Why Mercedes needs a specialist
Fortin, iDatastart and Compustar between them cover most of the vehicles on the road with programmable modules. Mercedes-Benz is the gap. The Electronic Ignition Switch and the FBS immobiliser don't behave like anything else, and the mainstream brands largely never solved them.
Mid City Engineering exists for that gap. Every system on this page is built for Mercedes specifically, which is why they cost what they do and why they work when the alternatives don't.
Understanding D3 and D4
The suffix on an SKSNG part number is the single most important thing on it, and it's the difference between a straightforward install and a specialist job.
D3 systems — SKSNG166D3, SKSNG204D3, SKSNG221D3 — need no EIS modification and no key sacrifice. They're the simpler installs, and they're cheaper.
D4 systems — SKSNG166D4, SKSNG204D4, SKSNG222D4, SKSNG231D4 and others — need both. That's the trade for coverage on vehicles the D3 platform can't reach.
You don't get to choose between them. Your vehicle decides, and the fitment table on each product page tells you which applies. What you can do is know before you order, rather than discovering it at install.
Keyless Go matters too
Several systems split again by whether your vehicle has Keyless Go. The SKSNG166D4 and SKSNG204D4 are for push-button start with Keyless Go; the D4T versions are for tip-start vehicles that use a key you insert and turn.
Ordering the wrong one is an expensive mistake on a $1,400 module. If you're not certain which your car has, call us with your VIN.
🔑 What a key sacrifice actually means
One of your working keys is permanently mounted inside the vehicle, hidden, where it satisfies the immobiliser during a remote start. It stays there for the life of the installation.
On a Mercedes a replacement key is expensive, so if you only have two, budget for cutting a spare before you book. It sounds worse than it is — the key sits untouched and your factory security is unaffected — but it's a real cost and we'd rather you knew now.
ⒺⒾⓈ What EIS modification involves
On D4 systems the vehicle's Electronic Ignition Switch has to be physically modified before the remote starter will work.
This is not a job to attempt yourself. The modification is delicate, and getting it wrong can brick the vehicle — the car will not start, and recovering from that is expensive. For that reason the work is handled by a specialist rather than done in the bay.
Add our EIS jumper installation service to your order and we'll arrange it alongside the install.
What you get for the money
These are not cheap systems, and they shouldn't be compared to a $200 remote starter for a Corolla. What you're buying:
A 4 year warranty, well beyond the industry norm.
Factory integration rather than spliced-in wiring, so the vehicle stays as Mercedes built it.
Start from your own key fob using 3xLock, with nothing extra on your keyring.
Heated seats, cooled seats and rear defroster triggered automatically by outside temperature.
Programmable from the steering wheel controls, so run time and thresholds are yours to set.
Smartphone control through Compustar DRONE or Directed SmartStart, sold separately.
Installed by us, or shipped to you
We've been fitting Mercedes systems in Markham for years, with a lifetime warranty on our installation work on top of Mid City's 4 year hardware warranty.
Not sure which system fits? Browse our Mercedes-Benz remote starters by model and year, or call us on 647-439-4485 with your VIN. We'd rather spend five minutes on the phone than have you order a $1,400 module for the wrong car.
