Mercedes-Benz Forum banner

Smart Key questions ('98 e430)

2K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  '91 300CE 
#1 ·
To all MB owners who have the infrared ' smart key' , have a few questions...

If the computer cant read the code from the smart key, will that allow the starter crank but prevent the engine from starting OR will it not even get that far?

Reason I ask is because yesterday I went to start my car and when i turned the smart key all i heard was the starter cranking, but the engine would not start.

when it was cranking, i turned the key more to the right.- and then it would stop cranking.

After doing this three times, the car started up without any problem( right away) and have had no problem since.


:confused: did i do any damage my turning they key to the right while the starter was cranking???

Also , my key has some scratches on the red infrared part, could that have anything to do with it- or is this a totally different problem all together???


Thankyou!!
 
See less See more
#3 ·
If the computer doesn't recognize the key... the steering wheel will not even unlock. So it has nothing to do with the key.

You should have your engine codes read at autozone or a dealer/indy and see what is causing your no-start issue.
 
#4 ·
[QUOTE='91 300CE]If the computer doesn't recognize the key... the steering wheel will not even unlock. So it has nothing to do with the key.

You should have your engine codes read at autozone or a dealer/indy and see what is causing your no-start issue.[/QUOTE]


Thankyou! that was what I needed to know. So here is the next issue. Since this problem only occured once, when i take it to have the codes read will anything come up since the car is starting up fine now, without problems? **Also no check engine light came on...
from what i read this could be 1 of 3 things

1. starter 2. soleniod 3. Cps :confused:
 
#5 ·
Yeah if anything happened even once... it should be stored in the computer... but sometimes not... my Silverado died going down a hill while out of town... called onstar to do diagnostics and they found nothing... autozone lets you borrow thier reader free of charge.

Starter, probably not if you heard it cranking the engine. Same with solenoid (if you are talking about the starter solenoid)

CPS (crank position sensor)... not sure what the symptoms are, my dads went out in his '99 SL500 but he said it would die at low revs while braking... I dont know the specifics.
 
#6 ·
[QUOTE='91 300CE]Yeah if anything happened even once... it should be stored in the computer... but sometimes not... my Silverado died going down a hill while out of town... called onstar to do diagnostics and they found nothing... autozone lets you borrow thier reader free of charge.

Starter, probably not if you heard it cranking the engine. Same with solenoid (if you are talking about the starter solenoid)

CPS (crank position sensor)... not sure what the symptoms are, my dads went out in his '99 SL500 but he said it would die at low revs while braking... I dont know the specifics.[/QUOTE]


_______________________________________________________________

Didnt know that about auto zone:D , in that case Im going to take the car there tommorow to see if any codes come up ( even though no service lights came on)

Are you familiar with the location of the port to hook the code reader up to?
 
#7 ·
[QUOTE='91 300CE]If the computer doesn't recognize the key... the steering wheel will not even unlock. So it has nothing to do with the key.

You should have your engine codes read at autozone or a dealer/indy and see what is causing your no-start issue.[/QUOTE]

Maybe that is different on different models?
We had bad key in ML and it would start the engine for 2 seconds, than stop it with error message displayed. Than ML has mechanical blockade.
 
#9 ·
Kajtek1 said:
Maybe that is different on different models?
We had bad key in ML and it would start the engine for 2 seconds, than stop it with error message displayed. Than ML has mechanical blockade.
Sounds like it is recognizing the key... but then after starting it loses a connection somehow.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top