1999 E320. My friend's only key fob broke. The copper coil separated from the circuit board inside the case. He can open the car doors with the fob, but it doesn't signal the ignition switch to unlock the steering wheel or start the car. The wheels and parking gear remain locked.
To obtain a new key the Mercedes dealer requires him to tow the car to the dealership and present his license and title to prove that he is the owner. They will keep the car while the key is being manufactured in CA. There is supposedly no way around this rule. Unfortunately the entrance to his condo garage is too low for the tow tow truck to fit under the garage door. He and the tow truck driver could not push the car out his parking spot because the front wheels are locked (the car must turn to leave the parking space). So here is the issue: the front wheels are locked and he can't turn them because there is no signal from the fob that unlocks the steering column. Is there any way the steering wheel can be unlocked without the key in the ignition? The 210 Forum generated the following suggestions: *"It is much easier to get the key repaired. You can get a replacement coil from eBay. I repaired several in the past. I am assuming you have a gen 2 key. The one with panic button near the tip."* * "There is no way that you can unlock the steering wheel unless you cut the mechanism up. There may be some locksmith wizards nearby with tools to 'virginize' the steering wheel lock coding, and then unlock it."* These are non-starters IMO - has anyone BTDT and solved this problem successfully? _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
