Darel

My wife really, really, really wants remote start in her '14 E350, to the extent that the ONLY option that was a hard go / no go when we were car shopping was Keyless-Go so we could install the Mid-City Engineering kit, which apparently is the ONLY way to install remote start in this car, and is also apparently a giant pain in the *** to install. Can someone who's done it please fill me in as to exactly how much of a pain in the *** this is going to be?

As a bit of a primer where I'm at, I am a very experienced shadetree mechanic to include having completed entire frame-off restorations of classic cars, as well as more horrible jobs on newer cars, even A/C work and such. I don't think this job is outside my realm of capabilities with the possible exception of circuitboard soldering - that's new to me. My bigger concern is minimizing downtime on the car. If I need to send out the EIS for modification, for example, I can't really have the car down for two weeks waiting to get it back. I also want to try to minimize all the little "extra" costs, like possible dealer visits, or my ham-handedness breaking delicate little plastic parts that I then need to replace at a 65% markup.

A couple of specific questions I have, just from looking through the website:

Is the EIS jumper modification really 100% necessary on my vehicle?

If so, is it the sort of thing where I can get a used EIS online, send it to Mid-City for modification, and just swap it in? Or is this the module that stores the info on the keys, and is therefore specific to the vehicle and to the keys, and if I did that I'd need to buy new keys too as well as other ridiculous stuff, like having to get the dealer to program the module or something.

Is the whole deal with hiding an extra key and installing the battery emulator also required? Which is actually OK, because I have an extra key, just curious.

What's the reality of getting the dash and ignition apart without damaging it?

If I have to send the EIS out to Mid-City for jumper install, about how long does it take to get back (if anyone here has done this)?

Any opinions on the Compustar cellphone connectivity option? I'm not clear, does the Compustar option automatically include the interface needed to program your settings via laptop through the serialbus updater, or is that a whole extra added cost?

Thanks guys! And by the way, comments like "it's not worth it" "don't do it" aren't really an option for me. My wife wants an E350 with remote start, cost and my bloody knuckles notwithstanding. Period, full stop, end of conversation.

Thank you for any help you can give me.

Darel

midcityeng

I understand you are reaching out to community members, and I hope that some will be able to provide you some feedback- but I wanted to reach out to you and see if we could answer any of your questions. We have an excellent sales and support team and are very accessible. If you would like, call us at 312-421-1114 and dial 2 for support. We would be happy to go over the EIS mod, key box, installation procedure, and any other questions or concerns you may have. We look forward to hearing from you. Below are a few brief answers to your questions.

• EIS mod- the EIS mod is required, if you visit our website you can see a video of the procedure on our manuals page (www.midcityengineering.com/support). If you send the EIS for us to do the mod, we have a 1 day turnaround. Once it is received, we will perform the mod and send it back to you the same day. Unfortunately there is no way to buy an EIS in advance.
• From a disassembly standpoint, we do have step-by-step instructions with pictures for accessing the necessary harnesses and plugs, but with this particular vehicle, some experience with disassembly would be highly recommended. Other than the EIS mod, the rest of the installation is plug-and-play- however you do need to get the EIS out of the dash and run the Keyless Go harness to the passenger side floor. If you want to find a technician, we are happy to find a professional in your area that has experience installing our products. Based on your background, I think the disassembly is something that you could tackle, but I would strongly advise having us or a local technician perform the EIS mod. It is a simple modification, but experience with circuit board soldering is required.
• Your 2014 E Class does have the DAS4 EIS, so the extra key is required. Installing the key in the provided key box is simple and only take a few minutes.
• The Compustar Drone is an excellent add-on to our starter. It is a small telematics module that plugs directly into our module. Set up is quick and easy and can be done from their free smart phone application. If you purchase the kit from our website, you can add the Drone for a reduced price ($100). Monthly fees for the basic service (lock, unlock, start and stop) is $4.80/month. No additional equipment is required once you have the SKSNG204D4 (remote start and DR-3400 (Drone telematics module).

Darel

Thanks Mid-City!

dbldpr

Mid city staff is the best. they will help you any way they can. They have installed several things for me and I never had a problem. Call them

ccryan67

I installed one on my 2012 w212 last month and am happy with the result. The part of the install I expected to be difficult was easy and part I thought would be easy was the most difficult. Removing the trim is exceptionally easy-- took less than 10 min. Disconnecting the ignition switch was a real challenge. Not much room to work behind the dash and even harder to accomplish if you have larger hands. Ended up removing the interior air temp sensor to get better access the ignition. Reinstalling that is an even bigger PITA. If you can, try to drop the ignition switch without disturbing the temp sensor. That would have saved me about 2 hours on what was on otherwise easy install. Good luck!

