RNANS

Dear Members
My 2000 CLK230K was running fine till yesterday, then when I shut down the engine and removed the key there was a funny creaking sound from the Console, brief but noticeable.
Today the remote was able to open the doors and trunk but when the Key was inserted into the ignition , It just cant be turned clockwise into any other position. Battery seems to be in good shape and the car was running smoothly till yesterday. Now it is stuck in the driveway and I cant get any of the other cars out of the house. Is there anything I am overlooking?
The remote batteries are new and I dont have a spare key..
When I listen carefully there are soft clicking sounds coming from the cluster area when the key is inserted and this lasts for about 10 seconds or so at about a second apart.

Does the ignition switch assembly have some kind of motor in it that may have failed? The key was not harmed or dropped recently. How do You Synchronize the key if this could be the problem. I hope I dont have to resort to having to get the car towed to a shop!

Can someone please enlighten me on this problem
TIA
N Kumar
Frustrated to say the least

Jerry Sommer

When you put the key in the igniton the first things that happens is that the switch reads the key number and if ok sends a command to the steering lock which will unlock the steering. The steering lock then sends an OK to the ignition switch that it is OK to turn. The ignition switch when turned sends a command to the engine computer which checks to see if it is the correct number and then the engine will turn over and start. There is a small motor in the steering lock that pulls a pin out of the steering shaft and allows it to turn. Usually you will hear a sort of clunk when you put the key in which is the motor pulling the pin out and also about the same noise when you take the key out and it relocks the steering. You can check and see if the steering locks and unlocks when you put the key in and out. If that is working you might have a bad ignition switch. Also the steering lock can't be removed unless it is unlocked. The key will work the the ignition and steering lock with out batteries in the key. Jerry Sommer

ThrillKill

I fried my ignition before and it was a very expensive repair. Did you work on anything electrical while the key was in the ignition?

RNANS

Jerry thanks for your help
As U mention there should be a clunk noise which is absent now, both when inserting and remaoving the key. The steering wheel doesnt unlock and the key is sort of dead in the inserted position. As I mentioned in my post I had not damaged the key physically in any way and it was in my front trouser pocket so I didnt sit on it or something like that. I heard a creaking noise the last time I removed the Key, so I am worried that a seven year old plastic gear somewhere may have gotten stripped...I can hear some soft clicks in the console when I first insert the key now. I think its being read but it doesnt do the next step of unlocking the wheel, releasing the shift to be able to pull it out of P, and of course no possibility of cranking or starting the engine.

Thrillkill,
No I didnt do any electrical work on the car before this happened. Maybe its the motor in the switch ... Is there a fuse for it somewhere?

Thanks

benzover

Just a thought here guys, if you cranked the wheel hard before/when you parked it , it might be, that you need to put pressure on the steering wheel (as in turning it ) when you attempt to start the car. It can cause the steering lock solenoid to be unable to withdraw the pin from the lock if the wheel gets cranked over to hard. it has happened on my C Class before. Of course that car doesn't have a spiffy electronic key

benzover

Almost forgot, If you take a slender pen or pencil and insert it by the D on the console( there is actually a little trap door ) it requires no, repeat no ,pressure to insert, you will at least be able to get it out of park and out of the driveway(maybe). Look at the P<R<N<D detail on the left of the shifter at the bottom it looks like a split in the plastic, the little part is the trap door.

RNANS

Thanks
Yes the pencil operation worked and I was able to move the car. Still unable to start the car though. Someone told me the car abttery may be weak causing the problem, I will try that too. I fear if that does not work then I have no option but to have the car towed to a certified mercedes person who says that he may have to reprogram the system. I think mercedes has made this so called theft proof system to ensure that you can only go back to them...
regretting getiing a mers when my instincts told me to get a bimmer, the CLK was a good option since it was the only mercedes that looked spiirited enough to drive, Well I think I hv no choice but to have it towed and taken care of proffesiionally. I think theres only so much a DIYer can do when it comes to Electronics of this sort.

Thanks for the suggestions guys

jhfernandez1

Happened to me with a C280, same symptoms, took it in to the dealer, where it turned out to be the steering wheel lock failure. Good luck.

RNANS

Thanks

I think its the lock, Because when I insert the key and leave it in for a while I can feel that the key unit gets slightly warm and also pressing the buttons doesnt do anything to the locks or trunk ie.. the red LED doesnt flash, meaning to say the key recognizes that its in the lock but the lock fails to do what its supposed to. Just wondering how much the job costs over in the US, here in Malaysia I am told it will cost about USD 300 for the remote without the switchblade key and the lock (EIS I am tild is its technical name)costs USD 900, sounds pretty hefty......

Thanks again

Robert P

I am having the same problem now.

Please let me know what the dealers says

RNANS

Thanks for all the help
As a last resort before changing the expensive EIS IR lock I followed the advice of one of my friends, I sprayed a sparing amount of Silicon penetrating Lubricant spray into the "key"-Hole. Initially nothing happened but the next day, I first got a noise from the ignition switch on insrtion of the key and a reciprocal one upon removal, then the next time it was inserted, amazingly I heard the welcome Clunk sound and was able to turn the Ignition and to start the car as if nothing had happened, I think it was a lube problem inside the lock and something had seized as I had parked the car on a steep incline before the ignition stopped responding to the key. Well It was a releif, but my next thought is , should i go ahead and replace the lock anyway as it may occur again and in a more inconvenient spot. I asked my mechanic whether there are any Lube spots for the lock and he said that its through the Key hole as I had done but he couldnt tell me how much or what was the best lubricant for the job. I wonder how many people have had to change their locks when this Lube maneouvre of mine may have worked........
Still its a question of reliability, maybe a new lock is better than one which requires this sort of hit or miss lubrication.

Thanks all

RNANS

Still functioning well 2 days after it started working again, Mechanical clunk seems ok when Key is deployed. Any one have any experience with the Keys sold on Ebay? Sounds very tempting given the affordable price mentioned. .....The dealer Keys are about 250 US in Malaysia (where I am at)


Exhorbitant/Outlandish prices for a DIL Cmos chip and a couple of IR LEDs and switches, Looks like they can be easily programmed by RS 232 based programmers/ devices. Any one have any experience in this dept?
I used to do some basic stuff on mapping curves and these are rather more complex issues.....Just a thought....

benzover

Love the programing idea. Dealer won't program a key you buy from Ebay, only one purchased from them(comes programed). Now I've got a question for you. I have used the valet key several times, it works perfectly. It is simply a plastic key , no electronic anything. So why need a electronic key when one made out of plastic functions just as well? Marc

jalberto

A few months ago i had the same thing happen to me only mine left me at a beach. The key at 1st unlocked/locked the car etc but when inserted to the ignition no CLUNK. A few days later i tried it and it worked. 1 week later the same thing happended except the key now did not unlock/lock the doors and i could not turn the ignition.

at the end of the day it turned out that the key was bad and the infrared signal was not functioning therefore no CLUNK. i did not have a spare key to test it and confirm. Stealership finally agreed to order a new one and it worked.

for replace keys go to OEMpartsdirect. they are like $100. don't mess with these other so called programmable keys...you will regret it later.

Shaneabbas

Ok Ive had the same problem with my 2003 s320 cdi, its just that
key does not turn at all now im not sure whether you have the same smart key as myself, but i dont think i can spray any lubricant into the ignition??

please help

riannausa

Whats the part number for ordering a key? chrome?