Beware Remote Boot Opening - it could cost you!

[Yellowduck]

If you subscribe to Mercedes me connect on your smartphone you will get a message saying your boot is open and you can close it using your phone.
I was having a dash cam fitted yesterday and i kept getting messages saying my doors and boot was open.

Cheers Barry, but you can only close your boot using the MM app if you have powered opening/closing. On a standard boot you cannot close other than manually.....

 

[Hammy6]

Hi all boot lid-ers.

Re my posts from 6th and 7th March. From my experience this is not a problem with the key fob. In my case it is caused by the car losing contact with the key (as in keyless entry) while the lid is mid close. This happens if I press the button on the lid itself that closes and locks the car (not the fob) and then walk quickly away as the lid id closing. The lid then re-opens due to loss of comms with the key.

Another grumble with the keyless entry system is that the key is constantly transmitting unless you press the lock button twice in quick succession. This means I have burned through two sets of batteries in just a few months. Bit of a nuisance.

Finally another weird thing happened last summer on a very hot day in Manchester (I know....very rare). I locked the car and walked away, as I did all the windows front and rear opened about 3 centimetres and the panoramic roof popped open slightly. I have never been able to replicate this and I was told by Mercedes service people that the car does not do this...... must be magic then !

 

[JT1]

Finally another weird thing happened last summer on a very hot day in Manchester (I know....very rare). I locked the car and walked away, as I did all the windows front and rear opened about 3 centimetres and the panoramic roof popped open slightly. I have never been able to replicate this and I was told by Mercedes service people that the car does not do this...... must be magic then !

Here's your problem -probably - it's certainly been a problem for me.

My key fob is so smooth, the buttons are so flush, that it's very easy, if your key is tight in your pocket, or leaned against in your pocket(/handbag/whatever), to depress a button and either unlock the car and/or the boot (which can be done from a fair distance) and if the door unlock button on the fob is depressed and held - down come the windows etc (but that has to be very close to the car). Not good design, I found my car doors locked (they would have relocked themselves after a minute) but all the windows down and the boot open so I thought I'd better RTFM and it sounds like your service people need to do likewise !!!

 

[EmilysDad]

Here's your problem -probably - it's certainly been a problem for me.

My key fob is so smooth, the buttons are so flush, that it's very easy, if your key is tight in your pocket, or leaned against in your pocket(/handbag/whatever), to depress a button and either unlock the car and/or the boot (which can be done from a fair distance) and if the door unlock button on the fob is depressed and held - down come the windows etc (but that has to be very close to the car). Not good design, I found my car doors locked (they would have relocked themselves after a minute) but all the windows down and the boot open so I thought I'd better RTFM!!

You can't open or close windows & roofs when the fob is in your pocket ..... the infra-red window on the door needs to actually see the key for global opening/closing

 

[JT1]

You can't open or close windows & roofs when the fob is in your pocket ..... the infra-red window on the door needs to actually see the key for global opening/closing

Yes you can - it's happened, several times and just to make sure I didn't dream it I just performed all the key's functions with the key not only inside my pocket but also the other side of my living room wall.

Is it IR or RF? I thought it was RF but whatever it is, it goes through walls!

(Edit) I just googled it. Radio Frequency as I thought.

 

[EmilysDad]

Yes you can - it's happened, several times and just to make sure I didn't dream it I just performed all the key's functions with the key not only inside my pocket but also the other side of my living room wall.

Is it IR or RF? I thought it was RF but whatever it is, it goes through walls!

My global opening/closing is via infra-red hence I've to stand next to the car pointing the fob at the door to open/close windows. It was discussed recently. Remote locking is rf

 

[EmilysDad]

(Edit) I just googled it. Radio Frequency as I thought.

Remote locking is

 

[JT1]

I'm not quite sure what you're talking about but Hammy's problem is in the manual and I just opened my windows through a brick wall. I can video it if you like

 

[EmilysDad]

I'm not quite sure what you're talking about but Hammy's problem is in the manual.

The manual says SFA about rf or infra-red

There was a thread recently 're rf & infra-red ...... can't find it though

 

[EmilysDad]

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=161023

Found it

 

[JT1]

The manual says SFA about rf or infra-red

Why should it?

Google does though. See if you can find a wiki or something on (modern) IR remote key fobs - I've found plenty on RF ones.


and I say again I opened my windows through a brick wall so if yours doesn't do that (it still has to be close range) you ain't got what I (and probably Hammy) got!

