tetobasha

I have a 2008 C300 4matic sometimes when I put the key in the iginition and turn it, it tells me to remove the key from ignition and nothing happen... Battery is ok and car lights are on. If I take out the key and put it back in and try, same message "remove the key" and nothing happen.... IF I wiggled the steering wheel hard and turn on the key, it starts .. " the steering wheel is not locked"..

Again this is only some times not all the time .. and so far I was able to get it started by wiggling the steering hard.

Any idea???? Thanks

Dutchboytx

These are all symptoms of a bad steering column lock, bad ESL/EIS. Yours sounds like it is on the verge of giving out, there is no way around it. Once it does the car will no longer start and will need to be towed to the dealership since only Mercedes Benz can fix this problem, they will need a special key to fix it. Average cost $1100-$1900, there are many posts within this forum discussing the bad steering lock. Sorry for the bad news.

tetobasha

Thanks for your reply.

StrelingA

wen it does this do the car start

tetobasha

Yes , it starts fine after you wiggle the steering wheels and again, this happens sometimes not all the time.. That's why I was hoping it could be mechanical issue not EIS/ESL Maybe I'm wrong.

StrelingA

Put the key in, listen for it to unlock the steering wheel, if not press the unlock button on the key it should unlock the steering wheel. If that process work change your key 1st . This is what happened to me.

marin18

I know this thread is dated but I had the same problem with the error message saying to remove key from ignition. Couldn't start the car with several tries. I saw in this forum and others that the steering column lock could be the problem so I tried again but before I put key in ignition I wiggled the steering wheel until it locked. (Oh, I just noticed someone else posted this same solution.) The car started right up. Might only be a temporary solution and i'll have dealer check at next service but I am up an running for now.

Moto_Guzzi

I only had one hint that something could have been wrong but did not realise it till I got the car back(After the month long fix), and that is the Whirr-Sound when key is inserted got slower sounding over time. I got used to it and only immediately noticed this afterwards. My car was fixed after they replaced the steering lock a week after they replaced the EIS which did not solve the problem(under guarantee).

Al Golzari

Hi all - just joined this forum...have been a MB guy for many years. Anyway, my ESL went out on me on my 2010 C300 after 127K miles in July 2020. Wanted to let everyone know that you can fix this yourself - you really can. If I can do it, you can do it. Have a little patience and treat it like a project to conquer. And spend $10 on a new motor instead of $2,000 at the dealer. I replaced the motor on my ESL and didn't need to do an emulator. Here's a link to my video which is semi-technical and please read the description, where you'll see the links for the technical video I used. But watch mine first for some issues that no one else seems to really clearly discuss. Good luck and you can do this! Best, Al

Dnasty

As everyone else states... sorry for rehashing this old thread. So anyway I am beginning to think this is my issue as I’ve been having intermittent starting issues in my 2010 e550 coupe for over a year now. It has been to the dealer at least 3 times for this and every time they blame the battery. I actually got a battery and this issue was gone for a while but may have been a coincidence. It happened today in a parking lot and I noticed the please remove key message which strikes me as odd. Didn’t know what else to do so hooked a jumper to it waiting and it eventually started. Whenever I put the keyfob in the ignition and turn it I would get nothing on dash as far as position 1 and 2. Lastly wanted to mention that my car has been broken into twice now with no signs of forced entry, It’s very late each time but no alarm went off it seems and they somehow were able to get in as if they had the key, I am wondering if there is some connection here or possibly the thieves damaged my alarm system or wheel lock (maybe tried to steal the whole car) which may be why I’m having issues or if it is the eis.

wonka18

I have the same problem my on my 2008 my steering wheel is hard and there’s no power and my dash lights don’t pop up nor does my car starts . I hate it pretty hard before and it started but when I turned it off it wouldn’t start again n never did I had a mechanic come come look at it but said the battery and fuses are good. I even tried jump starting my car it didn’t work, also Hurd a clanking sound after I tried to turn on the ignition. I don’t really wanna pay crazy prices on something that won’t fix the problem if anyone has the same problem I really need help.

Al Golzari

Looks like you have the ESL issue. Please watch my video as well as other videos and go through the process. A private mechanic CANNOT fix this, unless you're willing to tell your private mechanic to do the work outlined in my video - that would be the only way. Otherwise, only the dealer can fix it OR you can hire a locksmith who does emulator boxes. They will know what that means. The emulator route will no longer provide you with a lockable steering wheel when the alarm is set, but if your chip is burned (as opposed to the motor) and you don't want to pay the dealer, the emulator is the route to go. Good luck!

Chandlerrenn

This issue will only get worse. It gets stuck in the locked position. Then if you bump the lock it let's go. One day it will fail to lock and you will need a tow to get it fixed. If you know someone who knows their stuff, you can get a replacement motor for the lock on amazon to avoid reprogramming costs.