Replacement key FOB online
 

Has anyone had success with buying a second Mercedes Key FOB from anyone online.


We have lost our second key to our 2003 E320. I believe it's in the house somewhere. Fell behind furniture or got thrown out by mistake, but not by me. I say she did it, she says I did it. It's her car and she drives it 95% of the time. My key, the missing one, always stayed on the top of my desk. I never carried my Mercedes key unless I was driving her car. I prefer to drive my truck. She drives my truck 5% of the time.


I just called our local dealer for a replacement key and it's about $300, which is not that bad if I knew the key was put out with the trash last year.


I just don't want to spend that much and then find our lost key the next day. I asked the dealer if they could program a second key bought online and they said no.


Where did you get your second FOB?

i got my chrome key online....before MBUSA put the stop to online Smartkey ordering.
they also updated their Theft Relevant policy and made it clear to dealers that they cannot
do this anymore, and asked owners to bring their car to the dealer with proof of ownership.
they made one exception which was that if the car could not be driven or towed in, that
the dealer could send out an MB qualified locksmith to the location.

http://www.nastf.org/files/public/trp_policy_pac003_5feb.pdf

I paid $260 for a 2nd key.

... p.s. to give you an idea why MBUSA put an end to this, our group buy in was
able to get the Smartkey shipped to our door, programmed by MBUSA TX
facility, for $61.58 including metal blade key.

Not Mercedes but I purchased an active fob for my 2004 Ford F150 on line and it worked fine after programming. Programming requires TWO good fobs.

That only works with fords.

Just visited the San Francisco dealer where they quoted $350 for a replacement key. No discount, period.
I'll be looking elsewhere, even if I have to drive 50 miles I'll not support that piracy.

holy batman the next quote I got is even higher!
quote: " A new key will run $357.20, and there will be an additional $75 paid to the service department to program the key. To order the key you will need to come to the dealership, in person with your driver’s license and proof of ownership. A current registration, or title will both work. If you are not the registered owner, we will need a signed letter from the owner authorizing you to order a key for their vehicle, along with a copy of their driver’s license. Once the key has arrived you will need to schedule the programming with the service department."

last key fob I bought about 2 years ago was $218 and no charge for programming.
I think the dealer above is full you know what :(

And what is the cost of living / real estate value where the dealer is located ?

Are you going to open up a dealership and charge less?

Have you gotten remote type key prices for a non MB modern car?

no
1. Get a life!
2. I have no need to do so.
would be more wasted time not relevant

My point is that diesel guys are constantly crying about parts pricing for no good reason. These were expensive cars when new and just because they have huge depreciation doesn't mean that the parts should get cheaper too. Be glad that point of entry of these cars is greatly discounted leaving room to pay higher parts cost.

I bought my nice 124 k mile 97 SL320 at then end of 2011 for 6 K then put another 2.5 K in parts into it, Accounting for inflation that is still about what the first owner would have paid in _SALES TAX_. With that kind of deal, I don't complain about a $ 400 radiator.

A remote key for a more mundane car is $ 175 + programming it needed. Don't like parts pricing? Get into the business of making cheaper parts.

Uhhh, the key comes in already programmed as far as I know, so additional charge to program it is fraud.

yup I didn't fall for that.
The key I got for $250 was already programmed, the dealers all use one source in Houston.
I am no dummie, I knew the buyer at a dealership and before he retired I usually got 15% off everything.

I will keep looking and report here.
I may have to stoop so low as to use my local dealer or I should say STEALer, They got caught selling non OEM parts. everyone got a pittance back after a class action lawsuit nailed them on it.. I'd rather not give them a dime, thats why I am willing to drive 30, 50, even 90 miles to get a key.
If I save a buck it will pay for the diesel fuel, if not then at least I won't feel I am supporting my local STEALER! :mad:

Dieselguy, give Mercedes of Scottsdale a look. They were half the price of the Palm Springs dealer. When I asked "why", they said they were trying to expand their parts biz. I needed radiator hoses for a '97 Cl600. Mine were original! They arrived in about a week from Germany (not made of Chinesium!) I am very pleased.
Anziani
'97 CL600 69K

thanks anzi but the problem with buying a key is one must present their vehicle with ownership papers and ID for them to proceed with ordering the FOB.
I'm a long way from Aridzona

