Planning to buy an SL55

[hedgehogsdad]

Congrats they are great cars.

My keyless go says the same. Have you got the cards for it ( as flowrider mentioned)? I have the cards and have changed the battery, so I’m hoping it’s a simple programming issue..

I haven’t got a card, just two keys. I’ll change the batteries and will give it a shot.

 

[Dickster]

I haven’t got a card, just two keys. I’ll change the batteries and will give it a shot.

In that age car you need the cards that I have…

 

[hedgehogsdad]

Haven't got them, I'll check with the dealer but assume that they have been lost at some point. Are they something that you can get and code to your car??

 

[Dickster]

Yes, it’s probably common for them to get lost. I don’t know for sure but would hope that you can get them and coded for your car. Keep us posted as mine do not work

 

[W1ghty]

They will probably be very expensive

 

[hedgehogsdad]

Seen them on eBay for £75, but no idea if they can be coded to my car?

 

[John757]

My SL55AMG is a March 03 car and just has keyless keys.. no cards.. keyless transponder is in the keys.. changed both my batteries when I got the car.. It appears there was a transition from a keyless card to a smart keyless key in 2003/4 so it may be you need a card. Here are extracts from the 2003 manual and the 2004 manual.

 

[hedgehogsdad]

That's really interesting, thanks for the pictures. My page 30 doesn't make any reference to a card, just a key and so I think mine must have been one of the cars post card.

Although that suggests that I don't need a card, it still doesn't explain why it still says "key not recognised". I'll pop out for a battery in a bit and try that.....

 

[John757]

PDF of 2003 and 2004 owners manuals can be found here for most years 2000 - 2013

SL Owners Manuals

 

[John757]

There is a method for resetting the key.. maybe try that.. as outlined in the 2004 manual

 

[hedgehogsdad]

Again, very interesting. The section above which mentions the battery isn't in my manual either. There must have been a few changes in 2003!!

I'm going to get a new battery and see if that works. Thanks for all the responses.

 

[hedgehogsdad]

Ok, key battery changed, and while the old one definitely wasn't at full strength, the keyless go system still isn't working.

Back to the drawing board....

 

[John757]

Sorry to hear that... will have a think... perhaps the car has had replacement keys and they supplied non- keyless go keys assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that it had a seperate key card for the keyless central locking ? Not sure how you check this.

 

[John757]

Similar thread here on another benz site Keyless problem SL55AMG 03

 

[Dickster]

Wow, i must admit I thought all 2003 cars had cards …

 

[John757]

from the pictures the two keys do look different in owners manual pics..(. inside)
keyless transponder key (without separate key cards)


keyless non transponder key (has separate keyless cards))

 

[hedgehogsdad]

Mine definitely look like the top key rather than the bottom one, which suggests it has the transponder in it.

Looking at the thread which was posted above, I wonder whether it's a dodgy receiver??

 

[flowrider]

Maybe you have the wrong key, it might have been replaced with a later version.

 

[John757]

Maybe you have the wrong key, it might have been replaced with a later version.

Reprogramming key guide here.... holding the gearnob button down for three seconds just got 'key not recognised' in the dash. so I inserted the key (do not turn it) and held the button down for three more seconds... the dash lit up...
removed key, locked and unlocked doors. Now all functions that were previously not working are now working remoteRF Keyless/IR 9I disconnected my battery in rear for a week after the PSE pump went bad and started eating the battery. Replaced PSE- lost keyless and RF. used above method... all now working!!

 

[Dickster]

Well done that’s good to know