EIS failure!

MikeNI

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My EIS has had a brain fart. (w203)

Key fobs won't open door and not recognised by ignition switch.

When opening the doors with the key blade the indicators go mad.

I have removed the EIS module (what a mission that was, most of the dash apart!!) and it's going to a local mercedes specialist to be looked at.

I think it's because the car's battery has had it - resting voltage seems to be around 12.2v where I would expect a healthy battery to be showing 12.6. Does that seem a fair diagnosis? The car was fine the day before, drove around 100 miles and dead the following morning

Im hoping that with the EIS reprogrammed and a new battery in place will not only restore functionality but reliability too?

Just glad it happened on the driveway!
bb54b26615290750fbda3c6e9929f589.jpg


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om613

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I'd have changed the car's battery first, 12.2v is more or less dead.
 

00slk

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There is a chap on here who repairs or reprograms these units JohnnySBC I think that's his user name?
He did ours on the 500. www.ecu-repair.co.uk/
 

Naraic

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I didn't think the door open/close function and the eis function were related. Yet both stopped working at the same time?
 

00slk

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I didn't think the door open/close function and the eis function were related. Yet both stopped working at the same time?

Ours did on the 500, sent the flashers into a frenzy and the alarm went off until they drained the battery :shock:
 
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MikeNI

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Ours did on the 500, sent the flashers into a frenzy and the alarm went off until they drained the battery :shock:
Exactly what has happened here.

Thanks for the recommendation, but the local specialist has good feedback from a few mates that have used him and seemed to know what he was talking about on the phone so I'll nip up there this afternoon. Buying a battery on the way home too, so hopefully that will be the end of my issues!



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Naraic

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If the key fobs will not open the door and you open the door with the metal key is it not possible that the alarm has not been disabled...thus not allowing the engine to be started?
 

00slk

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If the key fobs will not open the door and you open the door with the metal key is it not possible that the alarm has not been disabled...thus not allowing the engine to be started?

Yes I think with the EIS being unresponsive it keeps the alarm activated, that's what happened with ours, but once the EIS was repaired everything worked again.....Thank goodness :)
 

00slk

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Exactly what has happened here.

Thanks for the recommendation, but the local specialist has good feedback from a few mates that have used him and seemed to know what he was talking about on the phone so I'll nip up there this afternoon. Buying a battery on the way home too, so hopefully that will be the end of my issues!



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Hope you get it sorted MikeNI
 
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MikeNI

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Cheers. It's with the merc specialist now, he says that particular EIS unit is known for it.

He didn't seem to think my battery was to blame, rather I had just been unlucky.

He reckons if its not actually damaged he can get away with doing some magic to reset it and the keys.

If that's the case £40, alternative is him supplying and coding a replacement used unit for £150

Either price I can live with, but it's left me a bit wary of trusting the car. I do the odd big trip with work so rely on the car.

I like faults that have a clear obvious reason for being, which this does not.

Time to price some breakdown recovery

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00slk

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Know how you feel with the trusting thing, when the 500's EIS packed up at first no one could figure it out. Diagnosed first as key fob battery flat, right up to car is scrap! 3 months later and back on the road again. Apparently the EIS motherboard can crack due to heat and cold expansion. At one stage to get the car started they had to remove the EIS and heat it up with a hairdryer, slipped it back in and the car started. Not saying this is what has happened to your car but after all the problem it leaves one just a little wary that's it's not going to happen again. So far all that issue has been forgotten ;)
 
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MikeNI

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Know how you feel with the trusting thing, when the 500's EIS packed up at first no one could figure it out. Diagnosed first as key fob battery flat, right up to car is scrap! 3 months later and back on the road again. Apparently the EIS motherboard can crack due to heat and cold expansion. At one stage to get the car started they had to remove the EIS and heat it up with a hairdryer, slipped it back in and the car started. Not saying this is what has happened to your car but after all the problem it leaves one just a little wary that's it's not going to happen again. So far all that issue has been forgotten ;)
Daft question but could you get a second EIS coded and leave it in the boot for emergencies? I know it's a faff removing it but if I'm 200 miles from home it would be quicker than waiting for recovery!!

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00slk

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You could do, no harm in asking the garage who are doing your car :)
 
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MikeNI

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£120 lighter and I have my keys and repaired EIS unit back.

It seems the chip that remembers useful things like "are these my keys?" needed to be replaced.

I'm told it's plug and play, I'll know when I get home and put it back together......

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Yugguy

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Change the car battery before you put it all back together, or it might just fritz it again. I'm fairly sure my ELS failure on my W204 was down to a failing battery not putting enough juice into it.
 

sturge

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I’ve got the same problem with mine, had to take the EIS out, put it in the oven for a couple of minutes on 30 degrees and it worked again. Not ideal but at least it proves that’s where the fault lies. I did change my starter battery because someone said after 14 years that was the problem, didn’t need to as gave the old one to a mate and it’s still going strong. My cars only done 40k so not had a hard life but still a money pit....
 
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MikeNI

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Didn't bother replacing the battery in the end as after a full charge it was happily sitting at 12.6v even left overnight. I think the previous low reading was down to the alarm going off for ages because of the EIS fault.

Either way I refitted the EIS, and done over 100 miles attending the NW200 race meeting. The car didn't miss a beat, which was good as the Mrs wouldn't have appreciated being stranded in Portrush

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sturge

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Women just don’t understand SL’s need love too. If she was in the car when something went wrong it would be all my fault, great argument for taking the car out on my own.....
 

Naraic

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Didn't bother replacing the battery in the end as after a full charge it was happily sitting at 12.6v even left overnight. I think the previous low reading was down to the alarm going off for ages because of the EIS fault.

Either way I refitted the EIS, and done over 100 miles attending the NW200 race meeting. The car didn't miss a beat, which was good as the Mrs wouldn't have appreciated being stranded in Portrush

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Who fixed it for you?
 

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