Of course, my bad! The fobs are not available any more for the 140's. I lucked out and bought one about 15 months ago. A suggestion for you. Since you are in earthquake country (as I) I have a key hook block attached to the wall next to the door to the garage. ALL car keys go on these hooks when one comes through the door. When the "big one" comes, there will be no searching for lost keys because I will guarantee that it will happen at night and you will have no power! Been through all of the biggies in SoCAl!
Anziani

Have you tried to get a clipped head " pocket key " ( $ 45 last I checked )

These have the RFID chip 97's used so the car will crank and run, the fob is only for remote locking. .

my Local RIP-OFF DEALER sets new record prices for key fob!
 

OK, I broke down today and decided to drop in to the local Stealership for a price check.
I had a hard time finding parking, they seem to block all the spaces for Service, people with reservations get to park nearby, and all service bays are closed with a vertical entry door opened only to those willing participants who have a car under warranty or a fat pocketbook if not!
I fond a spot way down at the end for New Car sales. And I noticed the lines between parking spaces miserably close, so that toe S bodied cars would bang each others doors for certain. Might be they hope everyone drives Smart cars or something? beat the heck outta me why they painted the stripes closer together than what the City uses downtown.
OK, I go in and find a small parts counter "Retail Parts" it says. I wondered if they have a wholesale counter?
I presented my pink slip and stated I needed a second key and asked how much it would cost.
The gal poked my VIN# into a computer and after some delay said it would cost $215. I was beginning to think I had come to the right place
BUT things went downhill when she said I had to leave the car for 2 days with the service dept., and I had to pay an additional $35(or was it $75?) for cutting the small key that folds into the fob. I was still lukewarm to the sale and asked if I could get the Vintage Club discount I used to get before Sonic bought the dealership. Her reply was ok, they could do a 10% discount for senior members.
But THEN EVERYTHING WENT TO THE TOILET (to use a friend's way of commenting)
She said there would be an added $231 PROGRAMMING FEE! :eek:
I said that was a rip off! because another dealer recently quoted me $75 for a programming fee (even if they don't have to program the fob!).

I informed her the last key I bought from a dealer had NO programming fee, and asked what the reason for this was in the first place since the keys are coded from a place in Houston, or they used to be.
She just shrugged and said thats what it would cost me, $482 Net.
I just walked out. NEVER going back to that STEALERSHIP!
I'm thinking I will just forget buying a second fob.

OK, thanks, 97 where can one find info on this?
I saw an ebay service where you send them your EIS and they deliver a fob programmed to work for $145.
sellerID luxe1keys
I would hate to lose the EIS in the mail!!!!!

I don't know about the "E" class but fobs are NO longer available for us 140 owners, period! I was lucky in that I got one for my '97 CL600 a couple of years ago from the local dealer. I showed my pink slip, it came from Texas, the parts guy walked out, verified the VIN and clicked the fob a couple of times, and that was that. Total price was a little less than $200.
I would suggest dieselguy that you contact the Classic Car Center in Irvine, CA. Ask for Thomas Hanson in the Parts Dept. and see what they can do for you. They don't do any car NEWER than 1997 but the they have been my rock for a new bumper and a new wiring harness. I have also had great luck with Mercedes of Scottsdale. They don't charge Kaliforniastan sales tax but they do charge for shipping. I just got new radiator hoses from Germany from them at a price FAR LESS than the local dealer. And they came right out of the factory, not China.
Anziani
'97 CL600 69K

I forgot one stinking detail!!
the stealer said "You must schedule an appointment to drop the car off and leave it in the service dept. for TWO DAYS"
I asked why? and all I got was that is company policy.
screw that! :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

thanks for the suggestion but realize I would have to drive some 300+ miles each way for them to see my pink slip then stay in a motel for how long until the key arrives for them to "program it" not going to happen. The state is just too big, I'm in the Northern half.
BTW
I have good news, if it pans out I'll post the results soon, after I drive 40 miles to another dealer.

