98 slk230 troubles

[1fastmofo]

just bought the car but it did not come with a fob. the car will turn over ut will not start... will the fob stop it from starting? can i order a fob off line or does it have to come from a dealer?

[RedLiner]

It's tempting to buy the cheaper fobs from eBay but you will end up spending more time and money to get the fob programmed for your car.

I know the dealer price is around $200 but it is your safest option.

Edit: when you get a moment, could you complete your user profile.

[IndyBenz]

The key fobs of DAS (Drive Authorization System) equipped Mercedes contain a tiny RFID chip that is attached to the case of the FOB, not part of the circuitry inside. You can tell if your car has DAS by the circular transponder around the ignition which energizes and supplies the code from the chip to the DAS. I believe your 98 SLK is DAS equipped. If you need a replacement FOB you will have to get it from the dealer after supplying the VIN and proof of ownership. This is the only option to get the car started if you don't have the original FOB.

Of course this leads to the question: How did you manage to buy a car that wouldn't start?

[1fastmofo]

got a really good deal on the car. seemed like a neat car

[1fastmofo]

they want 480 for it... the fob transponds with the das correct? where is the das located? these cars are being parted a good bit it seems like it would be easy to get one off of another matched pair. can someone enlighten?

[RedLiner]

See post #3 above, IndyBenz has explained the system there.

[IndyBenz]

I think he's wanting to swap the DAS module from another car along with its key fobs. In theory I suppose this might work but I'm not sure how the DAS is keyed to the other controllers in the car and I suspect it is in some way. At any rate, you would still need the actual keys cut to swap into the fobs as well. I assume that the SLK from that era uses a switchblade key like the SLs do. Because you will find almost no documentation on the DAS system I believe your best bet will be to work through the dealer to get a new fob keyed to your car. Call around, prices vary widely from dealer to dealer. We generally find replacement fobs for the SLs around $200 or so but you need more work than just a replacement fob.