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GLK Ignition Module Replacement (e-brake comes on while rolling)
My sister-in-law's 2015 GLK350 is having the emergency brake come on automatically come on as she rolls up to traffic lights. She called me from the road in a panic and I thought she was kidding, but in 5 minutes of googling, I found a service bulletin about a manufacturing defect in the ignition module. Her 2015 VIN is not included in the service bulletin VIN list, but it is clearly the exact same problem.
The bulletin says that If the key loses communication with the ignition module, the parking brake is automatically applied at any speed under 6km/h. This is exactly what is happening and the solution is to replace the ignition module.
It looks like the ignition module is about $300 and it seems like it takes minutes to replace based upon this video at the bottom of this message. The dealer is quoting $1600 to fix it, and that is on top of the $306 they charged to diagnose the problem.
Has anyone else replaced the ignition module and can you provide feedback on:
a) how difficult is it to replace?
b) what would be a reasonable charge for the dealer to replace it?
The dealer is always the last place to go when out of warranty , they will be about double the cost. If it was me , eBay has used modules for about 150, it might cost an independent 1-150 to put it in .
The dealer is always the last place to go when out of warranty , they will be about double the cost. If it was me , eBay has used modules for about 150, it might cost an independent 1-150 to put it in .
Thanks for feedback. She's been buying or leasing new from this dealer for 25 years. This is the first time she has kept the car long enough to be out of warranty, but it looks like they are putting the screws to her. I will look for an independent -- unfortunately the one independent I know is closed today because of a dental emergency.
Do you know if it requires any special dealer programming to re-pair the key with the module? I'd almost do it myself it looks so simple, but I don't really have time and I'd be afraid if something went wrong.
Has anyone had this done at a dealer? Would be very interested to see what they charged. I have asked her to get a breakdown of parts and labor on the quote to at least quantify how they turning into a $1600 job (really $1900 including the "diagnostic fee"). I gave her the printout of that technical service bulletin when she dropped it off, they still charged $302 to diagnose it.
Quote details from the dealer came back as $306 diagnostics, $624 labor, and $525 parts. I spoke to an independent I haven't used before but that has a good reputation, and he said that MB won't sell key-related parts (keys or modules) to independents, and the dealer would likely need to pair them, so he recommends having the dealer do it. We are going to follow his advice. I think total will be about $1560 with tax in case anybody else needs a price reference for this service.
She's been buying or leasing new from this dealer for 25 years.
She should escalate it within the dealer, especially since there's a service bulletin on it, regardless of whether or not her specific vehicle is included.
You obviously have a suck *** leach on you. Buy. A used off eBay. And pay
100 to get put it in ,,,,,
The question is, do you need dealer-specific tools to pair existing keys to the new ignition module? I know manufacturers/dealers never allow you to do key-pairing at home for security reasons, but it's not clear to me whether the pairing happens with the new module, or if the paring information is stored elsewhere (meaning you can just swap out the module and everything will work).
I think the replacement module has to paired to the car. I would assume the module is tied to a VIN, so you'd need someone with WIS or Xentry (i think) to reprogram the module once it's installed.
This is true of other modules and sensors on MBs, requiring "adaptation" to the car, which means simply replacing parts doesn't fix the problem; you have to tell the car it's fixed and register new components with it.
These days, even the battery needs to be registered (on BMWs for example), making things more difficult and expensive for the average owner who likes to work on his/her cars. Not impossible, just more of a pain.
I think the replacement module has to paired to the car. I would assume the module is tied to a VIN, so you'd need someone with WIS or Xentry (i think) to reprogram the module once it's installed.
This is true of other modules and sensors on MBs, requiring "adaptation" to the car, which means simply replacing parts doesn't fix the problem; you have to tell the car it's fixed and register new components with it.
These days, even the battery needs to be registered (on BMWs for example), making things more difficult and expensive for the average owner who likes to work on his/her cars. Not impossible, just more of a pain.
Thanks - this is what I was afraid of with regard to DIY or a local mechanic. I friggin' hate new cars, they get more and more complicated by the year. Our 2018 car is a million times less user friendly, less ergonomic, and more complex than the 2012 it replaced. My favorite era is early 2000's -- they have all of the creature comforts I need and none of the complexity.
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