Keys for the 250SL

[promedical]

Hello everybody:

When I bought my car it didn't have the keys. Someone told me yesterday that there is a key for the master switch, one for the trunk, one for the glove compartment, and one for the doors. Total four. Is it true?

Thanks

Gus

[Bill Rader]

Hi Gus,
Yes it's true.I have all those keys on my keychain plus I have right and left keys for my doors.A former owner changed one of the doors but didn't swap the door handles.Plus if you have a locking gas cap you have to add one more key.My key chain looks like a high school janitor's!
I hope you don't have too much trouble finding all those key blanks.
Maybe someone else on the list can tell you where to find them. Then you must find a good locksmith to cut them for you.
Many times I have worried what I would do if I lost mine.
Good luck!

Bill Rader
'68 250SL

[n/a]

Gus,

Best thing to do for the 250 or 230 is to buy a new set of door handles, gas cap, trunk lock and ignition set which are all one one or two keys. I bought the new handles and gas cap on opne key from sls in Germany.

Cheers
Andrew

[ja17]

Hello,
I thought the original set up had three keys. the glove box being the same as the gas cap. However the original gas caps usually get lost over the years so most owners end up having a fourth key! I cannot verify this for sure, maybe someone else can verify this.
Gus, take the vin number to a Mercedes dealer or contact the MB Classic Center and they should be able to sell you an original set already cut to fit your car!
If not let us know and we will go through the other options.

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[hands_aus]

Hi,
My early 250 sl has three original keys.
1 for the ignition only  big squarish head key
1 for the doors only     small squarish head key
1 glove box and trunk    small roundish head key

I don't have an original MB locking fuel cap but I have an after market one, so yes I have 4 keys.
I also have the original MB star key chain.

Joe, that will only work if the locks are original.

My local locksmith had copies of the key blanks.

Bob (Brisbane,Australia)
RHD,1967 early 250 SL, auto

[graphic66]

3 different keys came with the 230 SL, the long one for the ignition, two short ones, one for the doors and fuel cap and one for the glove box and trunk. The logic being that if you left your car with a mechanic or parking valet your luggage would be locked. I believe the same was true for the 250SL but was changed for the 280SL.

[Bob G ✝︎]

Joe.
I still have my orginal locking gas cap and my 280SL is a 1968 so yes 3 key one of ignition one for doors and boot one for fuel cap and glove box.
Bob Geco

[Joe]

Has anyone had any luck having a locksmith re-key, say, a door lock, to accept the, say, gas cap key?
Joe

[promedical]

Hello again: Thanks to the responses. Great me and my 250SL really appreciate. Now how or where can I get a set of keys. Somebody told me is really hard to cahge the ignition switch, so I am open for sugestions, phone numbers, names to contact.

Thanks again

Gus

[rwmastel]

You should be able to get them through your friendly neighborhood MB dealer.

http://index.php?topic=1781

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[hauser]

Gus I would do the same thing Andrew did. Ordes new locks cut it down to 2 keys one for the gas cap and one for everything else. I believe you'll be happier and so will your dasboard.

1969 280sl 5 spd        1999 ML320          Gainesville,Fl.

[ja17]

Hello Joe,
Yes you can make a key from the door handle. On the later cars with the double cut keys, a key made from the door handle will also work in the ignition. Door handles can be removed very easily without even removing the door panel as many of you know. A good locksmith almost anywhere can make the key from a door handle.

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[Joe]

Hello, Joe,
I was not talking about making a key from a door handle. I was talking about changing the innards of a door handle lock to accept a different key. If a guy's doors take different keys, is it possible to change the tumblers in one of the locks so one key will unlock both doors? This is quite easy to do to house locks, but I don't know about the MB locks.
Sorry for the confusion!
Joe2

[ja17]

Hello again Joe,
Yes the tumblers are removable. I do this all the time on door handles, and glove box locks. They use a flat tumbler that the key fits through which is easily removable. I have an asortment from sedan parts cars which I  use to make working door handles, gas caps etc.  The finback sedan door handles are the same as early W113 cars so there are donor parts out there to practice with. The later sedans have the same tumblers for the later W113's even though the door handles are different.
The ignition switch is a different story, much more complicated, not really meant to be re-worked.
I will post some photos asap.

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[ja17]

Hello Joe,
Here is a photo of a door handle break down. Maybe we will start a "Door Handle Tour" Topic after I get back from Starfest. Let the questions begin!


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Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[hands_aus]

great idea Joe

Bob (Brisbane,Australia)
RHD,1967 early 250 SL, auto

[Joe]

Well, that is interesting, Joe.
However, I think it is safe to say that the majority of us do not have an assortment of lucks from which to pluck parts! Is it likely that a locksmith will have the tumblers necessary to rekey so a lock will fit an existing key?
Joe2

[n/a]

Here's my 2 cents, and most of you know this already: All W113 cars through 1969 had an ignition key, door / gas cap key, trunk / glove box key. The blanks and key profiles were different on the smaller keys. It wouldn't be impossible to eventually find tumblers that would fit all of the locks (except the ignition) and have only 2 keys for one car. The gas caps are nearly impossible to order by code and can't be rekeyed easily, so I would start with a gas cap key and match everything else to that. The 1970-71 280SL had one key to fit everything, plus a valet key.

tom in CA
2003 C320 Coupe