Passenger Door Lock

[TheEngineer]

I just disassembled my passenger (Right Side) door because it bugged me that I had to turn the key counterclockwise to lock and clockwise to un-lock. All my other locks: The driver's door, the trunk and the gas-cap lock when I turn the key clockwise. I had that door apart several years ago and thought I had made a mistake when I put it back together. But this time, I could not find a way to correct the problem. On my neighbor's car s/n 113044-10-017xxx the R.H. door locks when he turns the key clockwise. What's wrong with me? (Don't answer that) What's wrong with my car door?

'69 280SL,Signal Red,113044-12-007537,tired engineer, West-Seattle, WA

[jeffc280sl]

Could you have a lock mechanism designed for the drivers door mounted on the passenger door?

Jeff C.
1970 280SL 4-speed

[TheEngineer]

Jeff C.: If you think about it and you'd take the driver's side lock and walk around the car and put it into the passenger door, it would still lock with a clockwise twist, would it not?. The locks must be opposites, i.e. mirror images of each other, just like the doors are.This is why you crank clockwise on the driver's side to raise the window and counterclockwise to raise it on the passenger side. To lock my driver's side I must turn the top of the key aft, i.e. clockwise. Because the locks are mirror images, I must turn the key on the right side door also with the top portion aft, i.e. counterclockwise. It all makes sense, in a way. I just want to know if other owners with similar s/n cars find the same.

[waltklatt]

When you remove both foor handles, look at the long rod with a funny looking cap(the part that lifts and lowers the tab to lock and unlock the mechanism), both of these funny forks should point down.
See picture from the ebay ad on right now.  #4587604103  and you will see the funny forks at the upper end of the handles.  Those should be orientated the same way so that when you lock the doors you twist the key clockwise.  Maybe the fork for the passenger door is upside down.  You can remove the fork with a slotted screwdriver and remove it and flip it to the right position and re-insert, be sure to mark the length of the part(fork) being removed, so you insert it back to the same position.
Hope this helps.
Must be a rainy day thing for you to do?
Walter Klatt
Now need to crawl underneath to replace the flex disc as one bolt fell out.

[TheEngineer]

Walter Klatt: Thank you for your observation. When the door was apart, I looked at this "funny fork". It is indeed the arm of the fork which moves the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism also has a "fork", like two tonges sticking out, they are part of a slide. When this slide is down, it is locked (same on both sides of the vehicle). The fork on the handle is symetrical, and I had it out. Turning it counterclockwise pushes the slide on the lock down and locks the door. Reversing the fork on the handle does not change things. So, which way do you turn your key to lock on your '67 230SL. Do you have seperate keys for your door?

[waltklatt]

I will take a look tonight, but for sure they are both locking in the clockwise movement.
I have one key for both doors, one key for the gas cap, one key for both trunk and glovebox and the final key for the ignition.  The 1967 230SL came with the original key set and I should make a duplicate set and store the originals away somewhere safe.
Walter Klatt
1967 230SL-diesel
1963 230Sl-gas being stripped

[waltklatt]

Oops, I tried the locks last night and they do indeed lock when you turn the key clockwise on the drivers door, but counterclockwise on the passenger door.  Hope this is not misleading as I have not replaced the original locks or handles on my low mile car.  Maybe they were all like this, it's hard to remember the littlest thing.
Walter Klatt
1967 230SL-diesel
1963 230SL-gas being stripped

[TheEngineer]

Gentlemen: I have been let down the primrose path by my neighbor: You remember, he told me that his passenger door locks by turning the key clockwise. It's not true: I checked today and it locks turning the key counterclockwise. It's just like my car. There is nothing wrong with me or my car. I can sleep soundly again. Thank you all!