Not true, according to the dealer I spoke with while ordering a key for my '99 E300D today. (see details below:))
They said three years were no longer available but the 140 keys for two other years are still available to order.
I don't remember if they said the affected years were 93-95 or what range were discontinued. Must be due to a technical difference, I remember some locks used infrared and they changed to wifi, maybe thats why the different range - just a hunch!
check with your dealer if you are in need of a key fob for a W140.
DDH

the FINAL VERDICT - There is a decent dealer left in No Cal!
 

OK, previous searches for a replacement key fob for the '99 E300D that I only had the OE key for.
To recap, I checked dealers North of here, they had varying policies and prices and the best quote seemed to be the Fairfield dealer with the $75 programming fee on top of a expensive fob.
The there was a SF dealer I won't waste time recounting the horrible price and snobbery they exuded.
Then my local stealership in Belmont. They quoted a $231 programming fee on top of an expensive key fob :eek: then they said Oh, BTW you need to schedule a service and drop the car off for 2 days to have the key programmed :eek::mad: They gained my highest ripoff award!

Finally I called a dealer near San Jose, CA and finally got a decent quote. :)
Today I drove down and found their parts sales person was so kind to inform me that my net price was $210 plus a $65 fee to cut the metal key that lives inside the FOB, then surprise! :D they said the $75 programming fee didn't apply to my diesel, so my total before tax was $275, over $230 less than the previous dealer's quote over $500.

I placed the order and I recommend anyone needing a MB keyfob may find it worthwhile driving outside their local area to another city for a quote (call ahead to get a price before driving the distance). Sometimes it pays to shop around.
DDH

Well color yourself "lucky". There have been NO keys available for the 140 owners for a couple of years. MB just stopped supplying them with no explanation and no date as to when they would be available again. However, any good locksmith can make a duplicate key for about $25 with NO fob. Quite frankly the fob only works when one is very close to the car (on the 140's).
Anziani
'97 CL600 69K

I got my replacement key fob from https://www.mbpartsprime.com/ at a nice deal. Just had to have it programmed at my local dealer. My buddy is a tech there and he programmed it for me.

and now my new key is a problem!
 

I am at a loss to understand what is happening with my new key!
If one starts the engine then shuts it off but leaves the key in the "ignition" lets call it the EIS "hole" , then tries to start the engine again it does NOTHING!
Turning the key to position 2 the power goes on to the instruments but it does not actuate the the starter!
I thought it was a glitch or something when I filled up diesel but then I mentioned it to my wife who has been driving the car and she said it happened to her but she forgot to tell me.
If one removes the key then puts it back in the car starts fine.

The old key never did this.

Has anyone experienced this on a Benz?
I have the 2 year warranty on it but before I run back and try to return it I want to know if it normal or not. BTW I didn't even get a box for my $400 key much less any kind of instructions.
DDH

Find a wiring diagram / service manual and see if there is a starter interrupt relay. If not, then the key isn't at fault.

thanks for the suggestion.
Based on the fact the old key never faulted, this just started with the arrival of the new key last week so I assumed it was the key.
I also plan to pull the OBC history to see if there's any hint there.

Finally discovered what the problem is!!!
 

For the sake of any newcomers to this thread, I ordered a new key fob for my '99 E300D. After going through a vigorous search for a dealer that wouldn't take me for a ride and steal some of my money, I found a dealer at ome distance that was not going to charge me for a programming fee.
I plunked down close to $250 and in 3 or 4 days they called and said my key was ready to be picked up.
I drove down and got my nice beautiful new key fob and thought what a nice deed I had done, my wife could use the new fancy key fob with its chrome logo on glossy black background with a panic button and all. I kept the old original key, a flat leather like thing that showed significant wear and I was afraid if it failed or got lost I would be in a really bad place if I didn't have a backup key.

Then the KEY FROM HELL made its way into my life.

the new key flaked on me a few days later, I stuck it in and after the glow lite extinguished I turned it to the start position - and NOTHING! switched back to pos 1 then repeated the sequence - NADA!
Removed the key from the EIS reinserted it and voila! it started!
My first reasoning was like maybe the EIS had to get to know the serial string transmitted by the new key? something technical like that might explain why it was stubborn like it was.
The key worked fine for a week of intermittent use, I actually went to using the old key and my wife used the new one, then crimeee! she comes home telling me how the key would not start the car at the supermarket and she was about to call me to come get her when she tried it a third time and it started the car.

