W203 Central Locking Problem - Up To 2 Days To Diagnose???

[Chrishazle]

Problem started with one remote intermittently not operating the central locking and has escalated to neither remote operating the locks (see my other thread re problems with remote).

Problem compounded by having visitors and thus needing 5 seater (ie this car) for next 2 weeks. Murphy's Law!

Spoke to local main dealer Tuesday, who said they needed to put car on STAR, so dropped in this morning to see if they could do it today. No chance, but what I was told next has me in shock.

According to dealer (MB Ashford), tracing central locking faults on W/S203's is not straightforward and may take up to 2 days - which at main dealer rates would not be funny! Even worse, although the car is still covered under a 5 star Click4warranty warranty, diagnostic work is not covered - neither are the keys if it is a key problem. If the problem is on the car the warranty covers it, but probably not to be repaired at MB main dealer. I had to claim for a failed MAF a couple of weeks after I got the car, and they had it done by a local non-specialist garage from their network of approved repairers.

With all the technology built into these cars I find it hard to believe that tracing the fault - at a main dealer with STAR - could take up to 2 days. Are they correct, or is the dealer "having a giraffe"??

We can still use the car via the emergency key - the remote bit still starts the car quite happily and everything else seems to work, it's just a bit more awkward locking the car.

I'm not sure what to do next so would appreciate thoughts and advice from others with more experience of this model - and as I suspect a certain well respected member with 40K posts will be among the first to comment, the VIN starts WDB2032162F133!

Thanks, Chris

 

[television]

The first thing to do is to try the remote in front of a digital camera, and you should see the IR beam

 

[Lisa Jayne]

Chris,

Might be worth calling Class Cars at Wingham Near Canterbury, has a very good indie reputation, they may not take so long to find the problem and certainly won't charge you as much to look! My car has been there (not in my ownership, but previous owner really rated them) and the bills look really reasonable prices too........just a thought

 

[Chrishazle]

The first thing to do is to try the remote in front of a digital camera, and you should see the IR beam

Malcolm,

When I first started messing around, the working remote looked like your photo on both buttons and the faulty one showed nothing on either. Now the "faulty" one still shows nothing. The one that was working : the open button gives a flashing light, the lock button gives one flash about every second time I press the button. Both keys are in their "as received" configuration - I can identify which battery holder came with which main piece, and although I swapped them a few times trying to check that the battery holders were OK, both are now "as received".

Having the visitors here confuses the issue as I cannot be without our 5 seater for the next 13 days - which gives a little time to think about things!

Thanks for the help - I guessed you'd reply!

 

[Chrishazle]

Chris,

Might be worth calling Class Cars at Wingham Near Canterbury, has a very good indie reputation, they may not take so long to find the problem and certainly won't charge you as much to look! My car has been there (not in my ownership, but previous owner really rated them) and the bills look really reasonable prices too........just a thought

Thanks Lisa - I'd picked up a recommendation for Class Cars from either this or the other forum about a month back, so am aware of them - and they do Porsche as well, although I'm now spoilt for local(ish) Porsche specialists as the lead mechanic of La Rose Kemsing has just started out on his own at Marden and will do a 12K service for my 968 for £199! Have to sort out my Aussie visitors (with us until tomorrow week!) the a BIL wants us to take him to Calais for a booze cruise Tuesday week - it's all go at the moment. Once that lot is out of the way I can think about getting the MB fixed!

 

[television]

Why not post a key to me and I will see what I can do with it

You do not need to put the car on STAR

 

[Chrishazle]

Thanks Malcolm, please PM your postal address and I'll do that.

 

[Lisa Jayne]

BIL wants us to take him to Calais for a booze cruise Tuesday week QUOTE]


Will drop my booze order round then :lol:

 

[television]

Thanks Malcolm, please PM your postal address and I'll do that.

