Remote Locking on S210

[Toby Banks]

Evening All ,
Got a 2002 S210 with the standard Infra Red remote locking/unlocking on a two button key. Over the last couple of months I have experienced the remote lock/unlock not working when it is cold outside.When the ambient temperature warms up , the remote works fine. I have replaced the batteries in the keys ( I have two of them ) , but it made no difference. It doesn't seem to matter whether I aim for the drivers door , passenger door or the interior mirror receiver , when it is cold they don't work with either key. Once I get in , using the manual key in the drivers door , the lock / unlock button on the dash functions perfectly , locking and unlocking as required as does the key in the ignition , ie it starts the car. My logic concludes that the issue must be with the infra red controller unit, as the keys are functioning , the infra red receivers in the doors and the interior mirror clearly receive the signal ( once the ambient temperature is up ) and even when it is cold I cannot believe that all three receivers would fail . I suspect that there may be a dry joint somewhere on the controller board , that breaks the continuity when cold but makes the circuit once it has expanded with temperature. Does that seem logical to anyone?
Also , can anyone confirm the location of the controller? According to WIS it could either be in the passenger footwell ( its not !! ) or behind the instrument cluster. ( Haven't got there yet , but its my next port of call ), or is it somewhere else ? Also is the controller coded to the infra red remote keys , ie if I buy a secondhand controller , will it need to be coded to my keys , or is that coding matched at the receivers? ( in the doors/ interior mirrors).
Thanks in anticipation.
Toby

 

[Toby Banks]

Ok , Just to close this one out......
Despite searching all over , I never managed to find the controller , and just used the emergency door key to open the drivers door. A general consensus amongst some people spoke to , seemed to be that it was probably an EIS issue , for which read expensive!!As usual , once the ambient temperature warmed up e , the remote functioned perfectly. Then , the remote stopped working totally , and using the mobile phone camera trick , I established that the key itself was non functioning. Replaced the key battery and generally fiddled about with it , but to no avail. After some Googling , found a guy called Paul from remote key repairs ( WWW.remotekeyrepairs.com ) , who reckoned he could repair the key for £60. Sent it off to him and a couple of days later the key was returned , fully refurbished ( new case , batteries and circuit board) . The remote now works superbly irrespective of the temperature and at a good range. Thoroughly recomend this guy , brilliant communications and first class service. Never thought the resolution of this issue was going to be so easy and cheap.

Toby