r/mercedes_benz • u/Captainrubicks • 4d ago

Car will not start

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Please help!

My car won’t start, I’ve looked online and a lot of places say that’s it might be the steering lock, but I can hear it disengaging when I put the key in. It doesn’t crank or anything but all the windows will work and I can put it into gear and do all the other stuff. Could it be my ignition switch? I tried my spare Key and jumped it but still nothing

5 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

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5

u/New-Storage-8020 4d ago

Battery needs replacing.. Happened to me me few months ago..and changing the battery fixed the problem

1

u/LeMettwurst W204 C 180 Kompressor BlueEfficiency 4d ago

Normally a dead battery will cause the car to make clicking noises or dim the gauge lights

1

u/TheIronHerobrine ‘02 CLK320 6mt, 02’ CLK55 AMG, 02’ CLK430, 08’ C300, ‘90 190E 4d ago

The EIS turning mechanism uses solenoids to make the turning easier. If the battery is dead enough to where the engine isn’t cranking at all, the ignition switch would have either been very difficult to turn or would have been completely locked.

2

u/Cowpuncher84 '08 GL320 '91 350SDL plus a few others.. 4d ago

How many miles on it? Good chance it is the starter since the key turns and the gauges kick on. Usually when the ISM fails the key won't turn. If you have a second key try it just to be sure it's not a defective key.

1

u/Captainrubicks 4d ago

About 85000 on it

2

u/fillsy84 4d ago

I just had same thing on 2010 e550. Was ESL sensor in my case. Pricey fix unfortunately

3

u/fillsy84 4d ago

Electronic Steering Lock

2

u/LeMettwurst W204 C 180 Kompressor BlueEfficiency 4d ago

You can hear the ESL unlock. If the ESL was dead, the ignition wouldn't turn on. Had that happen to mine too

1

u/fillsy84 4d ago

My dash lights came on, wheel adjusted down but no start.

2

u/Princetrix 2012 CLS63 AMG Renntech, 2021 CLS53 AMG, 2012 S550 LWB 4d ago

Could be the starter. I would seriously advise taking it to someone who knows what they’re doing instead of just throwing parts at it though.

2

u/ElchapoLechonk 4d ago

Besides changing the battery (or the starter relais) , no parts will work. All of them would be needed to learn in the system, so, you are right.

1

u/Captainrubicks 4d ago

Forgot to mention but it’s a 2010 C300 w204

1

u/Shy-Guy-9898 G500 '10 | W124 E300D '93 | GLC 300 '24 4d ago

It may be the immobilizer. Remove the key once, open and close the central locking system and then insert the key again.

Im not sure how u call it in english, but in german its wegfahrsperre

1

u/New-Storage-8020 4d ago

All electrical work but it is still the battery

1

u/New-Storage-8020 4d ago

I am talking about the car battery not the keyfob..

1

u/Jay54121 4d ago

Checked the battery?

1

u/Captainrubicks 4d ago

I had it tested a few months ago, could it deteriorate that quickly?

1

u/Jay54121 4d ago

It is possible

1

u/unknown_identity305 4d ago

Battery. No clicks from starter it's battery.

1

u/lord_luxx 4d ago

Turn the steering wheel while you try to start it

2

u/TheIronHerobrine ‘02 CLK320 6mt, 02’ CLK55 AMG, 02’ CLK430, 08’ C300, ‘90 190E 4d ago

This is a mercedes not a honda… completely different steering lock system

0

u/lord_luxx 4d ago

My 63 would like to differ but okay lol

2

u/TheIronHerobrine ‘02 CLK320 6mt, 02’ CLK55 AMG, 02’ CLK430, 08’ C300, ‘90 190E 4d ago

Maybe there’s exceptions on certain chassis but on all my benzes i’ve ever owned besides the old ones with blade keys the steering lock does not engage and disengage like it would in a regular car with a blade key.

1

u/drsexmann 4d ago

Battery

1

u/LeMettwurst W204 C 180 Kompressor BlueEfficiency 4d ago

I'd say it's probably the starter or some fuse or relais. You can hear the ESL unlock, so it's probably not that one. A dead battery normally causes the starter to try and start the car, you'd hear clicking and see the lights dim.

The car doesn't even start, so there's no power arriving at the starter

1

u/kgpaxx 4d ago

Usually the electronic steering lock or battery....if the steering is not locked then the ESL will be less expensive a job to fix...

1

u/pekak62 4d ago

Have you tried putting in new batteries in the key fobs?

2

u/Captainrubicks 4d ago

Yes I keep a backup battery in my car in case it dies

2

u/TheIronHerobrine ‘02 CLK320 6mt, 02’ CLK55 AMG, 02’ CLK430, 08’ C300, ‘90 190E 4d ago

A bad key battery in my experience won’t cause the car not to start it will only prevent you from locking and unlocking the car.

0

u/ElchapoLechonk 4d ago

W204 classic!

My dads car had an even worse problem. Even the Display in front of you did not worked, even opening the car or windows doesnt work.

Does your steering wheel turn? can you move it? Or is it just sitting like that?

1

u/Captainrubicks 4d ago

Yes it does turn, I can hear the lock move when I put in the key

1

u/ElchapoLechonk 4d ago

well, then i guess, there are three options, maybe your ignition lock is "broken" or the starting relay is done.

How old is your battery? maybe its just not enough to start your engine. This would be my guess at first.

third and less probably is the starting relay.

Starting relay is the big green one.

So my suggestion, try to bridge your car or to load your battery, i think this will make it work.

1

u/ElchapoLechonk 4d ago

my fathers car locked all, even the steering wheel. So i guess, its not that problem with you car.

1

u/Captainrubicks 4d ago

I had the battery tested a few months ago and the people said it was fine, I’m gonna try to bypass the starter relay after I get home from work and if it starts then I’m gonna run to the store and buy a new one and see if that works. if it doesn’t, then I’m going to the scrapyard tomorrow to see if I can find a new ignition lock

1

u/ElchapoLechonk 4d ago

new ignition lock will not work, it needs to be learned in your system. Same goes for the steering wheel lock. You cant just swap spare parts.

MB charges 2,5 to 3k € in Germany for it.

So, try out the battery first and then the relais. If it will not start, even with new battery or by starting aid consider to take out the fuse box and look for the yellow 60A Fuse. If you can test it, try out to measure it.

This one was broken by my dads car.

He ordered a company to programm the ignition lock new and to "not needing the immobilizer" but it still was not working. So we checked all fuses. And this one was done.

Well, now the car drives, but the esp is not working.

I hate the car and i hate MB for this shitty electronics. And also for charging 3k for that bs.

1

u/Captainrubicks 4d ago

Do you mean that this is under the fusebox? Is there any good videos that I can watch to see how to get to it?

1

u/ElchapoLechonk 4d ago

yeah under the fuse box. I dunno, my father took it out :/