Hello All, can anyone please help me. I have a 2000 S500 and my keys wont work. I havent driven the car for three days and its a little cold outside. Also there's a little red light under "PANIC" which lits everytime I press the button. Could this be due to low battery in the electronic key or car battery? Signal lights will flash when I point the key to the laser on the door but the ones in the headlights wouldnt and the doors or trunk wont open? Thanks and I appreciaate all coments and advice.

Isn't there like an emergency manual key inside the fob that you can take out to manually unlock the car?

Also, I would guess your remote/fob batteries are dead.

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Is the fob key the emergency key or the manual key? sorry Im new at this and its my first MB. If it's the manual key in the electronic key then I have tried it and it doesn't work. At times I even feel like if I turn it too hard it will break. Ill try it again and by doing this and lets say it works, will it set off the alarm? Can I take the keys to the dealer tomm and have the battery checked or just have it towed? Not sure what to do. Thanks for your help and input.

You should post in the tech forum. If the metal key doesn't work then either it is the wrong key or the lock is frozen. My fob light always blinks and it works fine. If the lights on the car react then it is getting the signal. How cold is it there? Could it just be ice causing the problem? Post in tech.

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

Could be a low battery on the remote but if the car's lights flash, it's getting the signal. The indicator light on the remote should flash once - about a second after any button is pressed. If the steel emergency key is difficult to turn it's probably because you never use that lock and it's just gummed up. Still, I wouldn't be to hard on it as it may break. You might want to try some of the specially designed lock products that lubricate the lock barrel.

A question, when you press the button and the lights flash, can you hear the "purr" of the vacuum pump trying to open the doors? If not, the pump is probably not working or just frozen up.

Try this: From about 5 feet away from the drivers door, point the remote at the door handle and hold the unlock button down for at least 5 sec. On my car, this will roll down all the windows. The wildows will continue to move as long as you hold the button down and will stop when it's released. Then you can get reach in and pop the door lock.

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-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

Thanks for the reply mpolli and kartek. Temperatures has been as low as 5 degrees and mostly in the lower 30's. Today I believe it'll be in the upper 40's so I'll try again. The manaul key is a little rusted so may be thats my other problem. When I point the electronic key to the laser on the door, only the SIDE MIRROR lights flashes and NOT the ones in the headlights or the rear. I do not hear the "purr" sound which usually indicates that is being unlocked. May be it might be the pump? I'll try again when I get home because its a little warm out today, thanks for all the help.