There could be a malfunction in the sensor in the door handle. My first S-Class was preowned, and work had been done on the driver's door at some point; the sensor was working, but was not in its proper location. It would work only if I touched the key's IR transmitter directly to the sensor. A tech put it back in place, and everything was OK.

I was fortunate - others have reported a failed sensor.

Also, the reset procedure is a bit involved, and it is referenced in the Encyclopedia. It is the "Global Synchronization of auto open/unlock" procedure in the document you get when you open the second link under "Resets" - the one that talks about windows, and mentions "express close."

 

Hi Warren,
Thanks for the reply.
I have tried resetting everything including the "Global Synchronization of auto open/unlock" as per the "W220 S-CLASS ENCYCLOPEDIA" but no luck.
My car did not respond to pressing "the button between the temp controls" as in the ENCYCLOPEDIA instructions. I deduce that the button referred to is the manual fan control when pressed down or up and the auto fan control when pressed in. I tried it all three ways.
This button is not mentioned in my Owner's Manual for global synchronisation.
What does work to close everything from inside the car, is pressing and holding the recirculate button OR the charcoal filter button. These functions get a mention in my Owner's Manual.
It seems to me that because I can close everything from inside the car, the control unit must be powered and at least partly working.
But because BOTH keys will not work and BOTH front door handles will not receive signals it is unlikely to be either the keys or the IR receivers in BOTH door handles. Chances of both keys or handles failing simultaneously must be low. Both keys transmit IR light pulses which can be seen in the view finder of my digital camera.
So what to do next.
Can anyone direct me to the location of the appropriate control unit?
I can remove a door trim and check (using my CRO) that I have signals coming from the IR sensor but it might be easier to do this at the control unit.
Is there a circuit diagram available anywhere?
Regards, Brian

 

My car did not respond to pressing "the button between the temp controls" as in the ENCYCLOPEDIA instructions. I deduce that the button referred to is the manual fan control when pressed down or up and the auto fan control when pressed in. I tried it all three ways.

Global sync does not work for me also. I have some response from windows to the key IR...sometimes they close, sometimes they don't. I had sensor out...solder joints looks ok. How do I check them?

 

Summer Opening and Convenience Closing Feature DIY Fixed

Thanks to Benz World Poster Jetstream (Stuart), who has an excellent article titled “Convienience close / Summer Opening Fix” I was able to fix my Summer Opening and Convenience Closing Feature. As he predicted it had dry solder joints and was easily repaired in about two hours. See detailed instructions in attached.
Regards,
Brian

Search Key Words: W220 2003 Update S500 LWB Summer Convenience Opening Closing DIY Fix IR Receiver Module Driver's Passenger’s Door Handle Dry Solder Joints CRO Signal Pulses #283 #293

 

Hi Kilek,
The best method of testing the solder joints and the IR receivers would be to use a Cathode Ray Oscilloscope (CRO) as I did in Chapter 5 in Post #4 above.
If you cannot get your hands on a CRO then checking the voltages on the IR sensor with a multimeter would show that the joints were sound. Can't tell you what the voltages should be though. Chapter 5 shows me measuring the signals at the connector.
My convenience opening and closing feature is still working great eight months later.
Best of luck.
Brian

 

Dry solder joints at IR sensor in my case also. Thanks ricebubbles and others.

Yesterday night I came to the car with multimeter and started disassembling sensors from both doors. I did check that convenient feature works at all pressing recirculation button for longer that 1 second first (A/C on). I did not see how to connect multimeter so I pressed the sensor around IR solders at the end of it and a passenger side started to work. That was enough for me to prove theory about dry solders causing convenient feature to work occasionally or not at all.

A rest was a piece of cake. Remove isolation, re-solder, re-cover, re-assemble. Drivers side was little bit harder. Sensor is kept in place by a key lock. Turning a key lock mechanism aside was enough to remove the sensor. That was easy. But during re-assembly of the handle I could not fit the screw to the hole. Is was necessary to keep the doors handle open and fit part with lock and sensor correctly. It could be nightmare without screw being kept in place by plastic rails...thanks Mercedes.

