C-Class (W203) 2001-2007, C160, C180, C200, C220, C230, C240, C270, C280, C300, C320, C230K, C350, Coupe

smart key won't lock or unlock coupe??

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Old Apr 26, 2009 | 05:45 PM
  #26  
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...in my case it was the blown fuse(s)....prolly from the alarm module, which has never made a sound. anyway, I always learn things better if the process is a little difficult!
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Old Apr 26, 2009 | 06:21 PM
  #27  
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The real question is why were 2 fuses missing?
How long have you had the car?

Are you stating the MB service truck guy sold you a new battery for only 40 bucks?
Are f'ing kidding? Thats waaay cheap.

I never called them since if you read the fine print it says they can charge you...
not always free. It's with the stuff from the manual.
I have AAA so why bother with the MB people...still I'll keep in mind in case of
roadside breakdown.
AAA will tow me 100 miles with AAA+. Well worth the peace of mind, but my car has never left me
stranded, knock on wood. So I've never needed either.
Managed to do stuff in advance. 7 years on a battery is asking for trouble.
How many miles on the car?
Around 120K think about removing the alternator and getting it rebuilt before it breaks down.
The key batteries are supposed to be done every 2 years or so. You can buy a pack online for cheap.

Last edited by C230 Sport Coup; Apr 26, 2009 at 06:28 PM.
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Old Apr 26, 2009 | 06:43 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by Glyn M Ruck
BTW - this problem is sometimes caused by a poor antenna earth or damaged antenna wires when tints are done.
I think thats what my problem is...cause I jsut got 15% tint done last 2 weeks but if I want lock or unlock I have to point the key to the sensor on the driver handle (closer) beside that it wont work in any other places ..so how do i fix this ? anyone know?

Thanks,

Andy
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Old Apr 26, 2009 | 08:35 PM
  #29  
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
You need to trace the wires from your rear glass to their connections usually centre rear screen top under the roof lining. Let the tint people know you are putting them on notice because worse case scenario is a replacement rear screen.
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Old Apr 26, 2009 | 09:20 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by Glyn M Ruck
You need to trace the wires from your rear glass to their connections usually centre rear screen top under the roof lining. Let the tint people know you are putting them on notice because worse case scenario is a replacement rear screen.
I'm not sure what u mean by that ? their?? U mean they should not tint where the antenna is ( just for that area) ? and why do I have that problem its not like im the only one who have 15% tint alot of our members here have that kind of tint too but they never have any problem

Andy
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Old Apr 27, 2009 | 07:36 AM
  #31  
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Originally Posted by M-bENZ
I'm not sure what u mean by that ? their?? U mean they should not tint where the antenna is ( just for that area) ? and why do I have that problem its not like im the only one who have 15% tint alot of our members here have that kind of tint too but they never have any problem

Andy
Sorry Andy - No problem with the tint as long as its not metalic.

Two ways they damage the antenna. When fitting the tint they trim it to size with a sharp knife and sever the aerial wires in the process. And - mainly on Coupe's they get water in the antenna electronics from fitting the tint.
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Old Apr 27, 2009 | 10:26 AM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by C230 Sport Coup
The real question is why were 2 fuses missing?
How long have you had the car?

Are you stating the MB service truck guy sold you a new battery for only 40 bucks?
Are f'ing kidding? Thats waaay cheap.

I never called them since if you read the fine print it says they can charge you...
not always free. It's with the stuff from the manual.
I have AAA so why bother with the MB people...still I'll keep in mind in case of
roadside breakdown.
AAA will tow me 100 miles with AAA+. Well worth the peace of mind, but my car has never left me
stranded, knock on wood. So I've never needed either.
Managed to do stuff in advance. 7 years on a battery is asking for trouble.
How many miles on the car?
Around 120K think about removing the alternator and getting it rebuilt before it breaks down.
The key batteries are supposed to be done every 2 years or so. You can buy a pack online for cheap.
Hey, glad to have your wisdom in my thread! Yeah, $40! He told me that he had had a call from a brand new E-Class with a battery issue. Battery just needed a charge, he said, but customer didn't want to wait. Since they were under warranty he replaced their battery and charged the old one, tested it fine, and kept it in his truck. I had been unaware of the free road service, but I too have AAA+ and will continue to do so. The SA basically coached me to use MB Road Service to avoid the wait and expense of bringing it in, and the road service guy told me my 7+ year old battery was on borrowed time, and that MB Road Service would do a free replacement at my home for just the cost of the battery, about $160 he said, I think. When he told me about the "used" one in his truck for $40, I jumped on it. The guy was very helpful and seemed really knowledgeable, in a somewhat geeky way (which was fine with me). All I can figure is that while checking fuses, he neglected to put some back. Not the kind of mistake you'd expect, but human error nonetheless. I'm now debating whether to bother replacing the alarm module, which I'm sure is the cause of all this, but I hate sirens, and you can't steal a MB without a towtruck anyway!

