Strange key event
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 193
Likes: 11
From: Bedford, MA
2013 S350, 2021 GLS450, 2003 SLK32
Strange key event
Yesterday morning, I went out (sleepily) to my car, turned the key in the ignition and nothing happened. There were no dash lights lit up so I assumed that the battery was dead. I had come back from a ~100 mile trip the day before, so this was odd to me. I got my trickle charger, which has a jump feature, hooked it up to the battery and got back in the car to start it up. At this point I realized that the key wasn't turning. My dash lights still weren't coming on, but the radio did turn on, so did my hazard lights, albeit dimly.
I was all sorts of confused, so I called my mechanic and he suggested trying a different key. The car locked and unlocked with the remote but perhaps the anti-theft mechanism broke. I got my second key, turned it in the ignition and the car started! I disconnected the charger, turned off the engine and tried turning it back on and everything seemed fine. So I guessed the key was defective.
Except, I tried the "broken" key on my way home from last night and it worked fine. And it worked fine again this morning. So now I'm carrying around 2 keys. The "strange key event" key, and a backup. My question is, was this a one time event? Can I trust this key and stop carrying the backup? Or should I get it replaced?
And no, I do NOT have Keyless go
I was all sorts of confused, so I called my mechanic and he suggested trying a different key. The car locked and unlocked with the remote but perhaps the anti-theft mechanism broke. I got my second key, turned it in the ignition and the car started! I disconnected the charger, turned off the engine and tried turning it back on and everything seemed fine. So I guessed the key was defective.
Except, I tried the "broken" key on my way home from last night and it worked fine. And it worked fine again this morning. So now I'm carrying around 2 keys. The "strange key event" key, and a backup. My question is, was this a one time event? Can I trust this key and stop carrying the backup? Or should I get it replaced?
And no, I do NOT have Keyless go
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Philadelphia area
2010 ML550, 2010 E350 4M, 1966 Corvette Convt C2
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 193
Likes: 11
From: Bedford, MA
2013 S350, 2021 GLS450, 2003 SLK32
No clue of the age of the keys... I bought the car used in October. I'm still confused about this, the key with the "problem" continues to work fine.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,017
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From: Ft. Lauderdale Area, USA
2015 ML 350
1st MB? You'll find many items that come & go mysteriously, particularly with the 03s & 04s... less as the years went on. Yes.... there are many "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" moments with these cars.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 365
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From: Richmond, VA
2013 E350
I find that very occasionally if I turn the key too quickly in the ignition, the key will turn, but the car will not react. I simply remove the key and try again and all is well.
JK
JK
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 193
Likes: 11
From: Bedford, MA
2013 S350, 2021 GLS450, 2003 SLK32
Mystery solved
This happened again last night when I went to leave work. I had the spare key so I thought it was no big deal except that one didn't work either. After much fiddling, calling my mechanic, AAA, etc.... I figured out the problem and it was/is my bad.
A few months ago, I installed a Bazooka subwoofer in my trunk. I had heard that you're not supposed to attach directly to the positive terminal on the Mercedes battery because it bypasses the power management system, so I was looking around for alternate power spots. I located what I thought was an extra fuse panel with 4 red power cables coming off of it, next to the spare. I loosen one of the nuts but ultimately the connection looked odd to me and I decided not to use it. I tightened the nut back up.
Fast forward to this week and it seems I over tightened that nut and cracked the circuit board behind it. It's taken this long to shake loose. That power cable supplies power to the entire instrument cluster. Since the cluster had no power, it couldn't recognize my key(s).
damn.
Part won't be in until Monday. Live and learn I guess, but now I'm stuck with my wife's old Highlander for the weekend, blech. Miss my baby.
A few months ago, I installed a Bazooka subwoofer in my trunk. I had heard that you're not supposed to attach directly to the positive terminal on the Mercedes battery because it bypasses the power management system, so I was looking around for alternate power spots. I located what I thought was an extra fuse panel with 4 red power cables coming off of it, next to the spare. I loosen one of the nuts but ultimately the connection looked odd to me and I decided not to use it. I tightened the nut back up.
Fast forward to this week and it seems I over tightened that nut and cracked the circuit board behind it. It's taken this long to shake loose. That power cable supplies power to the entire instrument cluster. Since the cluster had no power, it couldn't recognize my key(s).
damn.
Part won't be in until Monday. Live and learn I guess, but now I'm stuck with my wife's old Highlander for the weekend, blech. Miss my baby.