Good luck to anyone. I am going to enjoy this feature first time since we bought this car in our nice hot summer :thumbsup:

Note: WIS is stating that windows does not need to be synchronized for Convenient feature to work with remote key.

 

Hi Kilek,
Well done! It is amazing how many people with M-B's with Convenience Closing/Opening feature who don't know they even have it. Yet in my hot climate it is one of the best features on the car. The best feature is the speed limiter. Couldn't live without that now, especially since in Australia you just cannot afford to speed now.
Regards from Down Under, Brian
PS pleased to see that you have your WIS going as well.

 

Rice bubbles,
Thank you for the great write. My friends car has somewhat a similar problem. The difference is that the key has to be really close at about 6-8 inches to be exact, in order for the summer feature to work. Locking and unlocking could be done from a far distance. We tried both keys with the same results. Now, the sensor is only on the drivers side door and the passenger front does not have one. Could it be that both batteries in the keys are bad? Or do you think this is also the case of dry solder? Thanks in advance.

 

Easy job to try a new battery first. If that doesn't work then dismantle. Maybe the sensor has dislodged. A partially dry joint may cause your problem.
Brian

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Brian,
Does he have to remove the door panel to see if the sensor has moved or can he check it the way you show it on the document ??

 

Only way I know is in my document.

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The same problem here! Thank you for instructions!

Two notes:
1. Original sealing can be more easily removed by heating it up with a heatgun (approx. 120° Celsius) and then the compound can be teared away in large chunks.
2. Instead of epoxy you might want to use "construction adhesive" so that you can remove your sealing when next time your soldering gets dry.

 

Today resoldered IR sensor from driver side doors. This one was working time to time (based on resistance changes due to ambient temperature, I guess).

 

Most likely the IR sensor needs repaired. See my video below on how to get it working again.

Repair Mercedes Summer Opening/Convenience Feature - YouTube

 

Most likely the IR sensor needs repaired. See my video below on how to get it working again.

Repair Mercedes Summer Opening/Convenience Feature - YouTube

A very nice "How to" and thank you

 

Hi Brian (ricebubbles)

I know this is a dated article, but I just wanted to say thank you for your excellent repair procedure on the i/r receiver component of the door handle. I've got two S500 and 3 of the 4 i/r units displayed this very same defect. Mucho Gracias.

Now if I could only get a decent oscilloscope to match your arsenal.

Tower

 

Thanks Tower,
My repaired IR receivers are still working fine after 12 months.
I still think its the vibration caused by the door closing that cracks the solder joints.
Anyway it is an easy fix if you have some soldering ability.
IMHO being able to remotely open all the windows and the sun roof to let the hot air out is the second best feature on the M-B cars.
The best feature is the speed limiter. No more speeding fines.
Regards, Brian

 

Is there away to remove IR sensor without cutting of the hook as shown on this video.

 

My 2003 update S500L has a clip holding the IR receiver in place. See section 4.2 in pdf attached at post #4 above.
I suspect you should be able to push out the roll pin in the model shown in the video to achieve the same result.
Best of luck!
Brian

 

Okay, I'll piggyback onto this thread since it seems more relevant to my current issue than the previous thread in which I posted.

On my '05 220, my original key fob suddenly stopped operating the locking system altogether. I have a second key fob that I recently (just a few months ago) got from the dealer. It would only unlock the car one time out of 10 or 15 tries. Per the video posted above, I removed the receiver part pictured below here...

...and did the solder thing with the 2 points on the end of the receiver part. Both keys will now operate the locking system every time but I have to be within a foot if the sun is not out and almost touching the door handle in the daylight. The Summer convenience function is also working again but that was not my purpose.

I'd like to restore the distance to open the car and have discussed a couple of things with my indie. He suggested finding another shark antenna in the pick and pull. I asked him about the door handle sensor and he says that part is interchangeable. It does not require re-coding for the key to work. If that is the case, I'll snag another out of the next available 220 in the yard and install it to see if that fixes things. Otherwise, it looks like it's the antenna.

My question for now is this...

Is the part in the picture above the same for all M-B of our era or are these specific to the 220's?

