Your car should have the black plastic key fob that you plug into the dash to start. How old is that key?

You can try with the spare key if you have it.

The thing that receives the key is called the EIS - electronic ignition switch - its not just a simple switch and its also not a retail part either.

A dealership could test the EIS in a few minutes to tell you if its good or not, They can read the EIS with a couple of tools to see if its open or locked or personalized or not. If its bad then you are in for about a thousand dollars bill and no-one in USA other than MB dealership can help you.

What happens when you insert the key into the EIS? does the steering unlock? - reason is that the key is a two part system, the EIS once reads and relays signal to the steering lock and the steering lock checks it to release, the other bit of information that is read is for the car to "release for operation" and then the engine can start and so can all BUS networks start.

In most cases people have been succesful with new key replacement - its about 300 dollars in the USA, if that doesnt help then it doesnt mean that the 300 are wasted - the new EIS (if required) will be coded to take the new key that you paid for.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)