to try on my old broken door key.

http://www.performanceproducts4benz.com/productpage.aspx?pid=103677&name=Key%20Head

Also keys4classics does a very good aftermarket METAL headed key from code. I got one for daily use because I am very hard on plastic keys. It just takes a few days from Australia.

Al

[Jim Keller]

Soak the ever lovin crap out of it with WD40 and work the key in and out as well as turning it in and out, it may take a few days of this off and on to get it to work ok. I am willing to bet the tumblers need lubed bad and are sticking.

I had one I dragged out of a mud/stone drive after sinking to it's belly pan and sitting 9 years in Ohio weather, (rain, snow, humidity, wind, freezing, thawing, excessive heat etc...) in a stone driveway with the windows broken out and top cut clear accross one side to the other, the trunk was stuck in the locked position, after a couple days of soaking it and working it off and on, it finally popped all the way out and worked jusdt fine after that, and yes, I was SUUUUPID enough to dump about $7K into that one restoring it, driving it daily for about and year then selling it to build my gold Scorpipon proiject for about a third what I had in it! that's when I learned the value of a Zagato and to be very careful hpow much you spend fixing one as apposed to stripping it for spare parts! ::)

[radioal]

Well the key head is now on the way (along with a new fan clutch for the wife's E320- OUCH!). It should be here on Wednesday and I will try it on a Beta door key just as soon as I finish changing that stupid Benz clutch. Who but Mercedes would still use a BELT-DRIVEN FAN on a late model car????

And of course it failed right in the middle of me painting the wheels on the Beta, so now I have a really nice silver set on the passenger side and the crappy old grey look on the driver's. Oh well, at least I hadn't stripped the other two yet.

Al

[radioal]

Unfortunately, the key head idea didn't work out. The Lancia key lacks the t-shaped end that retains it in the replacement head for the Benz key. I guess I could braze a strip on there to hold it, but new keys aren't really all that hard to come by.

Al

[BDI_VX]

This isn't a constructive addition to the conversation, but I can sympathise... I recall the dread I felt when pulling the bonnet release in my VX and hearing the cable snap....

[Maigret]

REgarding getting the bonnet open when cable snaps, you can ancicipate that eventuality by removing the plastic grill on the bonnet and reattaching with blobs of black windscreen sealer rather than the clips. This means you can get it off if necessary without destroying the grill.