B2254-08 / B2254-64 / B2254-07 / A25407 / A25408 / A25409 / A25464 / B210D / U0168 Mercedes Electronic Steering Lock Malfunction / Steering Wheel Won’t Turn / Car Won’t Start

This blog post delves into the common issue of a failed ESL (Electronic Steering Lock) that affects a large range of Mercedes vehicles.

Symptoms:

The steering wheel is locked and does not release when the key is inserted OR the steering lock fails to come on when the key is removed from the ignition

You cannot turn the key in the ignition (EIS) OR you can turn the key and the lights come on the dash but the vehicle will not crank or start.

Important note – if your vehicle’s engine is turning over and not starting you are not suffering with the issue that this blog covers.

Associated fault codes:

• B2254-08: Electronic Steering Lock Malfunction – There is a mechanical fault.

• B2254-64: Electronic Steering Lock Malfunction – There is an implausible signal.

• B2254-07: Electronic Steering Lock – Mechanical fault / Bolt stuck.

• B2254-09: Electronic Steering Lock – Component failure.

• U0168-00: Lost Communication with Vehicle Security Control Module (Electronic Ignition Switch/Steering Lock).

• U0168-87: Communication with the Electronic Steering Lock has a malfunction – Missing message.

• B1010-15: Power supply to the control unit is too low (Under-voltage error causing sync loss).

• B2253-64: Steering lock is not responding – Implausible signal.

• B1276-00: Internal fault in the Electronic Ignition Switch (often triggered by ESL failure).

Vehicles affected:

This is a list of vehicles that we have personally worked on that have the described issue. There may be others in the Mercedes range also.

Mercedes C-Class: W204, S204, C204, C63 (2007–2014)
Mercedes E-Class: W212. S212, C207, A207 (2009–2014)
Merecedes CLS: W218 (2011–2014)
Mercedes CLA: C117 (2013–2015).
Mercedes GLA: X156 (2013–2015).
Mercedes GLK: X204 (2008–2015)
Mercedes A-Class: W169, W176 (2004–2015)
Mercedes B-Class: W245 W246 (2005–2014)
Mercedes Vito: W639 (2003–2014)
Mercedes Sprinter W906 (2006–2018)

Important note: Be aware that towing a Mercedes with a locked steering column can potentially cause further damage. An auto locksmith can usually solve this on-site, saving you the cost and hassle of recovery and potentially extra repairs.

Below I will show pictures of the ESL in both it’s locked and unlocked states and explain the function of each part.

ESL in the unlocked position.

In the above picture we can see that the ESL is unlocked after the key has been inserted into the ignition. The steering wheel is able to be turned and the car is able to start.

Now let’s look at a picture of a locked / failed ESL:

ESL in the locked position.

Above we can see the lock is in place preventing the wheel from being turned. The ESL in this state will also stop the handshake between the vehicle’s immobiliser (the EIS) and the ECU – preventing the vehicle from starting.

Now let’s open it up and see what fails inside:

Circuit board inside a Mercedes ESL.

As you can see from the above picture, inside the metal ESL casing is a circuit board with micro controllers and a motor for operating the physical part of the steering lock. The motor is the part that fails most commonly.

The circuit board also has a security chip (NEC) that counts every time the lock moves. If the motor struggles or gets stuck, the chip enters a ‘Fatal Error’ state as a theft-prevention measure. Once this happens, the car will stay immobilized even if the steering wheel is unlocked.

The Solution

So now you’re an expert in the workings of the Mercedes ESL! But what can we do to fix your issue?

The options are:

1) Have Mercedes or an approved garage fit and program a new steering lock (very expensive).

2) Have an experienced auto locksmith such as myself bypass the steering lock.

The second option saves time and a lot of money and is clearly the better choice – but what’s involved?

Well this all depends on whether your ESL has failed in the LOCKED or UNLOCKED position.

UNLOCKED (steering wheel can turn but vehicle not starting):  We travel to you,  program a bypass unit to your vehicle’s immobiliser system and fit the bypass unit to your ESL wiring. (If your ESL is in the unlocked position then DO NOT reinsert your key into the ignition – if the ESL locks then the job is harder and more costly).

LOCKED (steering wheel cannot be turned and vehicle won’t crank/start): This is a bigger and more time consuming job. The first thing we do is wiggle your steering wheel whilst inserting the key in and out of the ignition lock/key slot. This is something you can try yourself and if you manage to get the steering wheel unlocked then don’t take the key back out of the ignition – call us and we can complete the UNLOCKED job detailed above. If this doesn’t work then we are left with two parts to the job. The electronic part which stops your vehicle from starting and the physical part which stops the steering wheel from being turned. We can bypass the electronic part (detailed above) which then leaves us with a vehicle that can start and run but the steering wheel is locked in place. To solve the physical steering lock issue the column usually needs to be dropped down to allow access to the ESL and then the ESL can be safely removed allowing the wheel to turn freely.

I hope this blog post has helped and if you’d like to book us in to solve this issue for you then please contact us either on the contact form located on the homepage or you can phone me directly on 07776 222722.

Please note we only travel within a specific area to fix this issue. If you are just outside this area then feel free to call us and we will try our best to help. You can find our ‘areas covered map’ here.