There's lots of 210's in the yard and if one of those worked, I'd go for it. I'd check my own 210 but I'm hesitant to remove the door handle from it due to body damage inflicted on the handle itself by a large Chevy truck last year.

 

Hi,

Cannot say for sure but I expect it may be, and will almost certainly be the same as C215 CL's of the same era :wink

If I were you, I'd remove a few at the wreckers and have a look see :wink

HTH,

Cheers Dave

 

door handle has nothing to do with distance unlocking.

That is RF. the door handle is IR.

Worth doing some research first.

 

My repaired door locks are still working fine after about four years now.
You need to have a good look at the information here.
And note that door unlock is RF and convenience is IR.
Best of luck

https://w220.ee/WIS_80.45_Convenience_Feature_(CF)_/_Convenience_Locking_System

 

A quick update...

The IR sensor from a 210 is nothing like the one in the 220 so that was a bust. OTOH, the 210 was a wagon with a black interior so I was able to snag one of the third row cupholders that was undamaged. I now have a matching set to put in my 220. That will be a different thread.

I found another sensor in a 220 that I had overlooked the last time I was there and pulled it, along with the shark fin antenna (minus the damaged black plastic housing) all the way back to the trunk and unplugged it. As careful as I was, I still managed to crack the edge of the back glass when I removed the trim/gasket. That is unacceptable so I will let the indie install it after testing it to see if it solves my distance issue.

I tested the IR sensor right in the parking lot. The key unlocked the car but only as long as I held it right at the handle so no change there. Oddly, the Summer Convenience feature worked fine with the replacement. :dunno:

The whole shootin' match set me back $14 US including my $2 entrance fee so it was a cheap day.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, I stopped by Fort McHenry (home of "The Star Spangled Banner") and bought my lifetime U. S. National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands Senior Pass for $10. It gets me and 3 other adults into any National Park for free. The price of the lifetime Senior Pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents age 62 or over will increase to $80 on August 28, 2017 so I just made it. The wife becomes eligible in September so she'll have to pay $80 for hers.

Also, two bucks at the thrift (charity/UK) shop! If I had ever gone in for bikes, make mine Triumph!

 

Hi,

So the original must have a problem if Convenience is now working :wink

Firstly, try cleaning the Key IR window and the IR window on the Door Handle, they do become misty after a time.

Second, does the range improve at night, if you are using it in direct sunlight it will reduce :wink

My IR's on both cars work from 1 - 4 feet away depending how much daylight, but we aren't getting a lot of sun ATM

Nice Shirt, but should say Kawasaki ZX12R :devil

HTH,

Cheers Dave

 

Well, the Convenience on the original began working only after digging out the coating and re-soldering the two points at the top. This repair allowed both keys to unlock the car again, something that I lost when the problem first arose. The replacement that I got yesterday worked from the get-go. Just no idstance for either.

In strong daylight, I have to hold the key less than an inch from the IR window. This morning, with the car in shadows, the key worked from the back of the rear tire (tyre/UK). It would not work from the rear bumper. I also had to orient the key so that it would point directly at the IR window or it would not work.

When I get more time, I will go into the trunk and disconnect the shark antenna and connect the antenna that I picked up yesterday to see if distance improves. I need to be able to unlock the car from the passenger side in order to hold the door for the missus.

 

In strong daylight, I have to hold the key less than an inch from the IR window. This morning, with the car in shadows, the key worked from the back of the rear tire (tyre/UK). It would not work from the rear bumper. I also had to orient the key so that it would point directly at the IR window or it would not work.

Hi,

OK, from what you are saying here, it looks like the IR is working correctly............

It sounds like you have no or very weak RF Function.

This is either, as you say below, Antenna or Antenna Amp Function, or maybe Key RF Problem :wink

I take it you have already tried replacing the Key Batteries ?

Like Wally I don't think the Shark Fin has anything to do with Locking

HTH,

Cheers Dave

 

I don't think that the remote is on the shark antenna - I think that the antenna for it is on/in the rear window. This is from a feeble memory, but I think that the problem may be in the antenna amp, located under the headlining near the rear window.

I think that some time spent searching this and other web sites will give you some direct info on the remote operation.

