Thanks a lot , I have not decided yet whether or not buy one of these albeit carbon fiber sounds very cool

DFWdude's enthusiasm is awesome as well

 

Apparently yes. For the curious, the measurement between the surfaces of the prongs is .800", just shy of 20mm (.787").

Just to emphasize for any car thieves out there, these mechanical gadgets are just curiosity experiments to show that the OEM Keyless Go button is purely mechanical. They will not work without the owner's keyfob in hand...

Begs the question... Are such push buttons mechanical in ALL cars, regardless of brand/model?

 

I'm really curious about my previous question. Maybe some of you can answer it.

Google search says that nearly all new vehicles sold today have push button ignition.

Aside from Mercedes-Benz, what newer cars do you have with push button ignition, AND is the button removable to see if it's just mechanical, or not?

 

my garage or fam's - bmw with push button - non removable
Acura - non removable push button
Infiniti - non removable ...
lexus - non removable
Audi - non removable
Honda - non removable

 

Are newer Benz models removable at all?

what's the advantage to removable? Dead keyfob? Insert it into EIS slot? Other cars have slots in center console to achieve same goal

 

Shelby GT 350- non removable. Dead key insert into bottom of center console. Can also program/pair new keys in center console.

Honda Fit- non removable. Use dead key to push start button to start car

Jeep Cherokee-non removable. Use dead key to push start button to start car.

Triumph TR8- wait, what’s a start button?

 

From my own experience, advantage to removable button is if I want to start the engine with the ignition key and insert in its place . You know, Mercedes-Benz have you turn the key just slightly to start the engine , no need to turn it all the way like other cars .I also just love Mercedes-Benz in regards to turning the key to start the engine

Well, may I ask ? What's the key fob ?

 

Thanks all for the input regarding other car brands with keyless ignition buttons. Seems now that MB is the outlier brand here, not realizing in 2013 that Keyless GO was a thing of the future, rather than a marketable option.

I still remove my button and insert the key in the ignition before entering my local car wash. I don't trust the employees who work there to know the correct procedure for running my car through without having an accident... best to present my car as the 1965 Ford Galaxy I drove as a kid.

 

One thing to note on the push button. When is out, the Keyless Go module is sleeping and not looking for the key; therefore, it does consume a lot less power when sitting for days.

How do I know? Sister's W166 was draining the main battery overnight, new battery same issue after a few days, and basically was starting the car with a jump pack every morning. She mentioned in passing that on the days the battery survived overnight she was sure the car was locked by pressing the keyfob twice. That comment rang a bell and I suggested removing the push button from the ignition to test the theory ---> Still w/o the push button and the car has not drained the battery since 2019. Suggested to check/replace the Keyless Go module, and she said "forget it, it works fine this way"

Also, I have scanned that vehicle for DTC tens of times (w/o the push button ), and no code on the Keyless Go or anything else for that matter.

 

 

Peter, I'm guessing you can start your car with the shell of the plug, only (circled).

Have a needle-nose pliers handy so you can push the plug in (push and release) to start the engine... and remove the plug after playing.

 

yep - worked fine

 

BTW, Peter. Thanks for your effort to acquire a button, simply to take it apart.

 

I actually hear people saying they can simply use their finger to start the car as long as it is equipped with Keyless Start and if they don't have the button, not sure how true that is.

 

Sounds like dfw replicated this but was unable to shut off the car with this method however

 

I tried using my pinky finger several times. It didn't work.

 

I see then it was a bad idea even if you can start the engine that way.

 

Nevermind then thanks for confirming