OK, here's the senerio

Got a 2000 S500 W220

1. Got a diagnostic from "mb-express" for my keyless entey not working. they said it was an EIS problem, and had to be replaced.

2. I took it to the guyz i usually use who said they have done it before. However, they couldn't get it to work, and gave up.

They then asked me if i could take the EIS off their hands and give it to mb-express to install, but they sent the greenkey back to benz head office, so i agreed.

3. Took the EIS and car over to MB-Express and they now say they can't program the EIS because they need the initiall green key provided with it.

My question is this: Can't they just get a green key with my VIN programmed to it, or does the EIS and VIN need to be programmed to the key before sending it out from benz head office???

Thanks for any help provided. greatly appreciated

EIS are blank from factory but have a transport lock on them so you cannot swap a blank into a car and take off with it. To remove the transport lock, you will require a green key. The key is actually green hence the name. It is programmed with your vehicle specific vin information on it. Once your EIS is installed, you insert the green key and the transport lock is removed. Before changing the EIS, make sure the data is copied over from the old EIS and then after unlocking the new EIS, copy the data over to the new EIS. A star diagnosis porgramming computer is requried to accomplish this.

OK, so i can just ask benz for a green key programmed for my VIN and use it???? The original greenkey that was sent with the blank eis was sent back a while ago (they woulnd't accept the eis for a refund though)

MB-Express has a service computer, and are an official benz service center, with their own parts counter, so i can't understand for the life of me how they don't know how to do this.

I would imagine that they want nothing to do with it since you supplied the parts and they would be liable for anything going wrong.

The only thing I can think of is for you to pay the whole bill through the one place that knows how to do it. Most dealers are suspicious of customers who walk into their workshop with parts in hand and a fault description.

These types of items are "high" security matters where the dealer wants total control over the process.

well, i got the diagnostic done there, they told me what needed to be done.

then i go to my usuall guy who said he could handle it. he ordered the part for benz, but couldn't get it working. i then called mb-express and told them the story and asked if i could bring the part. they said as long as the part number is hte same, and it was purchased recently strait from benz, it shouldn't be a problem. so i did. its a brand new part, ordered as per their spec, and ordered directly from mercedes, so how could it be any problem. Just cuz mb-express themselves didn't get the sale of the part, they can say they aren't responsible for the work. haha, ok, and im not responsible to pay for it either.

If they said no to bringing in the pre-purchased part, i would have let them order the part and everything but since my mech is a good guy, i felt like helping him out.

and i care nohting about a benz dealership/service center, etc, so if it causes them to turn less of a profit from me to save my mech $600, i'll gladly do it.

anyways, they said no problem when i brought it in, so its their own fault as far as im concerned.

Not sure where you are, but in the US now, we use a BDC call center to book our appts- so they would say 'no problem'- when you get there, the SA has to explain this is a big problem- even at the dealer, the EIS replacement can be an issue- can't tell you how many I've done/seen that didn't work, and had to be replaced again before the car would run. MB charges $100 for a green key, and more if you don't return it- hence your tech needed it back- the dealer tech/SA is just protecting his rear- he doesn't know what has went on with this EIS before you walked in with it, the tech who put it in could have screwed it up before , so it might be no good already- would you do something in your business that you had no control over , and possibly be liable for hundreds of dollars, even if it's not your fault?
My recommendation would be- get another green key- they will have to call PAC to get get one released (they will have to explain the whole- we already got the EIS deal, etc) and tell them you are willing to let them try installing yours- if it doesn't work, you will buy another one and foot the bill.
One of the bad side effects of buying a virtually unstealable car...

I'm in Toronto, ON Canada, and i call MB-express or the dealership's themselves.

And over here, green keys cost $100 deposit, and you get it back when you return it.

anyways, they are gonna sort it out. their mistake starting the installation without a green key, their mistake accepting the EIS from my mechanic.

anyhoo, from now on, if warenty is gone or about to go, i'm sellin the car and pickin up a new one. just aint worth the hassle trying to save a few bucks.