I have a 2010 gl350 bluetec and my key fob quit working, so I tried using my mechanical key to lock/unlock my doors until the new key came in. The mechanical key doesn't work at all, it turns but nothing happens to the door lock. Now that the new key has come in, when i lock the doors via the remote, If I pull on the drivers side outside grab handle and pull it all the way out it will mechanically unlock the drivers door at the very end of its travel and open it, which causes the alarm to go off, so basically if someone wants to break into my car, all they have to do is pull on the grab and pull on the door handle. This vehicle has been a nightmare ever since I bought it. I have had so many problems with it i can't even count. Now I can't even have a vehicle that locks properly, as if the oil cooler seals, transmission issues, def heater, glow plug module, air struts, motor mounts, sway bar links, column module, wheel bearings, transmission mounts, weren't enough after just one year lol. Only had 68,000 miles on it when I bought it, and all of this happened before 80,000 miles! and the warrranty company won't cover the oil cooler seals or the DEF heater. And the transmission still doesn't shift from first to second without causing the engine to spin up for 1.5 seconds before slamming into second gear on cold starts. This is after MB repaced the entire valve body. It only does this the first time it shifts from first to second in the morning. After that it is fine. I have learned to let off of the gas right before it shifts for the first time to second gear so it doesn't rev and slam into second lol. Fuel economy is bad too. I'm lucky to get 21mpg hwy. Sorry for the rant, I got off topic, but I have to get this lock fixed, as it is a pain for my wife to have to lug all of her stuff in after work because the vehicle is not secure. My Land Rovers have never been anywhere near this troublesome. Thanks for all of the help in advance.

 

Well I doubt anyone can accurately describe a problem in 5 words or less. Okay my post was longish and I got off topic but being a smart *** won't help with my problem or anyone elses. You post was about as pointless as my rant (which I admit was unnecessary). But thanks for attempting to read my long rant none the less. But let's just focus on the lock issue for now. Could a linkage have come off or will I have to replace the assembly?

 

Just on the off chance... When you are "pulling the handle all the way out"... Is the key fob still nearby?

 

No, and I don't have keyless go. Its doing it mechanically, feels the same way when you pull the inside latch and it pushed the lock up. Its only the drivers door that does this when I pull the drivers side outside handle. Feels like it reaches the end of its travel but when you pull harder it begins to push the door lock up. Guess I'll be removing the door panel lol

 

OK. I was hoping for the "easy answer" for you. As in "Doh, didn't even think of that... of COURSE the door handle will open an locked door if the key is my pocket!"

Just to be clear, you can physically lock the door, yet pulling the handle will cause it to unlock?

Well, I must say, that sounds like a REALLY strange issue. I mean, how does a door opening mechanism 'break' and allow the door to open? Or maybe it's some kind of fancy-schmancy, German engineering, failsafe thing?

 

rochab when you use the mechanical key it does not work like a normal key
you have to turn the key and pull the handle at the same time or a couple of times in a certain sequence
at least on my 2008 it is not unlock and then you pull handle and it opens, it is weird
cannot remember exactly how to do it but if you can open the car now and read your manual it should give you the sequence

maybe it is turn the key the same time you pull the handle....

so i am wondering if maybe you left it in the unlock position with the manual key and it needs to be put back in the lock position.....

hope this helps, but definitely read the owners manual and find that sequence
if you dont have a manual post back and i will look it up tonite

had a battery die on my 2008 and found this out the hard way
for anyone who has not had their truck die etc had to use the mechanical key i recommend reading the manual because the mechanical key opening stuff does not work just normally
if you have not had this happen you wont know what he is talking about

 

Thank you, I'll try this. Wierd how that works.

 

I ran an errand for the wife and when I came out the key fob was dead. I have keyless go, and I thought no problem I will slip out the manual key. The key goes in the handle but did not unlock the door. So, I walked down the street with my groceries to get a battery for the fob. New battery and I was fine, but I do need to read up on that unlock process.

 

Well, this got me thinking. I should practice trying to get into the car, simulating a dead Keyless Go FOB, BEFORE it actually happens!

