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Came out of Home Depot today to find out my Key no longer turns the ignition. The lock/unlock buttons all work however I cannot turn it at all. It is like the key is not recognized at all. The steering wheel will not unlock and I cannot get the out of Drive.
Car is a 2002 CLK 430 Coupe with about 120,000 miles on it.
To add to this problem I do not have a spare key to try.
I have already ordered a new key from the dealer however I am wondering if there is anything else I should be looking out for in this case?
The problem has nothing to do with the batteries inside the fob.
Our W208s were delivered with 3 key sets (e.g. 2 main keys and an emergency key).
The 2 main keys have buttons, which are used for the remote control of the central locking system and requires that the 2 internal CR2025 batteries in the fob to be in good working order. If the fob batteries are not functional or removed, when the main fob is inserted into the ignition lock, it will draw power (i.e. inductively) from the vehicle to unlock the steering wheel and start the engine.
The emergency key fob that came with our cars, has a similar profile as the main fob, but is 1/3 the thickness (e.g. does not have the remote control buttons, batteries or battery indicator lamp). It consists only a mechanical key that will unlock the doors/trunk and the electronic parts that inductively draw power from the vehicle, to unlock the steering wheel and start the engine.
The OP problem is with the Drive Authorization System (DAS).....see enclosed thumbnail for additional information.
BTW, if the OP had either the spare main or emergency fob, the possibility of his fob (N73) being defective, could have easily been ruled out.
Last edited by Serndipity; 02-10-2017 at 11:17 AM.
The problem has nothing to do with the batteries inside the fob.
Our W208s were delivered with 3 key sets (e.g. 2 main keys and an emergency key).
The 2 main keys have buttons, which are used for the remote control of the central locking system and requires that the 2 internal CR2025 batteries in the fob to be in good working order. If the fob batteries are not functional or removed, when the main fob is inserted into the ignition lock, it will draw power (i.e. inductively) from the vehicle to unlock the steering wheel and start the engine.
The emergency key fob that came with our cars, has a similar profile as the main fob, but is 1/3 the thickness (e.g. does not have the remote control buttons, batteries or battery indicator lamp). It consists only a mechanical key that will unlock the doors/trunk and the electronic parts that inductively draw power from the vehicle, to unlock the steering wheel and start the engine.
The OP problem is with the Drive Authorization System (DAS).....see enclosed thumbnail for additional information.
BTW, if the OP had either the spare main or emergency fob, the possibility of his fob (N73) being defective, could have easily been ruled out.
The problem has nothing to do with the batteries inside the fob.
Our W208s were delivered with 3 key sets (e.g. 2 main keys and an emergency key).
The 2 main keys have buttons, which are used for the remote control of the central locking system and requires that the 2 internal CR2025 batteries in the fob to be in good working order. If the fob batteries are not functional or removed, when the main fob is inserted into the ignition lock, it will draw power (i.e. inductively) from the vehicle to unlock the steering wheel and start the engine.
The emergency key fob that came with our cars, has a similar profile as the main fob, but is 1/3 the thickness (e.g. does not have the remote control buttons, batteries or battery indicator lamp). It consists only a mechanical key that will unlock the doors/trunk and the electronic parts that inductively draw power from the vehicle, to unlock the steering wheel and start the engine.
The OP problem is with the Drive Authorization System (DAS).....see enclosed thumbnail for additional information.
BTW, if the OP had either the spare main or emergency fob, the possibility of his fob (N73) being defective, could have easily been ruled out.
That is quite technical! Thanks!
So I'm on the right track oredering a new key then? I guess that is the only way to rule out ignition switch? Please elaboirate if possible...
While the aforementioned was somewhat technical, it's entirely possible that the electronic section in your fob (a.k.a, N73), is no longer being recognized by the ESL engine control module (a.k.a. N26/5).
Unfortunately, it seems that that you neither have a spare main or an emergency fob, to rule out the possibility of any malady with your current fob.
Given that you will soon be receiving a new fob, we'll soon know if that was your issue.
If not, having the MB SDS diagnostics run will isolate the problem area further and save a ton of $, excluding dealership repairs.
Last edited by Serndipity; 02-10-2017 at 08:59 PM.
How about the motor that unlocks the steering colomb?
There is a small motor that receives an enable signal from the ECU pending FOB checksum. I see these motors for sale really cheap on the china tech sites.
I recieved my new $411 Canadian Dollar key from Mercedes and it works!!! Turned out it was just the key afterall. The EIS is still tickin.
On the bright side I have a brand new chrome key and I already love it much more than my old one. The range seems improved over the old key and the buttons much more robust. See pictures attached.
02-09-2017, 04:23 PM
