My vacuum locks are pooched. Water intrusion ruined the vacuum lock pump and corroded the wire harness for it. For most cars that don't have power locks, a shop can usually install electric actuators and wire up an aftermarket remote and receiver. Is there any reason why I couldn't do this for my Crossfire?

Thanks!

 

Why not fix the factory part? What you're proposing sounds like a long way to go for a cup of coffee...

Anything can be done, and certainly aftermarket locking would be possible. I'm just thinking the cost would likely reach the cost of fixing the factory system. And the results could be no better and potentially worse.

How did the vacuum unit get wet?

 

I agree with ppro. Check your local junk yard for wrecked Crossfires. Even in a bad wreck, the power locks should be salvageable (unlike windows and mirrors).

 

I think the OP's point is that if he replaces the failed parts with original replacements, they may fail again the same way.

 

Good point Sonoronos. I suppose that'd depend on what happened that caused the water damage and if its preventable.

 

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.

 

With all the things that have gone wrong in such a short time, it might end up submerged in a river anyway. Thanks for the tips though!

 

I wonder... is this tied to the door rust problem that a lot of guys have seen? I know thier solution is to drill a couple of small drainage holes in the bottom of the door so that water doesn't sit inside the door.

Until you find where the water is getting in, you may want to drill a small drain hole, that should at least keep it from filling up and drowning your lock mechanism.

Here's a link to the door rust thread so you can see if it's a similar problem.

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...ad.php?t=13449

 

I have a brand new ,in the box lock unlock touch the glass numbers, can be installed on any glass and you do the numbers code that you put into it,,, like the ford bottums to unlock their car, I am asking 75, + 15 to ship it. thanks jim

 

I ripped out the vacuum pump today. It can't be rehabbed because the contact posts on the wire harness connector have rusted and broken off.

The leakage issue may not be the body seams. According to BenzWorld, the problem on SLKs is caused by clogged drain holes. Regardless, I've gone ahead and dropped the car off at a local car audio/accessory shop. Costs $416 to convert all the locks to electric.

The factory system used in the Crossfire and R170 SLK is an overly complex pain. Glad to be rid of it. Unfortunately, I'll have an extra key fob.

 

Spoke too soon. There's not enough clearance in the door panel to install an actuator. I give up.

 

Sorry to hear that. I installed many actuators in my day. I was wondering the same thing with the door panels being so thin. Usually there has to be enough room between the panel and the glass, unless the rod that moves to lock and unlock is behind the glass. Not many are, so the next best place was a hollow spot in the door panels.

My next question was how they were going to use the stock switches? I've never taken one apart so don't know how they throw the power around.

Maybe if you do have a new part installed have them seal it with waterproof silicone as a precaution.

 

Are you not concerned about the water leak? That will ultimately destroy the car. With the leak fixed the locks become an easy problem to solve. Just a thought...

 

I need to hunt down a rebuilt or used PSE (Pneumatic Systems Equipment) pump. There's lots of W2xx pumps on ebay, but no R170 pumps.

Apparently on SLKs the issue is caused by clogged drain holes, not body seams like I originally thought, so hopefully its not that serious. On the other hand, lots of MB PSEs have failed for no reason at all.

I asked them to try to install one in the rear hatch so I could at least lock that (doors can be manually locked), but there wasn't enough room back there either. I felt bad for wasting their time but they were really friendly, so I'll probably return for other automotive needs later on. [AudioExpress in Manchester/Ballwin MO]