The “Keyless Go” feature on Mercedes-Benz vehicles means that as long as the driver has the key fob on them they are able to lock and unlock the door simply by touching the door handle. Occasionally Mercedes owners find that their keyless go functionality is not working; or works only some of the time. We’ll outline a few of the most common reasons and solutions below.
Does My Mercedes-Benz Have Keyless Go?
The most precise way to know if your Mercedes vehicle is equipped with keyless go is to reference the window sticker, or original options list to see if it is a feature on that specific car. Some Mercedes models such as the modern S class or SL have keyless go as standard equipment. Other models can have it as optional equipment or as part of a premium package. Some Mercedes vehicles do not have the option of having keyless go equipped; such as the G Class or 2020 model year CLA250.
If you do not have access to the original options list the easiest way to tell visually if a car is equipped with keyless go is if the door handles are chrome. Chrome door handles typically mean that the car has keyless go, while body color door handles indicate that the car does not have that feature.
Mercedes Keyless Go Only Works Some of the Time
A commonly reported issue is that the keyless go feature only works some of the time with no real pattern to when it is functioning or not. This can actually be user error on the driver’s part. Modern Mercedes vehicles have a feature where double clicking the “lock” button on the keyfob rapidly deactivates the keyless go functionality the next time the car is approached. Many drivers have a habit of double clicking the button to “confirm” that the door is locked without realizing that they are disabling the keyless go feature. After the car is unlocked with the keyfob the keyless go will work again.
Another possible reason that the keyless go feature is working intermittently is that the key fob battery is low and sensors in the door can’t detect it in the vicinity. Simply replacing the key fob battery will resolve the issue. Check out our guide on replacing Mercedes Key Fob batteries at the link below.
How to Open a Mercedes Key Fob
Keyless Go Doesn’t Work at All
There are a couple of reasons that the keyless go feature may not work at all on a car. For example; if the car’s 12 volt battery is very low it can prevent the keyless go from working. After a car has been sitting for multiple weeks in a row without being driven the battery might be low which will prevent some vehicle functions from working. Starting the car and taking it for an extended drive to recharge the battery should fix this problem. When the car is running or being driven the alternator recharges the battery and can bring it back to an optimal level. If the battery runs down completely the car may need a jumpstart or a battery replacement before the keyless go functionality works again.
If the battery of both the key fob and the car itself are fully charged then it is possible that the sensors in the car that are responsible for the keyless go feature are having issues. This could be caused by a bad fuse or possibly a faulty sensor. These issues may require the assistance of a mechanic or Mercedes-Benz service center to diagnose and resolve.
Change Keyless Go from All Doors to Driver’s Door
If you want to change the functionality of keyless go from unlocking all 4 car doors to only opening the door which is touched simply stand near the car and press and hold the lock and unlock button on the key fob at the same time. After a few seconds you will see a light flash on the key fob. Approach the car with the doors locked and confirm that the change has taken place. If done correctly only the door that is touched with the key fob nearby will unlock. This can be considered a safety feature because it prevents someone else from entering your car from the other side when you unlock your driver’s side door.
