Mercedes Remote Engine Start DIY Kits using factory key fob

Last updated: October 27, 2026

With winter just around the corner, you may wonder if installing a remote engine starter on your Mercedes-Benz is possible. If you have a Mercedes-Benz mbrace then you are lucky as you can use your smartphone to remote start your Mercedes-Benz. Even if you don’t have mbrace installed, you can still install an aftermarket kit that will allow you to start your Mercedes-Benz remotely.

Due to the security features installed on your car, you can’t install a universal $50 remote engine start kit. Most installation shops won’t be able to install remote engine start on your MB if they don’t have a kit designed specifically for Mercedes-Benz cars.

List of remote engine start kits that work on Mercedes-Benz

1. iDatalink ADSBZ

One remote engine start kit that works on Mercedes-Benz and will allow you to remote start your Mercedes-Benz is the iDatalink ADSBZ1 two-way MB Remote Starter Kit. The main advantage of this kit is that it is a plug-and-play remote starter kit. It comes with a remote that has coverage of up to 3000 ft, or you can use the factory Mercedes-Benz key fob. If you use the factory key fob, the range is limited, and you must press the LOCK button three times to start or stop your car.

You can download the installation manual for the iDatalink ADSBZ1.

While this remote starter kit is plugged in and played, you will still need to know how to locate the different components on your car to plug this unit. You will also need a flash link adapter for your specific Mercedes-Benz model on the remote starter kit. Some sellers can flash the correct firmware for you before they ship the unit.

Below is a video on remotely starting a Mercedes-Benz C-class with the iDatalink kit installed.

You could also use the iDatastart ADS-BZ3 if you would like to start your Mercedes-Benz using your smartphone. If you go this route, you must also install the Drone Mobile app, which allows you to control your Mercedes-Benz via your smartphone. Watch how this setup works.

These instructions work on newer Mercedes-Benz models such as the C-Class, S-Class, E-Class, ML-Class, CLS-Class, etc.

2. SmartKey Starter

The SmartKey Starter systems allow you to enable remote start capability for most Mercedes-Benz cars from 2003 to the present. They use the factory remote and the panic button to start the remote. Either kit depends on that fob working reliably, so if yours is intermittent, sort out why the key fob is not working before adding a starter kit. This is also a plug-and-play unit that independent shops near you can install. You will need to have an experienced technician install this kit for you, but you may be able to install it yourself if you are technically inclined.

Feedback

Have you used an aftermarket Mercedes remote engine start kit? Use the comments below to let us and other Mercedes-Benz owners know of other possible options.

 

What to check before and after the install

An aftermarket remote start kit is not a bolt on accessory. It taps into the car’s wiring and talks to modules that were never designed to hear from it, which is why these kits are model specific and why a shop without the right one cannot fit them. A sloppy install usually announces itself later rather than immediately, as a communication fault stored in a module, a warning lamp that comes and goes, or a convenience feature that quietly stops working.

That is worth knowing before and after the job. Scanning every control unit first gives you a record of what the car had stored before anyone touched the wiring, and scanning again afterwards shows whether the install introduced anything new. Reading all the modules rather than the engine alone takes a scanner built for it, and the YOUCANIC UCAN-II Pro is one example of that class of tool. If odd electrical behavior started after work like this, our writeup on unrelated faults appearing at once is the place to start.