 

This post officially takes this thread away from the Summer Convenience feature and off to discuss a weak response from the key fob.

Indeed, I found this thread in the Encyclopedia that tells me that the sharkfin has nothing to do with my problem but the amp might.

W220 antenna system and Key Fob

I quoted the post below from it and bolded/enlarged the text pertaining to the key fob. It would appear that my A2/12 Antenna Booster module is going/has gone bad or at minimum, needs to have its contacts cleaned. For the record, my radio reception is outstanding.

There has been alot of discussion over W220 antennas, GPS losing its location, bad radio reception, which antenna for the cell phone does what and how the key fob works. To try and clear some of the fog I am going to piece together information based on the WIS and lay it out as a reference to the W220's antenna system and how it all works.

Hopefully staying on the correct side of “fair use,” I use diagrams from the WIS, but the verbal descriptions are mine. Mindful of copyright, it will be necessary to refer to the WIS for the more detailed descriptions and technical information provided by MB. To make that easier, I have cited the document numbers so that you can check the WIS for different option codes, model years, and greater detail. You can access the WIS by subscription (annual or daily) at STAR TekInfo

Lets begin... RF signals are picked up by an antenna, In the W220 antenna for FM, TV, AM and Remote Central Locking (your key fob) are embedded in the rear glass. All rear windows have the same antennas embedded regardless of country code. There are some minor shape variations between infrared shielded glass and normal glass but both types are functionally equivalent. In the first diagram below, Locations marked 1 are for the FM bands, for Remote central Locking, and for TV (the tuners were available in Europe only). Location 2 is for AM. Location 3 is actually the sharkfin antenna on the roof; it is not in the glass. Location 4 is for digital audio broadcasts, an option offered only in Germany.

The sharkfin (on the roof) serves to receive and transmit signals when a portable cell phone is plugged in to the system via a cradle (including hybrid Bluetooth cradles that have antenna couplers built in). It also transmits Tele-Aid signals, and may transmit and receive signals for the European UHI system. In North America, most modern portable cell phones do not use the sharkfin or rear bumper antenna, but rely only on the handset’s antenna.

GPS signals are received and passed from the (powered) GPS shark fin antenna to a splitter and on to COMAND; the split incoming signal is also passed to the Tele-Aid module. The shark fin is not part of the rear glass but is attached to it.

Note that the cell phone antenna is both receive and transmit; the others are receive only. In addition, power is delivered to powered antennas in two ways: By separate copper power leads, or via the coaxial cables, which may handle both RF signals and power.

There is a backup/spare TELEAID antenna located in the rear bumper but is not used unless the primary “sharkfin” is defective, as in a rollover. The telecommunication control unit (N112) detects a failure in the sharkfin antenna (A2/49a1) and activates the bumper antennas. Reference document GF82.95-P-3001SZ for specific details.

Reference document is GF82.62-P-3106-01B


Now that we have the signals what do we do with them? Per the diagram below it seems all the entertainment and Remote Locking signals head for an amplifier.

Reference document GF82.62-P-0001A

Reference document GF82.62-p-3105-04A

The amplifier filters out the signals coming from the rear window antennas, selectively amplifies them and sends them out via coax cable to their respective control modules. For AM/FM/TV they go to the Radio or COMAND. For Remote Unlock the key fob signal goes to Overhead Control Panel Control Module.

Some basic troubleshooting ideas:

Some reception, but its pretty weak---- That would indicate that COMAND / radio and antennas are working, but the amplifier isnt passing a strong enough signal. That MAY be due to bad amplifier, poor contact between antenna and amplifier or having a metallic tint applied to the rear window glass. The in glass antennas don’t have a “hardwired” connection to the amplifier. Note the small contact points at the end of each of the arms. That’s what connects to the appropriate antennas in the back glass. (Shown upside down). Anytime you have a “touch” connection you can have gunk ( for lack of a better term ) build up that can degrade that connection.

No reception at all, including key fob unlock ---- No voltage getting to amplifier (check fuse 61 in rear fuse box) means no connection from amplifier to antennas or amplifier has suffered a total meltdown.

And that about covers the in-glass antennas. Next up is the GPS antenna.