Mercedes ESL Replacement on a Mercedes C Class W204 Chassis Have A Bad Mercedes ESL or Mercedes EIS? We Have a Permanent Fix for That

As obsessed as we are with all things Mercedes, we are the first to acknowledge. When we see something that’s not quite right. Today we’re talking about part of the Mercedes EIS being a faulty electronic steering locks (Mercedes ESL Replacement), and an inexpensive way to fix them. “Why? you might ask. If you have a Mercedes C Class W204 chassis you’ve probably already felt the pain of a bad steering lock and it’s just waiting to happen again so you need a Mercedes ESL Replacement or Mercedes EIS programmed.

History of the Mercedes EIS

Mercedes EIS (electronic Ignition Systems) have been using electric steering locks since 1998. On the C-Class, E-Class (up to 2009), the CLK and some later SLK models. It wasn’t until the Mercedes C Class W204 steering lock that owners started noticing issues. An electronic steering lock should be an innocuous thing– meant to irritate would-be thieves and not you. But unfortunately, it appears that the Mercedes C Class W204 chassis lock in particular was poorly designed, and we’ve seen hundreds of reports of them going out all the time, and even folks needing to replace them multiple times over. That’s when you need a Mercedes ESL Replacement.

Owners have complained of their engines failing to start when they try to turn the key fob in their vehicle’s ignition. The car’s electronics, like radio and lights, turn on, but frustratingly, the engine fails to crank. It points directly to the Mercedes EIS. Most common in the Mercedes C Class W204. We’ve also seen this faulty steering lock on the Mercedes E Class Coupe with the W207 chassis. Not as frequently but still we come back to the Mercedes ESL Replacement.

What is typical in the Mercedes C Class W204? First when you insert your remote key in the EIS switch (Mercedes EIS or EZS), it must be recognized by the Mercedes EIS and the ESL. Only then will the EIS unlock the steering shaft, the ignition will switch on and the car will successfully start. If the ESL does not unlock the steering shaft, your car maddeningly won’t start. Owners and mechanics alike, loathe this steering lock. Due to the nature of the EIS this can be quite costly to repair at the dealer. Luckily that’s not your only option.

The Solution?

We have a solution at PRESSERtech to provide a permanent repair. A Mercedes ESL Replacement that you only need to do it once. You’ll never have to worry about the next time your Mercedes C Class W204 steering lock fails. What we can do is replace the steering lock with an emulator (see picture below). It bolts into the exact location as the lock, but doesn’t actually have any moving parts to fail. Now the car thinks it has a steering lock because it is programmed the same as a regular steering lock. But voila, no more worries about malfunctioning ESLs on your Mercedes C Class W204.

But how does that actually work? You will remove a faulty steering lock by first removing the steering column. This includes the steering lock’s bolt. We need to collect the faulty steering locks as a core. We can remove the steering lock from the column for you if you would like. This will be a small additional cost and you will need to provide us with the entire column. First have your local mechanic give us a call and get your Mercedes ESL Replacement and this permanent fix to this faulty C Class W204 steering lock.

New Keys

When we’re repairing your Mercedes C Class W204 chassis steering lock, don’t forget to ask us about additional keys. We can provide brand new keys fully programmed to your vehicle. You will be happy knowing that they are a fraction of the cost of the dealer. We can do this at the same time as your emulator.

We’re happy to answer any questions you have about your Mercedes C Class W204’s electronic steering lock. We’re will also answer any questions on how we can help by replacing it with an emulator. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We know this can be a frustrating issue. You should research all of your options before potentially spending thousands of dollars at the dealership.

At PRESSERtech we have almost 30 years of experience working with Mercedes Benz vehicles, from complete rebuilds to ECU tunes. You can learn more about our services on our About Us page.