How to Reprogram Your Key Fob Remote Entry Transmitter

Electrical Problems Article

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The remote receiver sits on top of the engine cover under the doghouse. In my 98 you can lift the cup holders out and see the receiver. There is a short black wire that is the antenna. Make sure it's extended up so it will receive a signal.

Find the pink wire possibly with a black stripe (on some trucks this is a grey wire) with a metal connector on the harness near the receiver. Find a ground which will be any black wire or even the case of the computer.

  1. Get all the remotes together
  2. Turn on the key
  3. Touch the pink wire to a ground 4 times in a row. The parking lights should blink 4 times
  4. Push each remote button once, the lights will blink once each time in response.
  5. Turn off key and check all remotes for operation.

Remote photo
From 1998 AMG Service Manual - Under the Doghouse Cover

Programming 2000 Remotes:

Ignition on. Push button on box 3 times. Horn chirps. Press and hold LOCK button on remote until horn chirps again. Press and hold button on second remote. Turn Ignition off.

Programming 2003-2006 Remotes:

The pink wire that you have to touch on the older remotes has been replaced by a half-dome button on the alarm receiver. Hold the button down while cycling the ignition switch off/on four (4x) times. The horn will beep a few short times to let you know it is ready to receive new remotes. Leave the ignition in the On position. Press a key on the remote and the horn will honk to acknowledge acceptance for each remote.


Disabling the horn chirp:

The horn chirp feature can be disabled so that only the parking lights will flash during lock and unlock.

  1. Press and release the unlock button on the remote transmitter button once.
  2. Open the drivers door and leave it open.
  3. Turn the ignition "on" then "off" 5 times within 5 seconds. do not start the vehicle.
  4. When the key is turned on for the fifth time, the horn will chirp twice to indicate that the feature has been disabled. if it does not, the key cycles were not within the 5 second time frame, and the procedure must be started over.
  5. Turn the ignition key "off", and test the system with the remote transmitter.
  6. To reactivate, repeat the procedure.

AMG remotes purchased from a dealer in October 2003 for a 96 truck cost $94.76 for a set of two. The part number is 5744201 and they are called remote entry transmitters.

The transmitters use the 27A battery.

If it looks like the fob's dead, here's a good web site for replacement:Remotes unlimited


The remotes (at least on my '97) are made by ROSTRA Precision Controls, Inc. 910-276-4853 The product code is RT1 I believe when I bought them last year they were $19.95 each . If you want to verify if Rostra is the manufacture of your receiver look under the dog house and read the name of the manufacture on the black box.