Electronic key.

[ronnie5]

I have a 1997 E320 which has been working fine but today the wife drove to the local shop and dropped the keys on the floor, When she returned to the car the doors unlocked fine but putting the key in ignition nothing happens and you cant turn the key, Its as good as dead at the mo and I need to get it moved and back home.
I hope someone can help and hope this is a cheap fix as were skint just after xmas!
But anyway Happy New Year to you all!!!

 

[andy27168]

Hi,
What sort of key do you have? single button with flip out key type or the plastic three button one?

 

[kwakdonut]

If it's the plastic one, give the end of it a good clean (the end you inset into the ignition switch)

 

[ronnie5]

Hi,
What sort of key do you have? single button with flip out key type or the plastic three button one?

Hello, Its the plastic 3 button one.

 

[ronnie5]

If it's the plastic one, give the end of it a good clean (the end you inset into the ignition switch)

Hello, I havent tried that one yet, I will try this in the morning. Cheers!

 

[Diesel Benz]

I have a 1997 E320 which has been working fine but today the wife drove to the local shop and dropped the keys on the floor, When she returned to the car the doors unlocked fine but putting the key in ignition nothing happens and you cant turn the key, Its as good as dead at the mo and I need to get it moved and back home.
I hope someone can help and hope this is a cheap fix as were skint just after xmas!
But anyway Happy New Year to you all!!!

Sounds very much like the coil that captures power to the key from the ignition switch has dropped off from the circuit board from the shock when the key dropped on the floor. Very common problem with these keys. The key does not work without the coil even if it had a good battery inserted.

This one is not that difficult to fix either if you have a small soldering iron or if you can find a friend who has the tools and is willing to help a bit.

 

[ronnie5]

Sounds very much like the coil that captures power to the key from the ignition switch has dropped off from the circuit board from the shock when the key dropped on the floor. Very common problem with these keys. The key does not work without the coil even if it had a good battery inserted.

This one is not that difficult to fix either if you have a small soldering iron or if you can find a friend who has the tools and is willing to help a bit.

Hello Diesel Benz, Thats an answer I like and hope its the problem? I will take it apart now and see if I can fix this thing! Cheers!

 

[ronnie5]

Just a quick one, How do you get the circuit board out without breaking it?

 

[ronnie5]

OK.. The coil on the circuit board is intact and I have just drove to the shop where the merc is and tried the key but nothing happened.
The wife has just told me the day the key stopped working she was driving to her friends house and could hear clicking around the foot well area like a relay? so I have checked the relays under the bonnet which are near the drivers wing mirror and no change so does anyone know if a relay could be the problem and which one?
Heres a pic of circuit board may be of some use?

 

[Diesel Benz]

It is a bigger coil than more recent keys have, did you check carefully the solder points anyway? You did not mention how the other key(s) work, I hope you have a spare key. It could be just a coincidence that the EIS started misbehaving and dropping keys would not be related.

 

[ronnie5]

It is a bigger coil than more recent keys have, did you check carefully the solder points anyway? You did not mention how the other key(s) work, I hope you have a spare key. It could be just a coincidence that the EIS started misbehaving and dropping keys would not be related.

I checked the solder points which look fine even with a bit of a wiggle! This is the only key we have for the car so were as good as screwed at the mo. It may look like a new key? Unless theres anymore ways of making it work?

Do you know if there is a way of getting it out of park? I may be able to get the steering lock off? I could get it home this way as I dont really want pay £50+ to move it 500 yards to my house!

 

[Diesel Benz]

I checked the solder points which look fine even with a bit of a wiggle! This is the only key we have for the car so were as good as screwed at the mo. It may look like a new key? Unless theres anymore ways of making it work?

Do you know if there is a way of getting it out of park? I may be able to get the steering lock off? I could get it home this way as I dont really want pay £50+ to move it 500 yards to my house!

Shouldn't you buy a new key then irrespectively if you get the old one working or not.

I don't have a manual for the 1997 model but the manual should tell how to release the gear lever from P-position to N. On the face-lift you can use a pin, like a ball point pen to release the lever from a (covered) opening next to the gear lever position indicator (next to the lever).

 

[ronnie5]

Shouldn't you buy a new key then irrespectively if you get the old one working or not.

I don't have a manual for the 1997 model but the manual should tell how to release the gear lever from P-position to N. On the face-lift you can use a pin, like a ball point pen to release the lever from a (covered) opening next to the gear lever position indicator (next to the lever).

I will phone Mercedes garage and see how much a new key is but trying to avoid that as were are skint at the mo with Xmas and having 3 kids so was hoping for a fix which doesn't look good at the mo?
I will do a search for getting it out of park.
Thanks for all your help so far.

 

[kwakdonut]

It's an MB - rarely a 'cheap' fix available!!

 

[andy27168]

Hi,
New key is in the region of £220 from MB i,m afraid, don,t be tempted by getting one off of e-bay as they cannot be re-coded despite what the seller might say.
Regarding getting the car out of park, can,t you just put your foot on the brake, and move the shifter into Neutral.

 

[ronnie5]

Thanks Andy but I no longer need a key!
Going back to the first issue from Diesel Benz with the coil my daughter lent me her magnifying glass so I had another look and noticed a copper wire was loose on the coil, soldered it back on and the merc fired strait up!!
So thanks to Diesel Benz its sorted!!! and thanks to everyone else who got involved!!
Cheers..