Replacement Key FOBs: Programming and Cutting
Regarding the manual key, I come across several part numbers, 6-7-81-0217, 203-766-50-06, 000-766-09-00; the latter two of which you must acquire directly at a local Mercedes Dealer. Do these come pre-cut, or just blanks? The latter two parts appear to indicate one is blank and one is cut due to the one part number being twice the cost of the other.
For the remote FOB itself, this is the part number that comes up during searches: 204-905-11-04-9999
Last week I got in my car with the remote in my pocket as usual and when I pressed the start button, the car balked with the message "No Key Found." A couple moments of heart attack inducing anxiety and frantic staccato action on the start button, I pulled the key out of my pocket, placed it on the console and it started right up when I pressed the start button on a wing and a prayer.
If you haven't deduced by now, the car came with only one key.
Anywho, subsequent to that event, the cluster now warns me to replace the remote key battery. which I will do promptly when I return home from a trip.
TIA!




You have the correct number for the key fob. Do not buy one from aftermarket sellers. Mercedes will refuse to certify a fob not obtained through their system.
I can’t verify the numbers for the physical key. In my experience, the physical key has to be cut. My dealer sent me to a specific locksmith with a note and instructions to get the new physical key cut after losing the original. It takes a machine that must be programmed with some sort of code.




Plenty of aftermarket companies make clones of the keyless-go keys. Find yourself a well-rated locksmith that has experience working with Mercedes cars and they can get you an aftermarket Keyless-Go and program it for your car for you for a few hundred bucks. I recently had to go through this when I bought my C63 with only one key.
Northcoast seems to be out of the NEW fobs, and I cannot speak to the USED ones, but they do get new ones in from time to time. Get on their wail list. But for now, pay whatever you need to to get a second key.
You do not need to have the manual key to program or buy the fob. Mercedes dealers will order the manual key and it comes precut for your car. But that only gets you into the car or trunk -- you cannot start the car with it. By the way, a Mercedes dealer will likely not program a key fob you provide.
Last edited by JettaRed; Aug 13, 2025 at 08:45 PM.
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My heart sunk.
I will ask local locksmtihs that can program Mercedes keys if they can reprogram a used OEM remote FOB; these seem to be plentiful on eBay.
The last resort is getting an aftermarket remote FOB.
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I got a spare for my 2004 SL500 a couple of years ago. The dealer screwed up and ordered the non-Keyless Go fob. It still worked if you inserted it in the ignition. The dealer ordered the correct one for free since I already paid once. They let me keep both since they said they could not reprogram the wrong key. Which brings me to the question, if I could get a fob for a 2004 Mercedes in 2020, why can't you get a fob for a 2014 in 2025? Have you actually called a Mercedes dealership about getting a replacement?
I honestly cannot speak to whether this will work, but it may be worth a try.
it was the answers that suggested Mercedes is surprisingly no longer offering them. Haven’t called a local dealer yet to verify as I’m working out of town during the week and haven’t had the time.
i will try calling sometime this week and report…
FWIW, the 3rd party ones are much lower quality than the original Benz ones and may give you issues sooner than a real key.
Best to get original key fixed if one dies. If you find a locksmith who programs them, ask if they can do original OEM keys vs. the $19.95 Amazon specials.
- Used / previously programmed Mercedes keys cannot be reprogrammed. The firmware on the chip cannot be overwritten, and this generation Mercedes key uses a complex set of public and private key encryption between the EIS and the key.
- XHorse has a very high quality aftermarket key that works with Keyless-Go and retains all of the functions. The XHorse key is actually very high quality and indistinguishable from the factory Mercedes key except for a red IR window at the tip instead of the black/dark red tip on the factory key.
- Most locksmiths cannot program W204/W212 smart keys, it requires a specific setup with interfaces to the EIS and IR and RF communications with the key to setup the public and private key pair and write them into the tracks in the EIS.
- Buying a used key is not a great idea to begin with, as each key has a limited number of times it can be used to lock/unlock/authenticate with the car. After it hits the limit, the key will not work anymore at which point you will need to program another key
- The factory Mercedes Keyless-Go key for this generation W204/W212 is discontinued and is no longer available for purchase. You can still buy a non-Keyless-Go key and program that with Mercedes, but obviously you lose Keyless-Go with that key.
- You can still buy the laser-cut mechanical key that slots into the smart key from Mercedes. It was $180 when I purchased it, requires proof of ownership and ID, and is only made and sent from one facility in Texas. Of course, any competent locksmith can make laser cut physical keys from VIN or from a another working key, but since my car came with the wrong physical keys that did not unlock the car I had Mercedes cut me two new physical blade keys, one of which I put into the XHorse replacement key.
Last edited by 0fc5dccf; Aug 18, 2025 at 04:27 PM.
FWIW, the 3rd party ones are much lower quality than the original Benz ones and may give you issues sooner than a real key.
Best to get original key fixed if one dies. If you find a locksmith who programs them, ask if they can do original OEM keys vs. the $19.95 Amazon specials.