I had a friend who had never driven a Mercedes diesel and he is into racing cars (was/is a referee at some events) so I drove some 100+ miles and stopped by to see him and asked if he wanted to drive a nice 20 year old diesel car with less than 50K miles on it. My ulterior motive was he knew his way around the town where he lives and we were going to find a place for lunch so I let him be my chauffeur. Well, it worked but when we got to where we were going he couldn't remove the key from the EIS. I thought one had to be sure the transmission was in park, etc and pressing the brake pedal, anyhow it was a ***** to turn all the way left (CCW) and yank on the key and it came out.
I decided it was time to exercise the 2 year warranty on the key so I drove down to the dealer I bought it from and the parts counter man told me he had not seen a bad key before but he tested the battery and it was fine so he introduced me to the service dept receptionist who wanted to make an appointment for me to drop the car off.

Before hand I understood the dealers might need to verify the EIS was working and if not they would charge me more than what the car was worth to replace it.
Not being a novice with these matters, I didn't let on that I knew a lot about how dealers make money - lots of it - off dumb car owners. I made an appointment for 10:20 the coming Friday.

On Friday I arrived at 10:15 and discovered a long trail of parked cars at the side entrance where the big SERVICE sign is located.
There was at least a dozen cars, all of them much newer than my 20 year old diesel, but the center lane was open and there was a parked SUV at the end.
Someone motioned for me to drive down and shut off my engine.
A Sprinter came in and parked behind me.

I will chronicle the series of events that followed.
While waiting there with nobody around I was thinking how dumb to schedule appointments to drop off a car in 5 or 10 minute increments. I had a dentist that did that trick and I still had to wait a half hour to be called in for whatever.
A service rep came out to the Sprinter and they start talking about something, he raised the hood, blah blah blah so I switched on my CD and listened to some music.

10:25 a service rep comes over and wanted to know the name of my rep and I said it was so and so and I had a 10:20 appt. He said my rep was helping someone behind me :mad: The rep disappears with the driver of the Sprinter to inside the bldg.

10:32 my service rep came over and introduced himself and in the same breath asked why I was here (don't they print out some kind of service document?) and I told him basically the key from Hell was intermittently disfunctional. The he asked if I bought it there at the dealership (WTF man, yes :confused:
I produced the sales receipt and he asked me to let him try it. I had been using the old key so I stepped out and gave him the "bad" key. He tried it, it worked. He tried it again and I noted he failed to wait for the glow light to go out. Probably unaware my car had a diesel engine :(
4 maybe 5 times it started then AHA! after the last start he went to remove the key and it was stuck!
I said let me try it, I got in pushed the brake peal turned the key hard CCW and yanked and it come out.
Now remember what I was saying about the EIS issue? He said "well, you have a bad EIS" and then I broke into his canned dialog about how it was going to have to analyzed and before he said it was going to cost me $1500 plus labor I said hold on here and tell me why the old key works 100%, its never failed it ALWAYS starts and it NEVER sticks in the EIS and I wasn't going with his diagnosis.

He said well OK, it might take a few hours for their technician to analyze the key on their "reader" and I said fine I will just hang out inside while they checked it over and BTW I needed the car by 1:30 drop dead in order to keep another appointment 40 miles away. I sorta wondered if he was going to offer a loaner car, but no such luck.

10:53 he drives the car off and I went in and found a nice comfy chair away from the big screen TV that other customers were watching. I had brought some Italian Biscotti and grabbed a cup of their free fresh ground coffee and opened my laptop.

I watched as about a dozen service reps stationed in their desktops with a telephone and their smartfones in hand as they gabbed with each other. After the Sprint I saw only one other car arrive for service.
At some prearranged moment as if on-cue the reps began carrying their waste paper cans to a big plastic receptacle that had been wheeled out. In a short time it was nearly full. so much for the paperless office concept :rolleyes:

11:50 my rep come over to let me know they were still checking it but it seems to be a bad key! ;)
He said it will be a while longer though.

