Thule

hi guys, long time since i've posted here. i know this will be a little long to read, but please do.

we have an old w210, 98 320 4matic wagon, a lovely car, with under 100k on the clock,

i bougth this car with a faulty igniton switch, according to the previous owner one day when he was going home from work the car did not start, and when i inserted the key to the ignition he could not turn the key, the dealership assumed that the ignition key was the problem.

after that he just let the car sit for months, until i buy the car,

when i started looking at this i noticed that i could neither unlock or lock the car with the remote, and when i inserted it to the ignition nothing happened, and i did not here the steering lock go off, but when i opened the door there comes a sound and it says "remove key" on the dash display,

i took the car to the local dealership (and the only one in this country) and ordered a time for analyzing the problem,

after a long time they called me and told me that the ignition switch was the problem,
the day after i went there to chat with them, and then they told me the they had bin able to start the car, and it now worked, but the ignition switch would probably not work for long,

i went out on the parking lot and pressed unlock on the remote, and it blinked the ligths, and when i inserted the key i heard the steering lock go off, and the car started fine,

for the next 2-3 weeks the car worked fine, but i did notice that some times when i turned the key nothing happened, when that happened i locked and unlocked the car with they remote, and tried agen and then everything worked, i did also notice that sometimes the key/remote did not work, and did not flash the little red light, and was like that for some time, and then worked agen

today my wife called me and said that she could not start the car, i went there and the car is exactly like it was in the beginning, it wont lock or unlock the doors, and nothing happens when i insert the key to the igniton. but if i open the door the dashbord says "remove key"
i also noticed that the little red light on the radio blinks like the alarm is on.

i talked to the tech guy at the dealership, to ask him what he did, and he told me that he just opened the car with the key, jiggled it abit in the ignition, and the car start, and when the car was at the dealership it always locked/unlocked the doors,
so he really never saw hoe the car was acting,

i must admit, i am not sure what is going on. what is confusing me is that when the car acts like this, and does not start, i can not lock/unlock the doors, still the key flashes the red light, and on my phone camera i can see the key sending infra red signal,
i had another w210 that the igniton switch broke in, and in that car it did not notice that the key was in the igniton at all, but if i open the door on this car, it tells me to remove key,

igniton switch+key and the workshop key to program the switch are almost 4k over here (iceland) so i am afraid to order it because i am not sure the ignition switch is the fault, the dealership tells me that there is no connection between the car not locking/unlockin the doors with the remote, and the igniton switch, and those are two separated faults,
but... those thing always happen at the same time, the car works fine, starts, locks and unlicks the doors, and then it wont start and wont lock/unlock the doors,

does anyone have any idea what is going on?

i am a DIY guy, work on cars, and did even work at a dealership, but those electronics are way over my head,

the car is a US version, and was imported over here

best regards, with hope i get some answers
i am sorry for how long the text is, but i wanted to tell all the facts

Thule

anyone?

raymond g-

start from the source of all car ailments if only to eliminate them. otherwise,
you end up chasing shadows. in order for the ignition to function the battery
must be healthy. take voltage reading of the car battery, at rest, as well as
under load. report back

when you type this way, I'm presuming you meant that the key was able to
turn in the ignition, the ignition unlocked, you turned past position 1, over
to position 2 and that you heard no starter sound, no clicking, etc. if this
isn't the case you need to be precise in your description and less in general
terms

Thule

actually both happened, few times the key would not turn, and for few times it did turn but the car did not start. i think in those cases the key it self was not working,
i am a little worried about both the key and the ignition switch being the fault,

but like i said, what confuses me is that when i cant start the car, i cant lock or unlock the car with they remote,

sorry, english is not my native language, trying my best

raymond g-

it is important that you test the car battery first. i've not read anything in your
posts that automatically suggests that the key is at fault yet. you have to rule
out the simple things first rather than to chase the more glaring symptoms.

you've come asking for insight and assistance. the car battery is the heart of
the car's electrical system. it is upstream of all things electrical in a car.
if it is not healthy, the electrical system begins to act erratically. again, check
rest/load voltage and if you can, also check the specific gravity if you have a
flooded cell battery which allows battery cap removal.

if you feel more comfortable working with your local dealer, then trust them
and pay them to diagnose the problem.

Thule

the battery is fine,

i also checked all fuses, they are ok, so are relays. the alternator is fine, the central locking are ok,

i usually never take my cars to workshops, but in this case i am through with the things i can check my self, having worked for the old mercedes dealership over here i know they have computers and software to read the key/ignition switch,

the car went to them to analize the problem, but i found out after a chat with the mechanic that worked on the car that the car was acting fine at the moment,

mrboca

Have you found a solution to your problem ?

Thule

turned out to be the key,