I bought a used 2014 E350. It comes with only one key. I ordered one from the dealer. Tonight I found "another Key" in the glove box. I think this is the valet key because it doesn't do Keyless Go.


It looks exactly the same as the other key. I used the mechanical key inside to open the door and triggered the alarm (which is embarrassing). It doesn't look like the "valet key" can unlock or lock the car remotely. How would I use this?

 

There is no valet key. Have you checked to see if it will start the car? Maybe the battery in the spare key is dead?

 

The battery is good because the indicator would light up. The remote did not work. It cannot lock or unlock the car using the buttons.

I already order a new key.

To start the car, I'd need to remove the Keyless Go bottom, right?

So new vehicle comes with two new keys, that's it? My BMW has a valet key in different color. FYI.

 

I would think so. My new 14 E 350 came with two regular keys. There is no valet key. I would contact the dealer to check if your key is not working properly.

 

Remove the start stop button with your fingers and insert that key to see if it will start the car. If not, then it has lost it's programming to the car somehow. It is possible that this key may have been an EBay purchase that would have never worked and they just stuck the real working blade key in it. Ordering a new key is the only way to get a real working key for your car. They are expensive, but at least they come as a working key that needs only to be identified by the car and you are good to go.

 

Got it! I'm going to nag dealer to make sure this one gets done. I already ordered a new key because I thought it only comes with one key. Who knows there is another key in the glove box? The previous owner must have put it there. It looks brand new, never touched. So I have good faith dealer should treat it as a working key not working.


The previous owner also bought Star maintenance which I cannot have it b/c it wasn't a private sale.


Another note here is that all the Bluetooth pairing and navigation information was left in the car. I know who owns the car and where they live, and a few places they have been to. You'd have thought people are security aware enough to erase the data before turning in or Mercedes would have erased the data before selling the car.

 

My second key also didn't work when I bought my car. Had dealer replace the battery (CR2025) and it worked fine. Just because the button lights up doesn't mean it has enough juice to send a signal. You can take the fob apart with the "blade" key by poking it just inside the lip of the slot the "blade" goes into, which pops the back off the fob.

 

Actually there is a valet key. This is to remove the mechanical key (blade) from the remote key and use it to manually lock the glove box and the trunk. This keeps them locked when you give the remote key to the valet without that mechanical key.

 

So I changed a battery and it won't work. I removed the Keyless Go and put the key in, the engine won't start. I'm guessing it has lost its programming. This key has been in the glove box (the key blade can open the door) the whole time. If it works, I shouldn't been able to lock the door b/c of Keyless Go. So why would it lost its programming? I don't think the previous owner was cheap enough to buy something from eBay. I guess I'd never know. I made an appt with the dealer. Hopefully we'll find the answer.

 

There's a primary and a secondary remote. The primary remote has a black tab at the top (the tab that you slide to release the mechanical key), the secondary remote has a grey tab.

As far as I know, a replacement remote can only be ordered with the black tab.

So in short, if you have 2 remotes with the same color tabs, perhaps the remote you found in the glovebox is an eBay remote.

And you're correct, if the remote was working you would not be able to lock the car with it in the glovebox (unless wrapped in tin foil or battery removed).

 

And I don't see how the glovebox remote would lose programming. If it doesn't work with a fresh battery, I would assume it was never programmed. Have your tried using the blade key from the glovebox key to unlock the driver door? It may not even be for your car.

@YYZ-E55 thanks for the info on the black and grey tabs. I had not noticed that before. Does that mean you have to have the black one to make copies? Should I be using the grey one and keeping the black tabbed one in a safe place (I currently do the opposite)?

 

No, they are identical aside from the color of the tab.

 

He said that he used the blade key in his first post and it worked on the drivers door. The key must have been damaged somehow (submerged in water, impact, etc, who knows). It could still be a Useless Chinese copy. Ordering a key from the dealer with proof of ownership is the only way to get a working key. Expensive and takes a couple weeks, but comes ready to go.

 

I ordered the key without knowing there is one in the glovebox. It took two days. I haven't picked up the key yet b/c it is from a dealer 20 miles away. They offered a special price on the extra key. There is a dealer 2 miles away and I'll ask them to "fix" the one I found in the glovebox. We'll know the result Monday. It "worries" me if a key can lose its programming but that's the mystery I need to deal with when buying used. No one checked the glovebox I guess.

 

Sorry, missed reading that. Didn't realize he had tried that. I saw he said he used it to open the door and it set off the alarm. Would that happen with the correct key?

 

Yes. says in the owner manual. It also describes how to disable the alarm after opening. Never thought would use it. My BMW comes with a valet key in the glovebox so I thought this was similar.

 

Good thing you had the working keyfob to turn it off.

 

Yes it happened once with me when I gave the remote fob (without mechanical key) during vehicle inspection and tried to open the door to retrieve something. It was embarrassing.

 

So here is the first verdict. I brought the car and the key to the dealership. They changed the battery and it won't work (I tried too). They put the key into the ignition, it won't work.