12:00 noon I got another cup of coffee and then noticed the reps - all twelve of them with only two exceptions - disappeared for lunch.
Now it was dead! a janitor came around to clean the swinging glass doors, blew some dust off the walkway into the driveway with a leaf blower than it got so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
A big black S55 pulled in and the driver walked in didn't find the service receptionist in (presumably at lunch) so he walked one way then the other until he found one of the older reps that decided to sit at their desk and watch their screens. Said he needed a battery, they said something I couldn't hear then he walked back out and sped off. Obviously not the time or place for a quick battery replacement.
I stopped keeping track of time but service reps started returning from lunch with a few of them so chatty I couldn't continue napping.

It was around 1:15 when the rep showed up and said yes the key was defective :P
He said it would be reordered under warranty but I could keep the old key until the new one arrives and they would call me when it was available some time next week.

I asked if it was coming from Houston and he said why yes how did you know that? I said something like I wasn't born yesterday I had been buying keys from Mercedes for over 25 years and I knew they made them in Houston.
Feeling like I was inflated again after the near 3 hour ordeal at least they didn't mention anything about the EIS again. I was prepared to ask for the manager to escalate my case if they said I needed an EIS.

If anyone ever experiences this type of issue with a new key ordered from a dealer I hope they read this. And I hope their wait time is not as long as mine.
I will post the outcome of the new key and hopefully its fine, if not then I will be here to let you know....
DDH

Just be grateful that a key was available for your car. We 140 owners have no source for key-fobs any more. Benz stopped supplying them for no discernible reason. Luckily I have never lost a key because there is always a key holder thingy right inside the garage door where ALL car keys land.
Anziani

maybe that was a premature conjecture on my last post!
 

Finally heard from the dealer, I was away for a few days. Went down to pick up the new key, the service agent was looking for me, very attentive!

We went out to the car to check it out and presumably to close the service case.

He put it in, turned the key and - IT FAILED! :eek:
He tried a second and third time, it started a few times then again NADA! :eek:

And it was very hard to rotate in the socket (EIS) back to the far left to remove the key. It started the engine 4 or 5 times then FAILED.
So, we agreed the issue is some form of compatibility between the new key and the EIS, and he blamed the EIS, since there have been 2 new keys in succession that were flaky like this.

But why does the old key work 10% of the time - every time?
A close look and I see its slightly thinner than the new key fobs.

I give up, I'm not going the EIS route, I will use the new key as a spare in case I lose the old one.
Grrrrr:mad::mad::mad:

Originally Posted by rocky raccoon
When one of our 98 E320 FOBs stopped working, I sent it to this small company in Toronto area. He rebuilt it as new for C$50. (No need for our second working FOB to be sent or for programming).

Keys4Cars

Surely there must be a similar service in USA?

BTW : I once bought an MB and owner had lost the spare FOB. He ordered one from dealer. They need car when they program it - they connect to a server in Germany!) Cost him something over $300. Then he found the missing key :eek:

Very common for older software version EIS's to have issues with new keys......

I have used that vendor in canada when I visited some freinds in missisuaga, there was also an EIS repair service - if your EIS had failed. It was a different vendor though.

Its quite difficult to do in USA with advertisements as Mercedes Benz USA will come after the vendor. I know that the vendor has a special keyfob with a cable attached to it - he puts it in, and can pull the key hashes from it and write a key for the car. Its not as simple as it sounds though.

The new keys dont work with the old EIS, and if you keep on using it - the car divorces the key and locks it out. To get around this - you will need a private locksmith to find you an oldstyle NEC or motorola key and write that.

in other countries - locksmiths buy the chinese made motorola key and write that for W210 - they work good with exception of radio range for lock unlock buttons - but that was the complaint even when these cars were new.

why on earth would MB let the dealer sell keys that aren't suitable for the EIS? that sounds like a nightmare to try communicating it back up the foodchain to Stuttgart
I am happy using the old key and I'll put the new one away and just say its for emergency purposes, ha! I sure don't plan on making it a throwaway . . .:eek:

MB dont want you driving an old car around, and w210 are getting quite old too.

The old EIS is pretty unique and the keys were quite expensive too, MB do have a solution for us old w210 owners though. They will happily sell us a new EIS for 1200 usd.. the type that works with new keys only

and to that I say:
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