1981 240 GLT Wagon--question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Derek Lawler
  • Start date Start date
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Derek Lawler

I took the driver side door panel off to replace a speaker and oil the
regulator mechanism. When I went to push the automatic door lock button
down it did not operate the door locks. I could still lock the doors with
the key but the button/rod had stopped working. The rod is attached to a
black plastic cylinder that has three wires coming out its bottom. It
doesn't appear to be a switch as the rods don't move inside it. How on
earth does this operate? The manual does not go into any detail about this
and nothing on the wiring schematic indicates how it works. Help. Thanking
you in advance.
Derek in Pompano Beach, Florida
 
Derek said:
I took the driver side door panel off to replace a speaker and oil the
regulator mechanism. When I went to push the automatic door lock button
down it did not operate the door locks. I could still lock the doors with
the key but the button/rod had stopped working. The rod is attached to a
black plastic cylinder that has three wires coming out its bottom. It
doesn't appear to be a switch as the rods don't move inside it. How on
earth does this operate? The manual does not go into any detail about this
and nothing on the wiring schematic indicates how it works. Help. Thanking
you in advance.
Derek in Pompano Beach, Florida
Click to expand...

It is a switch. If you push down firmly enough, you can notice the rod
"shortening" slightly. Pulling up "stretches" the rod. This is
connected in parallel to a switch that wraps around the key cylinder.
 
Thanks for the quick response. I probably screwed up the switch, as at an
earlier removal the plastic push button threads were ruined, so I put it
back on with epoxy, assuming that later the epoxy would break free of the
threaded rod and would act as new threads. That didn't happen and in the
course of turning the button I must have turned the rod inside the switch
and buggered it up. I doubt I can get a new or used one but will check
local salvage yards or jury rig a new kind of switch. Thanks again for
clearing up the mystery.
 
Derek Lawler said:
Thanks for the quick response. I probably screwed up the switch, as at an
earlier removal the plastic push button threads were ruined, so I put it
back on with epoxy, assuming that later the epoxy would break free of the
threaded rod and would act as new threads. That didn't happen and in the
course of turning the button I must have turned the rod inside the switch
and buggered it up. I doubt I can get a new or used one but will check
local salvage yards or jury rig a new kind of switch. Thanks again for
clearing up the mystery.
Click to expand...

Finding the switch should be no problem at all, they were used in zillions
of 240's from the very early 80's until '93 and they rarely fail so there's
literally tens of thousands of them sitting in scrapyards around the world.
If you get stuck let me know, I probably have one lying around somewhere.
 
Thanks for the offer James. I fiddled around with the switch after reading
what Mike said about how it only moves a fraction up and down. By turning it
on the rod found a slack place and by pushing the rod down managed to
activate the locking mechanism. Whether this is a permanent fix we shall
see. I would like to know what the interior of that switch looks like but
will be doing no surgery on it till I find another. Meanwhile I will be
looking in scrap yards for all manner of parts as I also messed up the arm
rest interlock at the top of the rest by twisting it when not properly
engaged. They used three screws in the bottom part---why not a screw for
the top? I am keeping this car till I get 250K on it (my target)---10K to
go. Doesn't burn oil and has plenty of get up and go. I rebuilt the
overdrive ten years ago and it quit on me two years ago but still gets
25mpgal on trips without the overdrive.

Derek
 
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