They said this is not the key to the car. There is no programming can be done. It's only done at MB. I'd need to order a new key. So dealership has no programming. When a new key comes, someone needs to activate the key and they can be done by anyone. The activation process should be putting the key into the ignition and turn it into two to let it sync. There is no programming at dealership. It's activation. I'm going to try it on my new key. That would save the "programming" that dealership wants to charge me. Funny thing is the dealership parts dept said you need to ask service advisor for programming. SA said there is no programming. Another dealership parts dept said you don't need programming. It's very confusing but hey $75 is still $75. It needs "Activation".

Now I'm wondering which car this key is mated to. Since it is in the glove box, the previous owner could have swapped this key with another Benz they have. Here is another fun fact, based on the information left on my car, I did a little digging. These are what I found out:

- The previous owner is a female with three daughters. I know their names, I know what they look like, and I know where they live.
- Their current house they bought in 2003 for 2.0 million dollars
- They run a family business for 40 years where her husband inherited from his father.
- They recently relocated to another city, where you probably don't want to drive. This could have been the reason to return the lease early. (She bought a 4 years STAR plan)
- They own several real estates.....

It's amazing what you can find out from the Internet in just a few minutes. I have their business phone number and it would be scary if I call them, say tell me about your E350...

I just changed the combination filter on the vehicle. Will do oil/filter change and brake fluid next.

 

Just get the key from the other dealer you ordered it from and insert it and turn to position 2 and wait for it to be "recognized". You are then done and can throw the other key in the trash.

 

Man,


be a good citizen and keep the info you have about the previous owner to yourself.


For the key I can say that ONLY MB in Germany can get you a new key that works for your car. If the blade from the key fob in the glove box worked then the blade was from the original key for the car. If the key fob itself does not work then it is not the correct one for the car or it failed somehow, which is not easy to understand. Key fob should work to start the car even when the battery is down if you remove the start button and use it as a key so the car not staring with it means the car does not recognize the key. The key was never programmed for the car.


You could politely ask the previous owner about all this as the answer could be they lost the key or "flooded" it and just threw another similar looking key in the car not knowing it will not work.


I also feel that the dealer you bought the car from is responsible for getting you the second key that works.

 

Not sure how you got that replacement key from the other dealer in 2 days. My experience has been more like 2 weeks. For what it's worth, the last 2 keys I have ordered came from the MB USA facility at 15050 Frye Rd in Fort Worth,TX not Germany.

 

True. Some information are not exactly the same number but you got the idea. Just to let people know, erase everything before give away the car. The dealer told me it comes with one key and I found the other key in the glove box as a surprise. The blade works so it's a "remote shell" for the blade.


I feel better after bring the key to the dealer and they cannot make it work. It's more secure that way.



The dealer I ordered the key called me after two days telling me the key is here. I haven't picked it up as I'm waiting to see how "the other key" might work. I paid ~230 and they would like to charge 75 for "programming" when I pick it up.


Now knowing the profession of the previous female owner, I probably understand why there is a fragrance scent in the car (not the smell after typical detailing). It is nice. But "not my scent", anyone has experience of a better way to "update" these? I bought some Amazon best seller natural air purifier. It is working but not fast enough.

 

The cabin filter has activated charcoal in it, if you bought the OEM replacement. Not sure what else you can do. Maybe steam clean the carpet? It's probably deep into the carpet fibers.

 

I spent too much time on the car today. I went to the Benz dealer I ordered the key to pick up the key. The parts guy offered to check the key for me. He inserted the key into the car and cannot start the car.

He said that's weird, it usually recognizes the key right away. I was kind of "disappointed" originally because I wanted to be the person to "mate" the key to the car. I should be the person to do the honor. But he is doing it, and it's not working.

Then he said, oh - I know, this is our stock remote. The blade came from Benz. We need to have the key programmed.

Now I'm very confused. B/c if you read what has happened with another dealer, they told me there was no way they can program the key. So the parts manager came out and said:

"See, you don't believe me. I told you the new key needs to be programmed here" He was very sincere. Now I have to believe him b/c that's what's happening. He explained that my key model requires programming. I think it's just Benz decided to let dealer stock the remotes and program.

But why would another dealer told me differently? The parts mgr said: do you have the other key they said not working? Our service dept can check if the key is new and can be activated for your car. If it has been activated, it cannot be reprogrammed. But we can check for you.

That explains the problem. The other dealer didn't check. They inserted the key to the car and said it won't work. Probably that service mgr doesn't know. They made me believe the key I found in the glovebox is useless.

I found another SA in the dealership. He said we'll check the glovebox key for you and program your new key. After 40 mins, SA asked me would you let us wash your car? Sure.

"I'm sorry that you have to order a new key. We cannot refund your new key. But the key in the glovebox has never been activated and we believe it was intended for the car. It just needed to be programmed. So now you have three working keys"

I'd never know why there is an un-activated key in the glovebox. It could be someone ordered. Or could be when Mercedes Financial put it in when selling the car b/c the blade matches. It's a new remote w/ metal key cut for this car but not programmed.

The best part is the dealer did not charge me for the programming. I think it was a mistake somewhere but I won't complain. Now I have three keys all working with Keyless Go.

They told me the two keys are in bank 3 and bank 4. This means there is a "missing" bank 2. One of the original two keys came with the car is missing somewhere ....