I NEED A NEW KEY AND HAVE BEEN OFFERED THE LATEST FOR R500 (ROUGHLY 50 USD) ALTHO IT SEEMS A LITTLE TO GOOD TO BE TRUE I THINK THE KEY ISNT GOING TO BE THE PROBLEM.. HOWEVER I HAVE BEEN REFERRED BY THE SELLER TO A GENT THAT CAN CODE FOR R300 (30 USD) HAVING LOOKED AT THE POSSIBILITIES ITS A MINIMUM OF 300 USD THROUGH DEALER AND LOCKSMITH TO THE DOOR IS MUCH MORE.. CAN ANYONE ADVISE? SHOULD I STAY WELL AWAY FROM THIS GUMTREE POSTING?????? PLEASE HELP! MANY THANKS AND ENJOY X

 

Its up to you but personally would get the factory key fob that will work with your car. They use your VIN to code the key, also you get the manual key that will work also very well. Getting a guy who is a friend of a friend who knows a guy means every body and their brother could have access to your car. That is just a security feature MB provides it's customers. Get the original, it will work and no one else has your code.

 

Other than the rumored, mysterious "guy that my friend's brother-in-law knows" who can reprogram keys, there is no way to re-program MBZ keys. They can only be programmed by MBZ and must be ordered through a dealer for your VIN. They come pre-programmed, ready to use. If you aren't worried about a "lost" key being used to steal your vehicle, then just go to the parts counter and order an "extra" key. if you want to have any lost keys permanently disabled, you'll have to go through service with all avaialable keys, and they can do that and order the extra key.

 

When I purchased my CLK, the reconditioning company lost 1 of the keys. The seller ordered a new replacement and it was shipped to my home. The published dealer cost for the programmed key accompanied the item ($189). If you have a strong relationship with a dealer or service technician, you may be able to acquire a factory key for less than $300.

 

The retail price of a new key varies, but is around $230. Your best chance for a discount is dealing with the parts counter since those guys aren't commissioned like the Service Advisors. As Redcab says, having a relationship with the dealer can help. In fact, even if you have a relationship with "another" dealer that can help, too. Often times, dealerships extend help to each others customers as favors. I always get a discount when I flash my old MBZ business card at other makes' parts counters.