Originally Posted by Jesda
Poorly formed seams somewhere in the rear have caused a slow water leak. A dealer has examined it but can't hunt it down. A replacement pump would cost me $120 used, but I'd have to wire in a new harness connector and hope that there would be enough clearance to lift the pump out of the water.
So, I'd like to go aftermarket and skip the vacuum system entirely. Its an MB relic that I'm not really fond of. Just wanted to make sure no weirdness in the locking mechanisms would prevent me from going electric with an aftermarket system and new actuators.
My experience with what you describe raises an even greater concern. That is the leak. Over time, this will destroy the car. Surprisingly, this can take less time that one might imagine. Living in the salt belt accelerates it but chronic trapped moisture leads to rust-through and perforation, which is death to a unibody. I would be aggressively searching and correcting the leak.
With the leak fixed, the repair of the locking system with factory parts would make sense.
If the dealer is not giving relief you may have to trouble shoot it yourself with the car on stands, a high pressure hose, and a helper. It's time well spent.