key fob and key ring!!

[tony0710]

Dear All

Over Xmas I accidentally locked the keys in the boot of the car . MB Assist and RAC both informed me that the car will need to be damaged - MB Assist saying that it was necessary to break the tailgate light cluster , while RAC wanted to break the side window, and then drill holes into the leather rear seat to gain access to the boot.

I objected to both options and decided to drive from Wolverhampton to London, collect the spare key, and drive back to London; with the help of my cousin's car. What a mission.

Anyway, I was informed by a friend to remove the metal emergency key from the SmartKey fob and place that in my wallet, so that if I ever locked my keys in the boot again, I would always have the emergency metal pull out key in my wallet to open the car.

However, once I remove the metal key from the SmartKey fob, the fob has no means of being attached to key ring!!

So besides getting a new metal pull out key, is there any other way of attaching the SmartKey fob to a key ring, once the metal pull out key is removed????

All suggestions will be much appreciated.

Regards

Tony

 

[Shude]

I will check the catalogue later, but there are several emergency keys for use in these situations, I had a flat emergency key for my previous w202 (same EIS type as w203 and other modern cars). There is also a creditcard-shaped key. Believe it or not these keys can not only open the car (with metal slide-out blade) but they fit the socket next to the steering wheel and can be used to start the car!

 

[MikeL]

Strange But True

My dealer told me a story where by husband had locked key in the car, was advised by some roadside company to phone his wife at home, get her to zap her remote at her mobile phone whilst he his holding his mobile to the car - in otherwords relay the remote signal by mobile phone.

Well had to try this - not by locking the key in the car, which should be impossible with keyless go in any case, not that stupid!

And yes it worked, totally gobsmacked.

 

[C240Sport97]

this is a neat trick to perform at GTGs!!!

My dealer told me a story where by husband had locked key in the car, was advised by some roadside company to phone his wife at home, get her to zap her remote at her mobile phone whilst he his holding his mobile to the car - in otherwords relay the remote signal by mobile phone.

Well had to try this - not by locking the key in the car, which should be impossible with keyless go in any case, not that stupid!

And yes it worked, totally gobsmacked.

 

[PJH]

this is a neat trick to perform at GTGs!!!

I think it beats holding the remote to your head to increase it's range.

 

[tony0710]

wow I will have to try that trick!!!

Just thinking aloud here, hasn't a key ring manufacturer come up with a king ring attachment that can replace the blade key in the SmartKey Fob???

 

[forrestdale]

Sadly, it appears to be an Urban Legend

My dealer told me a story where by husband had locked key in the car, was advised by some roadside company to phone his wife at home, get her to zap her remote at her mobile phone whilst he his holding his mobile to the car - in otherwords relay the remote signal by mobile phone.

I remember hearing about this some time ago, and thinking it was a really neat idea. However I also remember hearing that it didn't work. After 10 minutes of head-scratching, I remembered where I'd read about it - http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/keyless.asp

Snopes.com is a website devoted to "Urban Legends" - these rumours you hear about in the pub or read on the internet that sound true, but often turn out to have been made-up. Snopes gives the origin of these Urban Legends, explains them, and says whether they are true, false, not proven, etc. It is the sort of website that you can spend hours reading, and the auto collection at http://www.snopes.com/autos/autos.asp will probably be of most interest to people here.

Sorry!

Forrest

 

[sym]

I think it beats holding the remote to your head to increase it's range.

This one, is actually proven to work !

S.

 

[MikeL]

Honest!

I remember hearing about this some time ago, and thinking it was a really neat idea. However I also remember hearing that it didn't work. After 10 minutes of head-scratching, I remembered where I'd read about it - http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/keyless.asp

Snopes.com is a website devoted to "Urban Legends" - these rumours you hear about in the pub or read on the internet that sound true, but often turn out to have been made-up. Snopes gives the origin of these Urban Legends, explains them, and says whether they are true, false, not proven, etc. It is the sort of website that you can spend hours reading, and the auto collection at http://www.snopes.com/autos/autos.asp will probably be of most interest to people here.