I put the FOB out of range, but not too far as I read that I would need it to turn off the alarm, since entering the vehicle with only the metal key will sound the alarm. Either you stick the FOB in the ignition, or in this case (since me FOB actually works), I just retrieved it and pressed the unlock button on the FOB.

So... to get into the car was actually pretty easy (and it is outlined in the manual as Clvincent stated). I put the metal key in, then turned it CCW 90* (it wouldn't go any other direction, anyways). Then I pulled the handle once to unlock, then a second time to open. That was it.

I didn't do the lock procedure, but I saw that it requires having both driver's and driver's side rear doors open. Then reach from behind and manually lock the driver's door and close it. Then manually lock the rear door and close it.

 

Oh... want to hear something that you should know about and never do (at least with Keyless Go)?

Last Summer, at our cabin on the coast of Maine (miles away from just about anything), my wife brought the GL back from getting groceries. I was waiting to go get some more wood to rebuild one of the docks. When she came home, I hoped in the truck (never shut it off) and took off. About 40 minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot of Lowe's and reached down to turn off the engine by pushing the start/stop button. My finger got about 1" from the button and I paused... realizing I didn't have the key FOB. My wife still had it! I drove all the way to Lowe's without a key and there wasn't one single "alert" or message on the dash information screen! I ended up just leaving the truck running in the parking lot, but if I had actually pushed the button, that would have been a major PIA!!!

 

Lol dennis i can believe that is easy to do with the keyless go

Very glad you caught it before you shut the truck off

Surprised there were no warnings

Do you think it is possible to leave the door handle manually in the unlock position using the metal key?

The unlock/open deal with the metal key is stupid, i do not understand why mercedes had to make that complicated
When needing to use the metal key you are locked out with the owners manual is inside the car and the unlocking and opening the door is not intuitive

It is not that the metal key does not work you just have to do it in some kind of sequence/pull it twice like dennis said and i think you have to pull the handle quickly or something, only mercedes could make this complicated lol

 

Thanks. Yes, it totally blew my mind that there was no warning of any kind. Granted, it was my mistake and I should have been more responsible, but it's certainly a good time to have an "idiot" light come on! Wait... did I just call myself an idiot?

With the metal key, I can not pull it out in the "turned/opened" position. In order to remove the key, I have to turn it back to the starting position - at least it's that way on my '08, anyways.

 

Have your vehicles checked. I have had several Mercedes with Keyless go. All have given me warning key not in car when removed with motor running. Even my POS VW Jetta TDI gives a warning.

 

interesting about the keyless go, thanks for letting us know that jeff

rochab sounds like you cannot pull the key out in the open position according to dennis, maybe something broke when you were trying to get it open...
is it still under warranty?
if it just needs a door handle those are pretty easy to replace

 

Jeff, did your '08 have Keyless Go? With the hopes of just needing something re-programmed, I called my local dealer on the way home and they were very aware of the issue. But they said that Merc didn't have that "feature" until a few years later (than my '08).

 

My 08 had Keyless Go and would ding give message key not detected in red if key left car while it was running. see page 118 of owners manual. dealer is FOS

Jeff

 

Wish mine had keyless go. Had a passat tdi that had this and it was great!

 

Interesting. I wonder if I have an early '08, and yours is a late '08 and that's the difference? I didn't see any type of option for this in the settings that I can access through the driver's display. I'll try and do some more research to figure it out. I hope I can 'turn on' that feature. Seems like a weird thing to be able to be turned on/off, though? Thanks!

EDIT: Jeff, thanks for the PM!

 

Yup - found the information in the manual, Jeff. I know I had looked for it before, but I missed it. Thanks, Jeff. Now to figure out why I don't get those messages - I didn't see any settings for this in the driver's information screen. I'll look into it some more.

 

Test it out. Start your car. And have someone take key out of car and see what happens.

 

No joy. I've done it a few times, never a warning. I did get a warning for "vehicle not in park" this morning... emergency brake on, car running, door open.

Rochab... sorry for the slight hijack!