One of my friends owns a 1988 560SL, it sits in her garage with 40,000 original miles. She’s a bit older and she keeps it because it belonged to her late husband.

She lost one of the two original keys, the dealer quoted her 500 bucks to get her a copy. She just wants to have a spare key.

I’m sure you guys know where to get a copy of at a more reasonable price? Anything I’ve needed for my old 240D you all know where to get it at a proper price.

Thanks in advance

__________________
1981 240D Four on the floor, Orient Red over Parchment, bought with 154,000 but it's a daily driver and up to 180,000 miles, mostly original paint and all original interior.

Mechanical key, correct? If my experience with the 92 I had helps....you need to find a locksmith that carries the right kind of blanks and has a key cutter that can do the job. It took some hunting around here in RI but I was finally able to find one.

__________________
14 E250 Bluetec "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 153k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 171k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

Go to a different dealer, they're less than $40...

__________________
Allen Kroliczek
Oak Grove Autosport | Oak Grove Autosport
01 G500, 82 300TD, quite a few more.....

Agreed, last dealer key I had made was less than $100.

Advice taken, I just called an old friend that’s a locksmith and he happens to have the machine and blanks. Just a dealer trying to rip off a little old lady.

Thanks for the tip.

__________________
1981 240D Four on the floor, Orient Red over Parchment, bought with 154,000 but it's a daily driver and up to 180,000 miles, mostly original paint and all original interior.

Like $20 from there mercedes classic center w/VIN.

__________________
CC: NSA

All things are burning, know this and be released.

82 Benz 240 D, Kuan Yin
12 Ford Escape 4wd

You're four times

It's hard to

more likely to

concentrate on

have an accident

two things

when you're on

at the same time.

a cell phone.

www.kiva.org It's not like there's anything wrong with feeling good, is there?

Even better

__________________
1981 240D Four on the floor, Orient Red over Parchment, bought with 154,000 but it's a daily driver and up to 180,000 miles, mostly original paint and all original interior.

The Classic Center is “supposed” to follow the TRP (Theft Relevant Part) policy for all keys and locks now. The policy is supposed to require dealer verification and handling of all keys.

However I think they have a soft limit on this, that if you have a car approaching or greater than 25 years old, they relax the rules and allow you to interact with them directly and as long as you have proof of ownership (send them a copy of the title/registration and a copy of your DL with the same name on it) they will ship you a key.

__________________
The OM 642/722.9 powered family
Still going strong
2014 ML350 Bluetec (wife's DD)
2013 E350 Bluetec (my DD)

both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech

There are services out of China to which you send a picture of your key and they’ll send you a duplicate key. Consider how you do this since they’ll have the details of you or key and an address.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon
02 C320 wagon

Seriously? Wow....

__________________
14 E250 Bluetec "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 153k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 171k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

A few years ago I bought a new cylinder and with four keys all compatible with the trunk and doors for 120 bucks. I had one key and changed the cylinder before it caused problems. The model was an 84 300SD which has been discontinued since.

She could probably get several keys for a fraction of what that dealership asked.

__________________
84 300SD
85 380SE
83 528e
95 318ic

Modern Rogue on YouTube actually did a entire video dedicated to this. All you need to do to boost someone car now days is snap a picture of their keys while walking by and you can 3D print a copy at home using a standard 3D printer. Assuming it's not a fob type key of course.

__________________
1981 Mercedes 240D - Automatic transmission

That doesn't sound remotely the correct price. Have you called the dealer and spoke to them directly?

Lots of good ideas, thanks everyone

__________________
1981 240D Four on the floor, Orient Red over Parchment, bought with 154,000 but it's a daily driver and up to 180,000 miles, mostly original paint and all original interior.

Or just about any car produced in the last 15-20 years that has some sort of active electronics inside as a second form of authentication.

Honda has been doing this since the late 90s with the Immobilizer system (RFID chip, the same one they put in your dog, embedded in the key head)

GM had the resistor pellet in the key from the mid 90s on and I'm sure they've graduated to something more sophisticated.

And of course the Mercedes Smart Key that started in 1998.

__________________
The OM 642/722.9 powered family
Still going strong
2014 ML350 Bluetec (wife's DD)
2013 E350 Bluetec (my DD)

both my kids cars went to junkyard in 2023
2008 ML320 CDI (Older son’s DD) fatal transmission failure, water soaked/fried rear SAM, numerous other issues, just too far gone to save (165k miles)
2008 E320 Bluetec (Younger son's DD) injector failed open and diluted oil with diesel, spun main bearings (240k miles)

1998 E300DT sold to TimFreeh
1987 300TD sold to vstech