My car has about 91K on it, and I've already replaced the alternator. My (non-dealer) mechanic said it was rare to see one go on a MB, and he owns 5. I assume my battery tested okay, but a post I saw while searching puts the voltage numbers in perspective. 11.9 doesn't sound so bad, but it's 60% toast!
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Old Apr 29, 2009 | 07:31 PM
  #33  
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Ha ha ha...
thats hilarious. That driver pocketed the 40 bucks,
put the battery down as warranty on the other car, and you both reap the benefits.
Corruption at it's finest!

The measure of a battery isn't the voltage it's the capacity, which can be tested by any auto parts store, or "Batteries Plus" if you have those.
For my car, new it's 850 CCA output.
When I got to around 5-6 years...I started dropping in to get it checked.
I watched it degrade over time from 650 CCA to 500 to less 400...
which means slowly it's holding less and less of a charge, it was still showing like 12V.
Thats when I got a new one.

You may notice a lot of people end up replacing the battery and alt together eh?
A battery when it gets old can become a giant resistor and cook the electric system, blow the diodes in your alternator as well as other problems, so it's good to replace before it dies completely.
Waiting till it can't get up to 12v and shows like 8 or 10 v or less....well, it's pretty much going to fry the Alternator.

Man, I ended up doing mine in the parking lot of Kragens, had to buy a telescoping magnet, and I think I ended up using a little chewing gum to get the nut to line up properly.
It wasn't that hard, but you got the royal treatment and paid less! Me jealous! It took me about an hour, and out the door + goop for the connectors, about 110 after my core return. And I got all dirty boo hoo.

I've never tried the mobile MB guys....but then I'm Mr. DIY.
I keep a fully equipped tool kit in the car these days,
which is important to do as the car ages...you just never know what will happen.
I mean I'm getting close to 140K miles!!!
An easily fixed issue in a remote area can become a huge problem if you aint got so much a screwdriver.
I had a bottom cover drop down on I5 at like 3am once...on the way back from the Pasadena meet.
Whew...man right near Harris Ranch...Pee Ewwww! The stench was overwhelming...I had to pull everything out of the back of the car to get to the jack, I ended up with a hole in the cover from it dragging on the road,
rearranged the screws put it back up and all was ok.
Luckily the car didn't fall on me.

Note to self: Carry a jack stand.

Last edited by C230 Sport Coup; Apr 29, 2009 at 07:40 PM.
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 07:05 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Glyn M Ruck
BTW - this problem is sometimes caused by a poor antenna earth or damaged antenna wires when tints are done.
Just had my tint then automatically had this issue what can I do? I also noticed the 2 fuses don't work so I might go buy them but must I do anything else?
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 08:13 PM
  #35  
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There is a 7.5 amp fuse in the trunk of my sedan that if I have trouble with it, I pull the fuse and replace the same fuse it will work again. Can't remember the number but it is in the middle of the block and is the only 7.5 as I recall. If it is the tint you will need to remove it if it is metallic tint. Hopefully the micro wires were not cut by the installers.
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 08:59 PM
  #36  
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From: San Mateo, Ca
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Originally Posted by Star Rider
There is a 7.5 amp fuse in the trunk of my sedan that if I have trouble with it, I pull the fuse and replace the same fuse it will work again. Can't remember the number but it is in the middle of the block and is the only 7.5 as I recall. If it is the tint you will need to remove it if it is metallic tint. Hopefully the micro wires were not cut by the installers.
I believe it is fuse number 8. I'm going to replace that one and 31 and 32 like the operator of this thread because mine are also missing for some reason I believe the tint is regular but I'm scared that they might have cut it. I believe it was still working for a bit after it was tinted but by the end of the day it wasn't. I really hope it isn't the tint. And the tint shouldn't be metallic because my father got the same tint done on his and his keys work fine so it probably is not the tint. I'm really hoping for fuses
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 09:09 PM
  #37  
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C230 Coupe Silver
Originally Posted by Glyn M Ruck
Sorry Andy - No problem with the tint as long as its not metalic.

