@asemaster, I guess I’m stuck with pre-2000 cars for the rest of my life…hoping my '99 CR-V will get me through to 2020 or so…
Actually MB does stock really old parts back to 30 years usually. This is quite atypical the vast majority of car makers as they stop at a certain point.
They ran out of a part and its (quite) frustrating,
This is a mechanical, not electronic problem. A lot of cars will do this, but centering the steering wheel between the extremes of the locking mechanism will usually free it. Something must have broken inside the lock mechanism. Someone should be able to take this thing apart and fix it.
I own a 1989 Caddy Allante…It has electronic everything, the first car to be so hobbled…I bought it cheap because the ignition switch was jammed and nobody would touch it. Caddy dealers refuse to work on these cars… It has an electronic key…It now has a universal ignition switch mounted on the bottom edge of the dash where you can’t see it…The electronic key still performs it’s function in the steering column but it’s not connected to the failed ignition switch and it’s Rube Goldberg linkage…The Benz system sounds sounds more sophisticated, but as long as the key holder sees the correct key, what happens after that is not important…Using the Allante wiring diagram, I simply moved the wires over to the universal switch as they were connected to the original mechanical switch. But to be sure, the factory key must be in the column lock or the anti-theft system goes into action, horn blaring, lights flashing, siren, no start…
This is becoming a serious problem for many customers. We have received countless calls from Mercedes Dealers and Independant Service Providers with stuck vehicles. Unfortunatly the design of the anti-theft system prevents anyone from using used donor part unless MANY other parts are changed too. But then you have a vehicle with unknow immobilizer codes and you would not be able to get any replacement keys from the manufacturer.
But there is hope. Technology has been developed which will allow you to clear the coding in a used steering lock and have it installed in your vehicle. The used locks must be removed without damage. This can be done with the correct software and tooling. If you do not have access to this equipment you can remove the upper part of the steering lock assembly and we can safely remove and renew the locks. Please contact us at www.beckmanntechnologies.com for more information.