The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph's College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
A 4th Door HandleIn 2023, Mercedes-Benz added a 4th door handle that hides the key hole to its model line up. Thus far they are seen only on the CLE Cabriolet and 2024 GLC models.
Effectively, it continues a trend is to move away from the need to remove a piece of 
the door handle to use the mechanical key if the battery in the key fob dies.
Pulling the driver’s door handle to the open position reveal the key hole underneath the back of the handle (right). Its a simple process to then insert the key and turn to get inside. This will 
likely set off the alarm. It will shut off when the car is started.
This compliments the flush door handles first seen in 2021 Maybach models. This has now been added to AMG and EQS models in 2023, EQE, E-Class, S-Class and C-Class models in 2024. The key hole is revealed in the center of the space when the door handle is pulled open (right).
Smart Keys or Intelligent Keys, or Access Keys – or whatever the manufacturer of your chooses to call them – that let you into your car and start it with just a touch use up their internal batteries at alarming rates, catching busy drivers unawares – even though the car had tried to warn you.
Our goal is to help you feel safe – and keep you moving or get you moving if at all possible – rather than leave you fretting whenever your key fob stops working. The instructions for getting into and starting most keyless start cars can be found on our pages – without roadside assistance.
We’ve updated the back up entry page here.
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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/08/mercedes-benz-adds-a-4th-door-handle-style/
Mercedes Back-up Start Page UpdateChanges in the 2024 G-Class SUV required a Mercedes back-up start page update. The models joined the GLE and GLS SUVS which use a slot found inside the center console storage area at the front as a back-up start location, and have done so since 2019.
As is true with most Mercedes-Benz models, the back-up spot is marked with the image of a key with lines radiating from it (left).
We say most, because a handful of models, like the C-Class, use a cup holder as the back up start spot and, while the cup holders are marked, the image used is that of the key fob or SmartKey itself!
Note: For reasons unknown, all the Mercedes models we’ve tested have s light delay built in after the start/stop button is pushed and the key fob being recognized. Not to worry…
Smart Keys or Intelligent Keys, or Access Keys – or whatever the manufacturer of your chooses to call them – that let you into your car and start it with just a touch use up their internal batteries at alarming rates, catching busy drivers unawares – even though the car had tried to warn you.
Our goal is to help you feel safe – and keep you moving or get you moving if at all possible – rather than leave you fretting whenever your key fob stops working. The instructions for getting into and starting most keyless start cars can be found on our pages – without roadside assistance.
——————————————————————-
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/08/mercedes-back-up-start-page-update-needed-for-g-class-suvs/
Alfa Romeo dashboard symbolsWe updated our Alfa Romeo dashboard symbols page. In the process we added nearly a dozen new symbols.
This was due to the addition of a hybrid system in the 2024 Tonale. Most of the symbols we already featured from other manufacturers, but as is too often the case, the company added a new E-Boost system that required three brand new lights.
E-Boost is a belt-driven 48V hybrid system. This system helps in stop-and-go (see this link) situations and translates to improvements for the official city fuel economy. Seen in white, the E-Boost system is unavailable. Seen in gray it is available and in green, it is engaged.
The indicators are seen as a lightning bolt in a cloud-like circle. As noted, the colors alert the driver to the status of the E-Boost system.
The Alfa Romeo symbols page is here and the E-Boost system got its own page here.
Cars are changing, and among those changes is the growing number of symbols and indicators that will invariably show up on your dashboard or instrument panel. Every year, new features are added to vehicles, each of which is accompanied by a new symbol or symbols and likely a new acronym.
At DashboardSymbols.com, our aim is to help you understand what is happening to your vehicle at the first sign of trouble – a new warning light illuminated on your instrument panel. Its all here on this website. Our first intention is to bring the latest technologies down to earth and understandable for everyday drivers.
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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/08/alfa-romeo-dashboard-symbols-page-updated/
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/08/yes-your-ev-has-a-12-volt-battery-too/
When to call serviceI wanted to pass along something that happened to me recently, which really pointed out the knowledge gap between salespeople and service personnel, and when to call service!
I was trying out a new electric model, BMW‘s iX, and of course I had to ask about how to get at the key hole in case of the key fob battery dies. I was talking to the salesperson at the time.
Once we determined and demonstrated what the process was, he happened to say that it it was so much easier than another model, where one ends up scratching the paint!
Now I immediately knew that there was no model in the related line up that would ever see paint damage when getting to the key hole. He walked me over to one, a 5-Series, and I had the cap hiding the lock cylinder off in a single move. See the instructions here.
