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					Originally Posted by Geoc  Currently, my parent's 02 W163 fob decided to poop out for no reason. We tried changing the battery and to no avail. 
 Unfortunately, Mercedes dealerships charge a incredibly high price for replacement fobs and programming. Is there any other cheaper third-party that could do the same?
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  It's probably a chip in the key that is dead. 
I recently bought a blank off eBay.  Low and behold - there is no chip.  I had to swap chips from my old key to the new one.  
 
 
Not sure if its the same for Mercedes-Benz but this is a BMW key.  Your safest bet is to buy from the dealership.  I know it's rape but unless you can find a safe, alternative third-party, then the chances are slim.