Immobiliser fault (red&green LEDs flash alternatively)

[Nibbo]

I have had the same on a motorcycle filler cap when it was not moved for a year.
WD40 did the trick. I drowned it in the stuff; left it for 20mins and it popped open like a new lock.

Good luck.

 

[bennesspipers]

& when you've got your locks working, i recommend you get an aerosol of spray grease & give em some. On the door lock, if you pull the door rubber away (in the lock area) you'll see two (2) small holes you can also insert you're wd40/ spray grease into.

 

[lukejr]

Is there anyway to get the power working in my car without opening the boot to re-connect battery. I have only the negative terminal disconnected from the battery.

I was reading this link:
Dead battery, Open Boot - Benzworld.org - Mercedes-Benz Discussion Forum

Will this work too with my car, or does the battery need to be linked up so the current flows?

 

[lukejr]

Ignore my previous post. Just out looking under the bonnet and I cannot se a similar point to connect jumpers. So won't risk it. Three days of WD40 soaked lock and still not moving at all, garage time.

Thanks for everyone who helped. If I ever get my car working (or at least the boot open) I will post here what was done.

Luke

 

[Dec]

If the negative isn’t touching the boot metal body then I think it will work but not absoluteley sure, there is a picture of the location will find it in a few minutes

Dec

 

[Dec]

What you see in picture is hidden under a large plastic cover at passanger bonnet hinge.
Put the Live+ from a battery charger to 2 or 3 and Negitave- to a good metal earthling point on body then operate the centeral locking dash switch, boot/doors should unlock or lock.

Dec

 

[lukejr]

Thanks for quick reply.

I have attached two photos from under my bonnet. The fuse-box with fuses showing (drivers side) and under the plastic cover with wires (passenger side).

It looks like the photo posted although I'm missing some plastic covers by the looks of it. I assume that nut with the red cables coming out looks like it could be the point.

Thanks again.

 

[Dec]

You need a cover for the fuse box alright
The nut with read cable, I am not too sure, wait for someone to confirm, your car is much later but I would have expected it to be similar to mine.

Dec

 

[lukejr]

Thanks Dec, you have been really helpful.

I have the fuse cover alright. If you look at that nut with red cables it does seem to have a plastic box around it, just that the top cover is broken or missing. Would make it look very similar to yours if that was there.

I'll wait for a second, I'm looking through Haynes manual too although not as helpful for this type of thing.

 

[Dec]

It dose look likley but am afraid to say it is

Dec

 

[lukejr]

The photo in the Haynes book looks like your. Why is mine different I wonder.

 

[Dec]

According to someone who knows the are the right wires ok

Dec
Edit Don’t know why the are different, MB are like Bill Gates, the keeps changing things

 

[lukejr]

I'll give it a try tomorrow morning an post results. If a success I'll post a thread on doing it with photos, to help anyone else out in future

Thanks again Dec.

 

[Dec]

Thanks Luke, That kind of thing will always be useful. A picture speaks a thousand words.

Dec

 

[lukejr]

Before I hook up I'll double check that those red cables don't connect to the car body in anyway. I'm correct in saying they shouldn't be? Getting late now so will look in the morning.

Thanks.

 

[Dec]

I'm correct in saying they shouldn't be? .

Yes,the go to the positive terminal on the battery so the are isolated from the car body.
Putting Positive+ to those Red wires (clean that terminal for a good contact) and Negative- to a good earth… maybe on engine, and boot/doors will open from dash switch or fob?

But, your Negative terminal is disconnected at the battery , however I still think it will work…I think.

Dec

 

[Dec]

Going back to your boot lock, the barrel itself is probably freed up now BUT the area outlined in the red box is still seized up, it is very difficult to flood that area while the lock is in the horizontal position(boot closed) and that is why you still can’t turn the key.

When you get the boot open, food it again with WD40 with the boot lid open, this will allow gravity to help flood the area in the red box.

Dec
Edit; that pic is of my lock so yours should be the same with regard to the area in the Red box

 

[lukejr]

Delayed response here. I had to wait until the weekend to get a car battery and alternative work around. Just to recap that it didn't work using a car battery to connect to terminal under the bonnet. I assume it is because I only had the negative point disconnected in the boot.

So how did I solve this problem to get the boot open. Get advice on this as I did it as last resort and offer no support or fault for problems resulting from doing the following, but it worked for me. I connected two 6v batteries in serial to give me 12v, normal consumer batteries not car (to avoid blowing the system and/or me). With two wires red for positive and black for negative, I added a croc clip to the negative, and left positive stripped. The other end had connectors for terminals on battery. I took out the fuse for the central locking (27), stuck the stripped wires of the positive into it, and connect to positive on battery. I then clipped the negative crop to the engine block, and attached to neg of battery.

Luckily this gave the central locking juice and I could open the central locking with the key fob. Delighted this worked for me, but again make sure you know what you're doing I took advice from a friend of my Dads who organised the battery and even put a fuse in it for me.

Anyway back to my original problem, the flashing rear view mirror red/green lights. Disconnecting the battery didn't solve it, it was disconnected for a week. A few auto electricians didn't want to even know about it as too much trouble and all directed me to the Merc dealer in town. I called in this morning and without seeing the car they think it'll cost upwards of €1,000 to fix. They have come across the problem before and said the following will need to be done:
- New mirror (he said that's where the immobilizer is?) €350-€400
- New key (seems to be standard replacement for that problem) €250-€300
- New key barrel maybe needed (not sure why didn't explain that part) €250-€300
- Including labor costs of all this adds up to about €1,000 to fix a 1995 car.

So I've decided to bring the car to a garage I know who specialize in fixing cars using parts from scrap yard, as dealer will only use new parts. I will ask them to look and it and see what they think and get all the parts above from a scrapped C-Class and see if it works.

If it can't be fixed for under €700 I'll scrap the perfectly good car with almost new (3 months) tyres, light lends and exhaust.

 

[andy27168]

From what they are saying to you, they have,nt got a clue how to fix it, the immobilser is not in the mirror for a start it is in a control unit in the footwell I believe, as looking at the pic you posted it is not on the ignition lock collar. If you find the control unit in the footwell it should I believe have "Q" suffixed pt. no. look for any in line fuse holders as the they can go U/S (if fitted) also follow the cabling and you may see where the car loom was cut and the immobilser was spliced into the circuit.
Good luck.

 

[lukejr]

Andy, thanks for the reply. I'm hoping to get it towed to another garage soon and see what they say. Is it in the drivers foot well? Difficult to get at?

Luke