 

[Hammy6]

Why should it?

Google does though. See if you can find a wiki or something on (modern) IR remote key fobs - I've found plenty on RF ones.


and I say again I opened my windows through a brick wall so if yours doesn't do that (it still has to be close range) you ain't got what I (and probably Hammy) got!

I agree, I too can open windows, door, boot lid, with the key when I am inside the house through brick walls from a distance of several yards with the key out of sight of the car.

 

[Gordon-Hunter]

I cannot believe that all these years later, the same problem is still happening and has not been addressed by Mercedes Benz!

I have a 2015 E300 Hybrid diesel and since buying it a couple of years ago I have had neighbours knocking on my door telling me that my boot is open. The first time it happened, I got a knock on the door at around 5:30am. Second time, many months later, at around 6am. I figured that I was pressing the keyfob whilst in my pocket, so got into the habit of always putting my keys on the table by the side of the sofa as soon as I came in. Tonight, my neighbour knocked on the door to say that her husband had just closed my boot. It was firmly closed when I came in around 6pm and my keys have been on the table since then. This is a REALLY, REALLY annoying security problem. My wife's wheelchair "lives" in the car boot and thankfully has not been stolen!

Yes, I realise that I can disable the boot opening by locking it with the key, but the location of the keyhole on the E series boot, under the overhang above the number plate is so awkward to access, that it makes that an impracticable way around it. You have to be a contortionist to be able to a) see the keyhole and b) get the key into it. Obviously we need to access the boot regularly to get her wheelchair in and out.

Come on Mercedes Benz. SORT THIS OUT!!!!!

 

[John Laidlaw]

I cannot believe that all these years later, the same problem is still happening and has not been addressed by Mercedes Benz!

I have a 2015 E300 Hybrid diesel and since buying it a couple of years ago I have had neighbours knocking on my door telling me that my boot is open. The first time it happened, I got a knock on the door at around 5:30am. Second time, many months later, at around 6am. I figured that I was pressing the keyfob whilst in my pocket, so got into the habit of always putting my keys on the table by the side of the sofa as soon as I came in. Tonight, my neighbour knocked on the door to say that her husband had just closed my boot. It was firmly closed when I came in around 6pm and my keys have been on the table since then. This is a REALLY, REALLY annoying security problem. My wife's wheelchair "lives" in the car boot and thankfully has not been stolen!

Yes, I realise that I can disable the boot opening by locking it with the key, but the location of the keyhole on the E series boot, under the overhang above the number plate is so awkward to access, that it makes that an impracticable way around it. You have to be a contortionist to be able to a) see the keyhole and b) get the key into it. Obviously we need to access the boot regularly to get her wheelchair in and out.

Come on Mercedes Benz. SORT THIS OUT!!!!!

welcome!
As far as we are aware, MB don't monitor this forum so I doubt they will pay much attention (or any more than they have done thus far). Might be worth buying a cheap RFID wallet and popping your key in there as soon as the car is locked and see if that solves it for you. I think I've seen these in petrol stations for a couple of quid, certainly Amazon.

 

[JBell]

Don't know how this happens, you have to push the button for 5 secs to activate the remote release

 

[rorywquin]

........... Might be worth buying a cheap RFID wallet and popping your key in there as soon as the car is locked and see if that solves it for you. I think I've seen these in petrol stations for a couple of quid, certainly Amazon.

Or a roll of aluminium foil....

 

[brandwooddixon]

Luckily I've never had a problem with this, but I suspect that there are some causes that may be causing this.

One is a fault with the remote release (don't forget that as well as the fob there's also circuitry in car to do this - the remote boot release button inside the car.

Another and more worrying thing is the spread of RF scanners and transmitters amongst our lighter fingered brethren. Keyless-go aside cars have a lower level of security to gain access to them than to actually start them and that's primarily down to the RF fobs used to lock and unlock them.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Or a roll of aluminium foil....

that would do it exactly! I have an old M&M tin I keep the spares in, lined with Bacofoil

 

[mioba]

Some folk must be wering some very tight trousers to press the key fob to open a door....

 

[Blobcat]

that would do it exactly! I have an old M&M tin I keep the spares in, lined with Bacofoil

Hope you've fitted an earthing strap as well...