C180 Won't recognise key

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Cobbsey

New Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2010
Messages
8
Location
Kirkliston, Edinburgh
Car
C180 R Reg
Hi everybody, just joined & 1st post so any help at all would be appreciated. Just got my 1st Merc, an old C180 & I love it but when I tried to start my car the other day the key barrel wouldn't accept my key but all the other electrics seemed to work fine. When I got the battery tested they said it was fully charged & should be workin fine. Anyone any clues ?
 
Hi, Do you mean the ignition barrel or the door lock ?
 
Do you mean the immobiliser wont switch off ? Explain the symptoms. Also, what are the 2 flashing lights on your rear view mirror doing ?
 
Have you tested the batteries? (look through a camera & the IR beam should appear as a flashing blue dot).

If you have, sounds like the circuitboard inside the key may have gone. They are only designed for 5 or so years. I had to have 2 replaced within 3 months back in 2003.
 
Sorry mate, new to both the Mercedes & Forum experiences !
It must be the Immobiliser I'm talking about, not switching off. Electronic door lock & boot lock working but immobiliser not. Are the lights you're talking about the interior ones ?
If so the left one seems to be working intermittently.
Sorry if this info isn't much help!
 
No, on the front & back of the mirror bottom there are red & green lights, if you look carefully you can see them even when they are off
 
Do you have the flip key? or the larger black block one? being an R-Reg likely the latter & a facelift.
 
Hi,
You don,t have the mirror lights thats been referred to in the earlier post, they were on the the earlier vehicles.
If the vehicle battery is fully charged, it will be one of 2 things neither are cheap i,m afraid, it will either be the key itself £200+ available only from an MB dealer, this is the cheaper option, but if it does not fix it, it will be the EIS switch which is approx. £500 and will need to be coded by an MB dealer.
Have you tried your spare key?
 
I don't have the lights on the rear view mirror so it looks like andy might have hit the nail on the head, unfortunately !
Only got the one key with the motor as it was a cracking deal but hoping for a cheaper solution. Finger crossed & thanks everyone for your help.
 
Please don,t be tempted to buy a key from E-bay as they can,t be reprogrammed, they are only good for salvaging the key case if yours is damaged.
 
does the key actually turn in the ignition?
 
I don't have the lights on the rear view mirror so it looks like andy might have hit the nail on the head, unfortunately !
Only got the one key with the motor as it was a cracking deal but hoping for a cheaper solution. Finger crossed & thanks everyone for your help.
I was going to - only one key is always a £200 haggling point with this type of key, but if you got a good deal...

The ignition operation part of the key is powered by and inductive coil in the switch, not the batteries. Sometimes the coil in the key can fail - and can be repaired with a delicate bit of soldering - try googling for "mercedes key transponder coil repair".
 
Sounds like you need a new key.
 

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