Darel

Thank you!

Darel

Got it done! The only thing I ended up needing MCE for was to modify the EIS, which they turned around in one day. Not that bad at all. While having the remote start is nice, I highly recommend the Compustar Drone option. I'm already finding myself starting the car from God knows how far away - anywhere on the planet really - and then just waiting for the interior to come down to a reasonable temp before I bother walking out to the car. Really, really well designed and engineered package. It was kinda nerve-wracking prying on all the interior bits to get it apart, but it worked. And thank God I "found" the key the dealer "lost" so I had an extra key. You need a spare key mounted in the car. That would've been an extra what, $250 if I had to go buy one?

Nice setup. Strongly recommended.

compaddict

iTrader: (1)

To Mid-City.
The drone app costs 99.00 a year.
I still love my remote start though.
Vince

Darel

Yeah, there's a subscription with the Drone option. I have to say, it's half the price of MBrace with twice the functionality, especially since my insurance company has roadside assistance. I sprung for the 3-year option, which guarantees me that I'll wreck the car in the next two weeks.

compaddict

iTrader: (1)

For sure and love the product but free is not 99.99 a year!
Not knocking the product at all but they need to stop slinging the "free" word!
Vince

raja777m

So, If I have a KeyLess Go Package, what would be the initial/hardware cost for my 2014 to have remote lock, start/stop service? + Annual membership?

I have two keys, so, I can dedicate one of the key. Also, If I understood correctly, one of the key will be in the car, always? Meaning, I can just use my smartphone as the key or I have to carry that dedicated key with me all the time?

Darel

The key inside the car, I believe, will not act like a key for key purposes. You still need to carry your key with you. Although, you are only connecting a permanent power source to the key in the car, so why not? Which is not a good thing because someone could just get in and drive off. Now I'm curious as to the mechanics of how that all works.

For the initial equipment from Mid-City, my total was $843. Then you have the spare key if you need it, and the Drone subscription is about $120/year or, I paid for the 3-year at $300ish. Plus another $105 overnighting the EIS to Mid-City for the jumper and pin mod.

It ain't cheap, I'll say that. But it is a really well thought out system. As long as someone explains to me exactly how someone can't just drive off with the car because of the key inside.

I do have KG also.

raja777m

Since it is easier for MidCity people to respond to direct requests, I used their online form to send the below request:
1. What are the products I need to buy, for 2014 W212 4Matic with keyless Go package, with 2 factory keys.
To achieve remote start/stop; lock/unlock?
2. What is the initial cost, what is the monthly/yearly cost?
3. If one key fob is dedicated, does it mean, that key will be inside the car, or I'll still have to carry it with myself? Meaning, will I have to use the Key with me or just the cellphone with your app and internet connection will work? If so, what if, I ran out of charge on my phone?

The response:

The part you need is the SKSNG204D4, which can be found on our website here: https://www.midcityengineering.com/p...er-sksng204d4/

If you wish to be able to control the remote start and door locks from a smart phone, select the Drone smart phone control add-on before adding the SKSNG204D4 to your cart. This will include the DR-3400 telematics module to your order. The total cost before tax for both parts would be $799 plus shipping. The Drone plans start at $5.99 / month or $59 per year.

The extra key fob used for the installation is disabled and installed with the remote start. That key is only used for remote start purposes and does not change anything about how you operate the vehicle. With the system installed, you will be able to remote start and lock/unlock the doors from both your smart phone and your factory key fob. You will still need your factory key fob to get in and drive the vehicle.

I hope I have answered all of your questions. If anything is unclear, or if you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to me. Thank you.

Darel

That's pretty much it. The most challenging parts were getting up the nerve to pry on the wood trim and the dash vents, and figuring out which CANBUS input to use since in their directions, there are 2 different techniques based on what model car you have, and both returned slightly different results from what their directions said they would.

Their tech support guys are phenomenal. Always responded right away to emails, or first thing the next morning if they were late at night, and in clear language too. In the end I really didn't need them for that much but since I was trying to minimize downtime on the car, we exchanged a lot of emails in the weeks prior to the install just with me trying to plan out in advance how this all would go. Once I started putting tools on the car, it took me maybe 3 hours the first day, wait a few days for the EIS to come back, then maybe another 2 hours to wrap up the install. Then probably another 4 hours playing with it.

After seeing this, I now want to take out a home equity loan and buy ALL their W212 toys.

Sergii Mykolav

Hey guys!
I have not seen any of thees except the manufacturer. Wondering if getting it off ebay is a good idea.
Here is one for sale: https://www.ebay.com/itm/23256147927...84.m1558.l2649
OEM Remote Engine Starter SmartKey Keyless Entry Kit Mercedes-Benz + Smart Phone