The point here is that he had clearly fielded at least one call from a customer trying to get into his or her car, and neither of them took the time to talk to a service advisor.
This is not exclusive to BMW at all, so regardless of make or model, this was a time to call the service department!
Smart Keys or Intelligent Keys, or Access Keys – or whatever the manufacturer of your chooses to call them – that let you into your car and start it with just a touch use up their internal batteries at alarming rates, catching busy drivers unawares – even though the car had tried to warn you.
Our goal is to help you feel safe – and keep you moving or get you moving if at all possible – rather than leave you fretting whenever your key fob stops working. The instructions for getting into and starting most keyless start cars can be found on our pages – without roadside assistance.
——————————————————————-
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/08/when-to-call-service-and-not-your-salesperson/
Buick opening instructionsWe recently updated Buick opening instructions when the battery in the key fob dies. That’s on this page, the Buick dead key fob page.
This was necessitated by the new Envista introduced in 2024. Most Buick’s today hide their key holes, but the Envista is a whole new ball game. The key hole or lock cylinder is hiding behind an oval cap seen towards the rear of the driver’s door handle (right), which would need to be removed to expose the cylinder.
Removing the cap requires pulling the handle out and using the mechanical key to press on a difficult to see spot. See the page for full instructions.
Starting the car hasn’t changed, but it will assume that the start battery is good. And if not, we will can get you inside and ready for a jump start.
Smart Keys or Intelligent Keys, or Access Keys – or whatever the manufacturer of your chooses to call them – that let you into your car and start it with just a touch use up their internal batteries at alarming rates, catching busy drivers unawares – even though the car had tried to warn you.
Our goal is to help you feel safe – and keep you moving or get you moving if at all possible – rather than leave you fretting whenever your key fob stops working. The instructions for getting into and starting most keyless start cars can be found on our pages – without roadside assistance.
——————————————————————-
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/08/buick-opening-instructions-updated/
Mercedes Benz videoWe just added a new Mercedes Benz video to our YouTube channel. It is specifically for 2019 and newer GLE and GLS SUVs as well as 2024 and newer G-Class SUVs with a dead key fob battery and in many cases a hidden key hole.
These models are the first to use a back up location in the center console storage area. Prior to this, the location was somewhere at the front of the center console.
We’ve added the video to our Mercedes Benz video page, which now features nine videos. You can find them all here at this link. The new video can be seen here.
Remember to replace the batteries in your key fobs at the first moment you see a warning on your instrument panel!
Smart Keys or Intelligent Keys, or Access Keys – or whatever the manufacturer of your chooses to call them – that let you into your car and start it with just a touch use up their internal batteries at alarming rates, catching busy drivers unawares – even though the car had tried to warn you.
Our goal is to help you feel safe – and keep you moving or get you moving if at all possible – rather than leave you fretting whenever your key fob stops working. The instructions for getting into and starting most keyless start cars can be found on our pages – without roadside assistance.
——————————————————————-
Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2024/08/we-just-dropped-a-new-mercedes-benz-video/
Yes, your EV has a 12-volt battery too!
I got a panicked call from a friend recently. Her car, which happens to be a Tesla Model Y, was giving her real headaches. In the end, I got to tell her that her EV has a 12-volt battery too.
The symptoms were that it wouldn’t open, it wouldn’t respond to the key card or phone, at least not willingly. Once she got inside, it was difficult to start and began throwing messages at her.
Included in those messages was one that stated that the low voltage battery was failing.
Now as an EV driver, when she saw battery, she immediately thought the worst: that the car’s primary source of power, the battery, was failing. She did not realize that an EV also uses a 12-volt battery to essentially start the car through its electrical system! Hence the panic.
This can happen to any EV from any manufacturer. To all EV drivers, your car also uses a 12-volt battery to get things rolling. The distinction is low-voltage vs high-voltage. What your car relies on for propulsion is a high voltage battery.
Note to manufacturers: most drivers are just that. Drivers. They are not car people and need clearer explanations of failing systems and what they need to do. We’ve harped in this for years…
So, as a driver, if you see a warning about the car’s low-voltage battery, its time for roadside assistance. And its your best option: servicing anything electrical in an electric vehicle is potentially very dangerous.
My friend also asked about having the car jump started. However, the car had not been sitting unused for any length of time, which can create a situation that a jump start will resolve. In here case, the car is several years old and its simply more likely that the battery needs to be replaced. A good roadside service like AAA can make the determination and replace the battery.
However, it turned out that AAA won’t replace the start battery in a Tesla! The driver opted to do it after work hours!
Click here for our list of roadside assistance phone numbers. And if you want to know more about jump starting, see the video we did here.
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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY