I have a 220cdi c-class and when I went to use it today the fob key wouldn't work and neither would the spare. I have tested the batterys as per the manual and they are both ok. I can open the door and boot with the emergency key which sets the alarm off however when I try to put the fob in the ignition to stop the alarm it wont turn. This is v frustrating any help would be much appreciated

 

hi, I have the same alarm fault with my c180 203 2001 the Mercedes garage thinks it is the electronic ignition switch ,did you find out what is the problem with your CAR .I m not ready to spend €1000 on the switch .if I’m not sure it is going to fix the alarm problem.

 

Yes it was the ignition switch. I took it to a garage that did service and repairs to mercs and other cars not a MAIN DEALER because there labour charges are about half that of our local dealer. However he did inform me that after replacing the parts he has to order a GREEN KEY to match your existing key to the new ignition which is normally about £160 but he can now return the GREEN KEY to the factory and be refunded the £160 so this extra cost was not passed onto me. The total bill was £550 inc v.a.t. and it took about a week to repair.

Hope this has helped

 

Dear, milber

Thanks for the info it was a great help, I have managed to get the car starting by disconnecting the electric plugs from the switch and refitting them with the key in the ignition.