Locking wheelnut key snapped!

[JonathanC250]

Went to fit my Winter wheels and tyres today, tried to crack the nuts on the front wheels and my locking wheelnut key sheered in the wheel bolt!

Do Mercedes sell the keys seperately? or will I have to get all 4 locking wheel nuts removed proffesionally (if this is possible)

They are genuine merc locking bolts, but only one key came with the car!

This has really annoyed me!

I dont want my wheels to be damaged getting the bolts out either

Has anyone had experience with this sort of thing before?

Any help or suggestions welcomed

Thanks

 

[holbay]

Take a visit to your local tyre fitter Kwikfit and the like they normally have the reverse socket to remove the locking bolts then go dealer to get replacements..George..

 

[Shude]

The keys can be bought separately, your local stealership will have a couple of full sets.

I broke my own key, then the stealership's key and ended up having a local engineering firm drill the locking bolts out.

 

[Apial]

Mercedes dealeres have a master key that can be used on any genuine MB wheel locks.

 

[grober]

Could have been worse you might have had a flat in a blizzard with the family on board ? Best for these things to happen when getting the wheel off quickly isn't crucial. Little comfort but there you go.

 

[Dieselman]

Mercedes dealeres have a master key that can be used on any genuine MB wheel locks.

No they don't, they have a numbered set of the adapter keys, as Shude has already said.

 

[JonathanC250]

Could have been worse you might have had a flat in a blizzard with the family on board ? Best for these things to happen when getting the wheel off quickly isn't crucial. Little comfort but there you go.

Thanks, this is very true, I just hope that I don't get a puncture (or snow) before i get some new keys!

Will they sell me 2 keys? or do they limit to one? Some parts depts are strange like that!

 

[Aletank]

Mine snapped a few years back, Mercedes have a set of 30 different ones, the parts guy said the number should be printed in your service book (mine wasn't)
About £20 at the time

 

[Alps]

you can buy a key but id say take them off and buy a new set of genuine ones from ebay, i did the same and it was the cheaper option.

yes dealership can sell you 2 x keys

 

[JonathanC250]

I've looked in the back of my service book, there is a blue sticker with Codierung and a number on it, is this the Locking key number?

Thanks

 

[moonloops]

NEW DRAPER EXPERT LOCKING WHEEL NUT REMOVER TOOL 89766 | eBay

 

[npuk]

But a set of better ones like Mcgard.

 

[Aletank]

I've looked in the back of my service book, there is a blue sticker with Codierung and a number on it, is this the Locking key number?

Thanks

I'd just go the main dealer with your service book and explain whats happened.
Even if the number isn't in your service book, they will just come out to your car with a set of 30 sockets and keep trying them until they find the correst one.
It will cost about £20 and you will keep your genuine locking nuts.
In future just make sure no one uses a air gun to put them on, I always take the 4 locking nuts off myself with a wheel brace and put them back myself.

 

[clever dicky]

But a set of better ones like Mcgard.

Not really, I bought a set of Mcgard from a MB dealer last year and Im now looking to replace them.
I tried to get a replacement set through warranty, via Germany but what a nightmare. Still no replacement or refund. OK 20-30 quid so not the end of the world. What was annoying I couldnt undo any because the shaped end ?? had mangled / bent in the socket.
This meant it wont stay in the bolt head to undo. NO air wrench ever used either. Just me and an old fashioned brace.
I do see proper MB sets on ebay so might try one of those. Mines standard Alloy wheels btw.

 

[AMG19]

Pop down to the dealer and they will be able to tell you what key you need. There are 100 different keys it could be exact. They may well even have the key you need in stock.
Beware however - if the bolt was so tight it sheered off the original key, whats to say it wont sheer off the replacement key???
You may well find you will need to drill the bolt out as it has been overtightened.

I hope this isn't the case but have known this to happen - good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[Will]

I'd be tempted to loosen, and then retighten in sequence the four regular bolts up a fair bit to try and relieve some of the clamping force on the one locking bolt. Every little helps!

Make sure to run the bolts in and out of the threads and clean them. When refitting, use of a torque wrench is what is needed.

Lots of people overtighten wheels bolts unfortunately.

 

[DITTRICH]

I am not a great fan of locking wheel nuts having seen mine all go at one point or another. In all cases, a certain amount of brute force was applied to the wheel nut (hitting it with a hammer) and it was then removed by normal means. I now have ordinary wheel nuts. If I had expensive alloys, I'd probably stick with the locking wheel nuts but no one will nick mine in the state they are in now. And even after the refurbishment in the new year, I'll probably stick with ordinary nuts.

 

[JonathanC250]

I went to my local Merc parts dept, with my service book, broken key and the car.

The parts guy looked in the service book, said yes that will be the locking nut code and orderd it.

Guess what.....ITS WRONG!

Now they wont take it back and want me to buy another one! Just becuase they were too lazy to get thier set out to check.

I refuse to pay for another one down to them being lazy, at £ 27.60 its a ripp off as it is!

DO NOT USE MERCEDES BENZ OF SOUTHEND!
THEY ARE RUDE, ARROGANT AND LAZY.

 

[grober]

You need to delve a little deeper.

[A]Is it that the code in your service book is wrong? i.e. that the locking wheel nuts are different from the documentation-- perhaps they were changed before you got the car-have you had it from new ?
or
the parts desk guy misread the code in the service book and ordered the wrong part=wrong part number

Mercedes dealers have a policy that special "orders in" not from stock are non returnable so that's why they are refusing a refund.

If the situation is A then really its an understandable mistake - he should have perhaps double checked- but then so could you?

If on the other hand its B--- its purely down to them and you shouldn't have to pay

Get the facts straight and then if necessary complain further up the management tree.

 

[davidjpowell]

Doncaster don't look at the service book - they take their set out to the car to check...