Dead <s>parrot</s> keyfob - what are my options?

[OneCarefulOwner]

I bought my W124 with a dead remote keyfob, and printed instructions from links on this site (how I found you!) about how to solder the switch back down. I know my limits, so I got my brother to do it for me - he's studying robotics at Uni with an eye on joining JPL, so he really knows his stuff!

Anyway, he found the switch had already been soldered, but the joints looked dry so he removed and reattached the switch after checking it (the switch) was still good. We stuck new batteries in the remote, pointed it at the car and... Nothing. I believe there's supposed to be a telltale as well as the IR signal? We're not seeing anything at all.

Now, I know from looking through other threads that I can't just buy a remote off eBay and have it "reprogrammed", so what CAN I do if my remote is totally FUBAR? Should I resign myself to ponying up a small fortune to buy a suitable replacement from a main dealer, or will I have to forget remote control and start looking for a key-operated driver's door handle?

 

[Andi968]

I bought my W124 with a dead remote keyfob, and printed instructions from links on this site (how I found you!) about how to solder the switch back down. I know my limits, so I got my brother to do it for me - he's studying robotics at Uni with an eye on joining JPL, so he really knows his stuff!

Anyway, he found the switch had already been soldered, but the joints looked dry so he removed and reattached the switch after checking it (the switch) was still good. We stuck new batteries in the remote, pointed it at the car and... Nothing. I believe there's supposed to be a telltale as well as the IR signal? We're not seeing anything at all.

Now, I know from looking through other threads that I can't just buy a remote off eBay and have it "reprogrammed", so what CAN I do if my remote is totally FUBAR? Should I resign myself to ponying up a small fortune to buy a suitable replacement from a main dealer, or will I have to forget remote control and start looking for a key-operated driver's door handle?

Is it still linked to the ignition? and imobiliser

 

[OneCarefulOwner]

Like I say, the remote's always been dead, I believe the last owner bought it that way too; the car's fine, so presumably the immobiliser (if fitted) works off the key being turned?

 

[Dec]

If you can’t repair it then you will have to replace, check that the batteries are installed correctly and that the battery contacts are clean and undamaged.

When you lock the car with the fob you also enable the immobiliser.
When you unlock the car with the fob you also disable the immobiliser, its probable that the day that that remote died, the car was in the unlocked state, so the immobiliser has been disabled ever since, that would explain why it starts ok with the key.

Dec

 

[OneCarefulOwner]

Yeah there's no flash at all, so I'm thinking the earlier repairs fried the circuitry Any ideas how much a Main Stealer charges for this kind of thing?

 

[GP801]

Not as expensive as you might think. Got an extra one earlier this year for about £120 from the dealer. Arrived in 2 days. You need to be sure your locks are all original or it wont fit. If your current key fits ignition, door and boot its likely to be ok. Also they will need the V5c and photo id.
Useful to have a working remote as only have manual lock on the passenger side.

 

[OneCarefulOwner]

It fits the door & boot, ignition's been changed at some point in the last 216k miles. Be nice if I could get them all on one key, I'll enquire about that option when I go to order the new fob.

 

[GP801]

It wont fit the ignition unless mercedes have a record of the new ignition lock on its system. The remote will work ok but you will still need to carry 2 different keys just in case the remote fails.