2002 Mercedes ML320 dead, no crank, no dash lights, good battery

15

Asked by lawjohnson Mar 29, 2016 at 06:08 PM about the 2002 Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML 320 4MATIC

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have an intermittent problem with my ML320.  Unlock the door with the
key fob.  Sit down, put the key in the ignition, turn the key, and nothing.  No
clicks, no noise.  Dash lights are completely off.  Radio is dead.  Even the
little red light for the security next to the radio is off.  

Jump the car, and it cranks like no problem, except the clock is blinking
12:00 and I re-enter the radio code.  I drive it around a few days, making
several trips.  Then the above problem repeats.  Strange that the car will
unlock with the key fob and everything appears fine, until I turn the ignition.  
Then, lights out.

The battery is new (purchased in November), and I get 12.5VDC.  When it
is cranked, I get 14.2VDC from the alternator.  

Please help.  This is my only transportation, and I can't rely on it.

1 Answer

15

Here's your dumb problem with an equally dumb solution. Replace the battery in the key fob. Apparently, the low battery in the key had just enough juice to unlock the doors and then die. When the key went into the ignition, the key battery had nothing, not even enough to provide power to the RFID chip(or whatever) inside the key. Since that was dead, the cars security system overrides the car and a dead car is the result. The car thought I was trying to steal it. Solution: New key fob battery.

1 people found this helpful.

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