Two ways they damage the antenna. When fitting the tint they trim it to size with a sharp knife and sever the aerial wires in the process. And - mainly on Coupe's they get water in the antenna electronics from fitting the tint.
If water got in it. Then what do I do?
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 10:38 PM
  #38  
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>.< so changed all the fuses relating to the issue and it did nothing but momentarily pop up a malfunction saying esp not available then it went away because i took out the extra fuse i put in.... so this started happening as soon as i got my car back from the tint place and this is just upsetting... i can only open the door when i wave the key in front of the IR sensor like a magic wand... i'm truly baffled as to what i can do to fix this.
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 10:50 PM
  #39  
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Maybe you'll get lucky if it is wet and it will dry out and work again.
From what I understand, the wet issue comes from when the hatch is open the water used in the installation of the film runs down the inside of the glass where it can possibly infiltrate the amplifier box. Since your new fuse popped immediately I am guessing it's wet.
If the wires were cut I have heard you need to replace the amplifier & the rear glass.
I'm sure someone will confirm or clarify this if I'm wrong.
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Old May 1, 2011 | 02:21 PM
  #40  
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non of the fuses i replaced were popped... i bought a fresh pack of fuses just in case and replaced the new ones and returned the fuses...... i just want my key working from afar again how long do i wait for this miracle to happen? i was thinking maybe they messed up the sensors inside the doors? sometimes my key works from up close to the sensor... and sometimes it doesnt even work. this is just such a hassle.
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Old May 2, 2011 | 07:11 PM
  #41  
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
What is your AM radio reception like? If bad then it's cut Antenna wires, bad sticky pad at top center of rear screen causing a bad connection, blown antenna amplifier - probably due to water.

Your RF locking is using the same antenna as the radio.
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Old May 2, 2011 | 10:20 PM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by Glyn M Ruck
What is your AM radio reception like? If bad then it's cut Antenna wires, bad sticky pad at top center of rear screen causing a bad connection, blown antenna amplifier - probably due to water.

Your RF locking is using the same antenna as the radio.
I'll check my AM but FM is good. And it is just really weird because it will work then suddenly stop.
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Old May 3, 2011 | 10:56 AM
  #43  
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My AM sounds like a bunch of white noise. I get 0 radio stations. What should I do?
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Old May 3, 2011 | 05:36 PM
  #44  
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
OK - The rear screen antenna is down & has been damaged by your tint people. You are going to have to strip the tailgate & check all wiring & the Antenna Amp which could be blown - I'll put money on them either getting things full of water or cutting wires. The sedan stuff is all over the forum multiple times. Let me try & find the Coupe stuff for you.
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Old May 3, 2011 | 07:01 PM
  #45  
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Phew - not well covered on the Coupe: Anyway,

The Aerial is built into the glass. The Amplifier is mounted to the side of or above the hatch on Coupes & in the LHS C pillar in sedans.

If tinting has been done then water frequently shorts the antenna & blows the RF amplifier or when trimming the tint they cut through the wires/traces as they exit the glass.

Metallised mylar tints frequently ruin radio & remote reception. Radio & remote share the antenna/aerial - Only option - remove & replace the tint.

So we have 4 potential problems.

- The tint itself
- A blown RF amplifier
- Poor earth on amplifier
- A damaged antenna trace in the glass or wiring above the glass

The worse case scenario requires replacement of the rear window. The amplifier replacement is relatively easy.









Strip hatch interior, check all screen contact points for damage/cut wires, check antenna earth & for water - replace amp. As you can see it's been updated many times. Looks like some Coupes have the amplifier mounted under the roof lining. Try & get those tint guys to pay.

Good luck
Attached Thumbnails smart key won't lock or unlock coupe??-dsc01400.jpg   smart key won't lock or unlock coupe??-ant.jpg  

Last edited by Glyn M Ruck; May 3, 2011 at 07:10 PM.
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Old May 3, 2011 | 07:57 PM
  #46  
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Who did your tint max? More than likely, they're going to talk their way out of it and BS you big time just because of your age.take your dad with you.
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Old May 3, 2011 | 08:05 PM
  #47  
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late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
+1
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Old May 4, 2011 | 12:28 PM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by michael kuzni
Who did your tint max? More than likely, they're going to talk their way out of it and BS you big time just because of your age.take your dad with you.
Haha my friend is a tax lawyer or some **** and he said he'd love to come with me and chew their *** out haha
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Old May 7, 2011 | 08:12 PM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by Jerkin
Haha my friend is a tax lawyer or some **** and he said he'd love to come with me and chew their *** out haha
they said that their tint does have a bit of metallic in it so that may be the issue and that they will order me new tint and told me to drop off my car on thursday. hopefully that may fix it... but i'm afraid a bit of metallic shouldn't cause complete antenna failure, but i'm hoping it did.
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Old May 8, 2011 | 03:08 AM
  #50  
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Let's hope that's the problem.
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