What's My Gas Cap Supposed to Look Like?

[KevinC]

I have a very late (019213) 230 SL. It currently sports a black, locking MB logoed gas cap. My datacard does not specify a locking cap and its suspect because it has a seperate key that has a black plastic head and is "two sided". All other keys for the car (yes, I have four in total) are steel and one-sided. Obviously, the door lock key DOES NOT open the gas cap. I wouldnt mind going with a non-locking cap, but I am not certain what an "appropriate" one looks like. Almost every car pic I view has a different cap.

What's an analy retentive 113 owner to do?  The four key thing kills me.

Kevin
Boca Raton, FL
1967 230 SL Automatic
670 Light Ivory
113 Bronze/Brown MB Tex

[J. Huber]

Hi Kevin. Sorry no pics but I believe your original should be chrome. Mine is also non-original -- its more anodized than chrome. The key is a larger double-sided MBZ style. Good news is it is an MBZ and works very well. (possible a W114, I've been told.)

James
63 230SL

[ja17]

Hello Kevin,
All the W113 cars had chrome locking gas caps when new. If your ignition key is a single cut, then the gas cap and the other locks were  single cut. The single cut cars had three keys since the gas cap key fit the glove box also (or is it the doors?).

If you had a latter W113 with double cut keys, all the locks were keyed the same even the gas cap!

Joe Alexander
Blacklick, Ohio

[LFrank]

Four keys, all one sided steel:

1 - ignition
2 - trunk & glove
3 - doors
4 - fuel (now that US gas will = Europe's, I'm glad it locks!)

Four keys is part of the charm!

LFrank
Washington DC
65 230 sl - auto
DB334/Hellblau

[KevinC]

So there is not such thing as a "correct" non-locking cap for the 113?

Sounds like I will leave the black cap in place but unlocked and leave key #4 at home!

Kevin
Boca Raton, FL
1967 230 SL Automatic
670 Light Ivory
113 Bronze/Brown MB Tex

[KevinC]

My owner's manual shows that the door key is supposed to work the gas cap, too. I bet the original cap on my car was "lost" at one time so the then-owner had the black one (later style) installed and added key #4, the only two-cut key I have.

quote:Originally posted by LFrank

Four keys, all one sided steel:

1 - ignition
2 - trunk & glove
3 - doors
4 - fuel (now that US gas will = Europe's, I'm glad it locks!)

Four keys is part of the charm!

LFrank
Washington DC
65 230 sl - auto
DB334/Hellblau

Kevin
Boca Raton, FL
1967 230 SL Automatic
670 Light Ivory
113 Bronze/Brown MB Tex

[J. Huber]

I am a 4-keyer too but the 230SLs all started out with just three. I like the fact that my 113 keys are a bunch -- easier to get em out of my pocket when out and about. Keys pretty much stay with the car other times (hey no ideas, the Smith and Wesson has NO key....)

James
63 230SL

[enochbell]

If you really want to match the keys for the ignition and the door you can usually do it as long as the tumblers in both are the same style.  It is a simple matter of taking the tumblers apart and arranging the little "h" shaped pieces so they are in the same order in both tumblers (I know that sounds vague if you haven't done this, but have no fear it is very easy and you can't screw it up).  I was surprised at how easy it was to do this when I replaced one of my door handles.

Best,

g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[KevinC]

The ultimate for me would be to match the DOORS to the GAS CAP.

Kevin
Boca Raton, FL
1967 230 SL Automatic
670 Light Ivory
113 Bronze/Brown MB Tex

[enochbell]

Kevin,

Please excuse my braino, I meant to reference the door and gas cap, not the ignition.  But if you have a single-sided key for the door tumbler and a double-sided key for the gas cap you are probably out of luck for the method I described anyway.  Sorry 'bout that.

g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

[KevinC]

Agreed...I am SOL in this area. Looks like I am just going to live with the black cap and leave the two-sided key at home!

Love your sig by the way!

quote:Originally posted by enochbell

Kevin,

Please excuse my braino, I meant to reference the door and gas cap, not the ignition.  But if you have a single-sided key for the door tumbler and a double-sided key for the gas cap you are probably out of luck for the method I described anyway.  Sorry 'bout that.

g

'64 230sl, fully sorted out...ooops, spoke too soon

Kevin
Boca Raton, FL
1967 230 SL Automatic
670 Light Ivory
113 Bronze/Brown MB Tex

[DavidAPease]

I, too, am one of the "too many keys" group.  My gas cap, though externally correct, has been replaced at some time, as it no longer matches the door key (and is a different key pattern).  For the last 2 years, I have asked every seller of a correct cap on eBay whether their cap has a "TA" key, and so far haven't found one.  (If anyone has a good TAxxx cap available [my door key is TA061], or wants to trade one for a good TB032 cap, let me know!)

-David Pease
'66 French 230SL

[Ben]

Just to re-cap ( [:p]) can a new gas cap be madfe to suit an old door key !

I have changed door lock tumblers before but my gas cap is a non-locking type so I just wondered !

Regards,
Ben in Ireland.
'64 230SL 4sp.

[Chad]

That's a great question I would like to know the answer too also.

-CD-
1967 230SL, 113.042 10
1983 300TDT, 123.193

[DavidAPease]

My answer: Probably not.  The "key" point (sorry), is whether the key patterns (cross sections) are the same; in other words, will the old door key go into the lock of the new gas cap.  If it does, then yes, otherwise no.  In my case, for instance, it doesn't.  Now, if one had an old gas cap tumbler that matched the door key, it could almost surely be installed in a new cap.  (I believe Achim once posted how to remove the tumbler from the cap.)

-David Pease
'66 French 230SL

[Benz Dr.]

I use a chrome cap with the MB star on it. Comes with two single sided keys. Some are non vented but I think these ones are vented.
Same basic cap as used on a 190SL.  I would never leave one unlocked though. Too easy to grab and leave a bunch of junk in the filler neck. That nice chromed cap sticking out says '' steal me ''

Dan Caron's
 SL Barn
benzbarn@ebtech.net
 slbarn.mbz.org
  1 877 661 6061

[gwuisman]

My car, a 1970 280sl, has two keys. A longer double sided cut and a shorter singel sided cut. The latter only fits in the chrome original looking gas cap. So I am not ure that the longer double keys ever fitted the gas cap.

Gerard Wuisman
1970 280sl

[KevinC]

Eureka!...it looks like SLS sells a matched set of door handles with gas cap (Item 289100) listed under "locking system" pic #2 for 279,48 euros. For those with one key, it also looks like pic #1 shows matching ignition, door handles, trunk lock, glove box lock and gas cap for 350,00 euros (Item 289110). Interesting drawings of keys and lock combinations through the years, there too.

Kevin
Boca Raton, FL
1967 230 SL Automatic
670 Light Ivory
113 Bronze/Brown MB Tex