After sitting in a queue on a motorway for 30 minutes due to an accident some way in front of us, I turned off the engine on my 10 month old A150 to save fuel. One hour later and the accident had been cleared and so we could move off again...or rather I could not as the keyless key would not turn in the lock no mattter what I tried. We did not have a flat battery etc as the vehicles lights were fine (and were the only things working). Neither I; police nor breakdown recovery could start the vechicle. Once I was recovered to back home the vehicle started immediately. Was this caused by local RF interfernce on the motorway I wonder? My Mercedes dealer could not find a fault anywhere with the vehicle and I now have it back although I do not trust it anymore. I have written to Mercedes for their comments as the situation was potentially very dangerous as we were stationary in the middle lane of the motorway with traffic moving all around us at 70+ mph !! Have any other forum members experienced anything similar? If so, would you trust these 'keyless' keys or is there a potential design fault?
A150 would not start in middle of motorway!
- Thread starter gc_bus
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Is your A150 'keyless key' a typical MB remote key with infrared lens on the front tip and Boot and Door open/close buttons on it. My E-Class key (of that type) gave exactly the same symptoms, the key would not turn when inserted into the key orifice. It would work intermittently before finally failing with a solid fault. It maybe the key (cheap solution) or it maybe the EIS which is the unit that the key plugs into (expensive solution), guess which mine was. When the key is first inserted, you should hear a mechanical sort of shuffle sound which is the steering mechanism unlocking, mine did not shuffle but the key still operated the doors correctly.
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- #3
Yup - that's exactly the type of key I have. I usually hear the 'mechanical shuffle' as you describe but not last week on the motorway unfortunately. Mine would not operate the doors either whilst having its 'fault'.
Rory
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Whereabouts was this - I've seen comments about Audi's beinga affected in one particular spot?
A similar sounding thing happened to me on a 200 mile old C Class demo car while I was at home - I'd been in and out of the car a couple of times, looking at bits and pieces. I then put the key in and tried to start it but nothing would happen. I was baffled for a moment.
I got out of the car (not easy for you in the middle of the motorway, I know) locked it, left it for a few moments, then unlocked it again and everything was fine.
I only thought to do this because 2 different models of previous cars (Peugeot 406's) had both, on 2 or 3 occasions over 3 years, done the same thing. In fact the engine cut out on one of them while I was in a queue on a motorway - trying to restat the engine just spun over with no hint of catching. Went through the lock/unlock proceedure and it started straight off.
A similar sounding thing happened to me on a 200 mile old C Class demo car while I was at home - I'd been in and out of the car a couple of times, looking at bits and pieces. I then put the key in and tried to start it but nothing would happen. I was baffled for a moment.
I got out of the car (not easy for you in the middle of the motorway, I know) locked it, left it for a few moments, then unlocked it again and everything was fine.
I only thought to do this because 2 different models of previous cars (Peugeot 406's) had both, on 2 or 3 occasions over 3 years, done the same thing. In fact the engine cut out on one of them while I was in a queue on a motorway - trying to restat the engine just spun over with no hint of catching. Went through the lock/unlock proceedure and it started straight off.
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I was on the M11 Northbound between junctions 6 & 7 having just joined form the M25. Mercedes did just phone asking the question did I try the get out; lock doors with keyfob; unlock and get back in routine before trying to re-start! Not very easy in the middle lane of a motorway! Besides, once on the hard shoulder the keyfob would not lock the doors anyway.
jberks
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My E240 did something similar where I put the key in and nothing happened No clicks, whirrs etc and it wouldn't turn . Took it out and reinserted it a couple of times and it suddenly jumped into life.
But then I was in the car park so there was no pressure. Happened once and then never happened again.
But then I was in the car park so there was no pressure. Happened once and then never happened again.
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I was on the M11 Northbound between junctions 6 & 7 having just joined form the M25. Mercedes did just phone asking the question did I try the get out; lock doors with keyfob; unlock and get back in routine before trying to re-start! Not very easy in the middle lane of a motorway! Besides, once on the hard shoulder the keyfob would not lock the doors anyway.
Mine eventually failed with a solid fault in the MB Dealers car park whilst I was in there quizzing them about the problem, I had only just returned from an 1800 mile round trip to France. Even if intermittent, you need to get a postive fix since it can cause you a no-start situation in the worst of places. Mine was the EIS, cost about £400, the most annoying part was they could not code the new unit to accept the old keys.
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- #9
Indeed tamrsoft, I will not let Mercedes fob (no pun intended) me off with the 'there is no problem sir' routine. I can think of a number of dangerous situations where this could happen including, as experienced last week, in the middle of a motorway. I think it is very remiss that a manual overide using the key element is not possible.
