Not sure what you mean by "valet key". I don't work at a restaurant or park cars at a garage. This is my own car.

They key has hard black rubber around the base just like basically every other mercedes key I've ever seen. I also have spares that do not have the rubber, they are just metal. I keep one in my wallet as a spare and have tried to unlock the doors with this key as well---same problem. I believe we received 5 copies of the key when we bought the car in November 2006.

The keys worked in the locks (at least the driver's side) until last fall, then, mysteriously, the locks seem to have developed some sort of block, preventing the key from going in more than halfway. I suppose something broke off or failed inside the handle/lock area. But it's strange that both doors have this exact same symptom, no?

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JBG
1985 TD wagon, 228k
running on grease since 3.07
AUSTIN, TEXAS