Sorry!

Forrest

It worked - took a bit of trying because the wretched key worked anywhere in the house, so tried it while I was out visiting friends, worked first time.

Mike

 

[GrahamC230K]

Don't believe this one I'm afraid!!

How does the phone relay anthing to the car? The key does not operate by sound!!!

 

[MikeL]

Keys & things

Don't believe this one I'm afraid!!

How does the phone relay anthing to the car? The key does not operate by sound!!!

The W211 key works on RF (315 Mhz in the US, not sure if the UK frequency is the same) so I guess it sends the sound wave and the mobile phone relays - wouldn't work with infra red keys.

Mike

 

[Shude]

The W211 key works on RF (315 Mhz in the US, not sure if the UK frequency is the same) so I guess it sends the sound wave and the mobile phone relays - wouldn't work with infra red keys.

You think after GSM compression etc it would work? It's not always possible to hold a decent conversation via mobiles depending on location etc

 

[calum]

I will check the catalogue later, but there are several emergency keys for use in these situations, I had a flat emergency key for my previous w202 (same EIS type as w203 and other modern cars). There is also a creditcard-shaped key. Believe it or not these keys can not only open the car (with metal slide-out blade) but they fit the socket next to the steering wheel and can be used to start the car!

I thought the normal black key was electronic, not mechanical, so how can a metal emergency one start the car? Or is this only on older cars, perhaps?

 

[Shude]

I thought the normal black key was electronic, not mechanical, so how can a metal emergency one start the car? Or is this only on older cars, perhaps?

1997+ models can optionally have a flat black plastic key (like 4mm thick) which also starts the car. If you look at the end of a normal key you will see the notches sticking out - that's the shape of the flat key.

 

[calum]

thanks Shude; so it's not an electronic key after all? I could have sworn this was a much-trumpeted about security feature: that the key contains encrypted codes that were needed to start the car...?

 

[SilverSaloon]

thanks Shude; so it's not an electronic key after all? I could have sworn this was a much-trumpeted about security feature: that the key contains encrypted codes that were needed to start the car...?

all cars after 1998 (apart from A class) have electronic key dont they?

 

[Shude]

thanks Shude; so it's not an electronic key after all? I could have sworn this was a much-trumpeted about security feature: that the key contains encrypted codes that were needed to start the car...?

It is. The end of the flat key has a transparent part in it for the IR eye or whatever to interface with. The reason why the normal key is so large is the batteries, buttons and other bits and pieces for IR and radio comms. The flat key has none of those things but it has the blade part to physically unlock the door and the ID bits to allow you to start it in the ignition slot.

all cars after 1998 (apart from A class) have electronic key dont they?

I think the R170 SLK kept the flip/switchblade type key right to the end of production, they didn't get updated to use the newer EIS. The ML also used that key, not sure if it was updated.

 

[nickmann]

all cars after 1998 (apart from A class) have electronic key dont they?

No, my Dad's 2004 ML has a metal key

 

[Shude]

The ML also used that key, not sure if it was updated.

No, my Dad's 2004 ML has a metal key

I can't believe the ML still uses the the flip key! That's what you find on other models 1994-1997. I thought it was scary that the SLK still used the old flip keys in 2003 or whenever it finished production but the ML still using it today is pretty bad.

 

[calum]

It is. The end of the flat key has a transparent part in it for the IR eye or whatever to interface with. The reason why the normal key is so large is the batteries, buttons and other bits and pieces for IR and radio comms. The flat key has none of those things but it has the blade part to physically unlock the door and the ID bits to allow you to start it in the ignition slot.

thanks again for clearing that up

Is this clever flat key something extra I need to order, or should I expect one when I pickup my E in a few weeks, would you know?