Hi,

I have a 2006 S430 and the key will not turn in the ignition.

A little back story…I returned from vacation last Monday and the car struggled to start. The key would turn, but the starter would not engage (only click). I shut off the headlights, interior lights, stereo, climate control and it just barely started. At that point, I should have immediately bought a new battery. Instead, I decided to continue to drive it and research batteries online for a few days. The car continued to start just fine until Thursday. I got in the car on Thursday to go to lunch and the key would not even turn. I attempted to jump the battery multiple times and the key still would not turn. I purchased and installed a new battery and it still wouldn’t turn. I replaced the batteries in the key fob too and nothing. I believe the key infrared is working since I can still roll up/down the windows via the key fob from the exterior.

I had the car towed and it is now sitting in my garage. I am fairly handy…I restored a classic car myself and have a garage full of tools. Where should I start? Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Joe G.

 

 

Interesting...
I posted the following info yesterday, and it disappeared.

"Possibly blew one of the main fuses - one under the trunk lining near the battery, others under the passenger floor carpet."

 

Thanks for the replies!

I wanted to follow-up since the problem is now resolved.

I checked all the fuses and they all looked good. I removed the EIS and verified that it was getting power (which it was). I contacted a gentleman from EBay out of California who repairs EIS modules. He verified my suspicion which was a faulty EIS or key. He quoted me $400 to repair the EIS.

At that point, I decided that I would start by replacing the key. I figured a spare key is a good idea anyway. The dealer quoted me $306 for a new key (including new blade). Unfortunately, they needed the car to release the key and “program”. They suggested I contact Mercedes road side assistance and informed me it would be free since it was being towed to the dealer. By the way, there is a video on YouTube which outlines how to manually force the car into neutral.

Anyway, the new key arrived today and the mighty W220 fired right up!!!!

 

 

Bad key can usually be fixed.