History of the Mercedes key

Mercedes started getting serious about theft just before it hit a historic peak in 1991, to stay ahead of the curve they introduced the first steering wheel lock in 1989 that was built into the column to allow the owner to remove the key and lock the wheel without using an external device to do it in the Mercedes 300CE model. Before switching over to an electronic steering lock or ESL starting in 1998 this increased the difficulty of bypassing it. The ESL works alongside with the EIS or electronic ignition switch to communicate to each other under the FBS umbrella.

Going thru the timeline of how the Mercedes key evolved over the years into what it is now is intriguing. As with all automobiles, some of the first required a hand crank to start them, later on requiring a mechanical key to drive. Starting in the year 1996, Mercedes moved over to chipped keys that worked alongside with their immobilizer system they called Das 1 and Das 2, you can tell when they did the change when they switched over to high security keys from double edged cut keys. Very quickly, starting in 1998 they changed the remote up with the remote flip key from the stand alone key, making it easier to not lose by having everything attached together. The remote flip keys were used in there most common models including the C-Class from 1997-2000 to the SLK-Class from 1998-2004 as well as the Sprinter van from 2006 all the way up to 2018. It worked well for them, although making it more complicated for getting a Mercedes key replacement due to the EEPROM work needed to extract the data to create a new key. Dats 3 was also introduced at the same time. For most Mercedes Benz vehicles, the year 2004 was when they started making remote fobik keys with infrared communication. This was also when FBS3 was first put into Mercedes vehicles. The tip of the key sends information to the electronic ignition switch to verify it is the correct fob to the vehicle, once verified it can rotate and start the vehicle. The key will not start until its programmed, however. Starting around 2012, keyless go, a new way that starts the car was released. Acting as a proximity, there is no need to ever hold your keys ever again as there are sensors all around the vehicle that know if you have your key in your pocket or not, allowing you to unlock it with only your hands on the door latch or pressing the hood latch button it can open. Equipped with a push to start button, there is no need to insert any kind of device into the dashboard or around the steering column as it detects the keyless go fob in your pocket wirelessly. However, in 2014 they switched to the das4 system which included the FBS4 system, unfortunately there is no tool on the market that can produce a working key fob for these vehicles. Only the dealership is the gate keeper to those keys.