Will do,,I am away Sat and Sunday

 

[Blakey]

The first thing to do is to try the remote in front of a digital camera, and you should see the IR beam

What a fantastic piece of advice! :idea:

 

[Alex Crow]

remember though that the radio frequency function of the key is not tested by this method.

really good tip though malcolm.

 

[television]

remember though that the radio frequency function of the key is not tested by this method.

really good tip though malcolm.

Thanks yes you need a spectrum analyzer its around 433 mhz I sold mine a while back,,but I may have other things running near bye

 

[television]

I think that I have fixed your key,,and it will go in the post if I venture out today, if not be Tuesday

 

[Chrishazle]

BIL wants us to take him to Calais for a booze cruise Tuesday week QUOTE]


Will drop my booze order round then :lol:

Can recommend Franglais, one junction down the autoroute towards Boulogne from the Channel Tunnel exit (look to the left as you go along the autoroute, you'll see the overhead lines of the TGV line and a warehouse with "Wine and Beer" on the side)- have been buying there for many years and get decent wine at very acceptable prices! Olivier Lacour Pays D'Oc (3 whites, 3 reds) at about 3.5 euro per bottle. Have a suspicion there will not be much room left in the back though - I think BIL is arriving in his daughter's E saloon but wants to take my C estate!

 

[Chrishazle]

Malcolm The Magician

I think that I have fixed your key,,and it will go in the post if I venture out today, if not be Tuesday

Arrived, tested, works perfectly - PM sent. Many thanks, you're a magician, all I could have done with that fiddley little PC board was wreck it!!

 

[television]

Pop the other key in the post to me,, what is the fault on that one

 

[drmw]

wishful thinking

I don't suppose MB will respond to customer pressure unless it's really coordinated, however the dealer methodolgy is so completely lacking (and yes, I have a major downer on £100/hour fitters). I've had many more BMW than MB - first action I take with any new car though is the same - I take is to get the after sales / service manager to be a close chum. With Scotthall BMW in Leeds, it really worked & I count the after sales manager as a good friend. Was talking to him only yesterday & he told me the group policy is as follows (all MB drivers hold on to your chairs) - go in with a fault, they will take it off to the workshop for diagnosis/fix - no different there. If the diagnostics take 30 minutes, you pay for 30 minutes. If it takes an hour, you pay for an hour. If it takes any more than an hour, you STILL only pay for the hour (and the part to fix obviously) on the basis that with all the diagnostic kit they have, it shouldn't take more than an hour, so it's not fair (NB MB - a new phrase - "not fair") for the customer to fund their inability to find the problem. Only downside is you have to have a BMW with their meteoric depreciation - you can't have it all!

 

[television]

I have repaired the other key for you, and I will get it off over the week end, on this one it was man made damage to the legs of an IC

 

[Chrishazle]

I have repaired the other key for you, and I will get it off over the week end, on this one it was man made damage to the legs of an IC

Thanks Malcolm - have been a bit remiss the past few days courtesy of the visitors - who left at lunchtime, bliss! 2 days "peace" then the next lot arrive, but this time it's favourite BIL and wife, no bratlings.

Annoyed with myself that damage was man made - I know IC boards are fragile so I was careful removing and handling it. Just goes to show I should stay away from them!

Once again, many thanks.

Chris

 

[Rian]

W203 Remote Problem

Hi Malcolm,

I also got problem with my W203 remote, it still working but I need to wait like 20sec from first "Press". So after about 1min I shut the engine, the remote won't work after first "Press" and then if I wait further 20sec the remote will work normally. If I start the car during the remote not working, the engine will start & run but the SRS warning light is "ON", Indicator Light Not Working then I have to switch off the Engine "Press" any button on Remote wait 20sec and "Press" any button again until the Central Locking work and then All work normal again.

Is happen on both Remote, The IR on both Remote is working.
If I disconnect the battery/fuse, and reconnect it it will work straight away, but again after 1min it won't work again.

I was thinking the Rear SAM problem, bought Brand New Unit install it without programming and still do same thing.

Can you help me with my problem?

Tx