Just picked up 98 E300D, need help, key "stuck" in ignition. - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Jeremy5848 · #16 06-07-2008, 09:45 PM

RR = rear view

The lights in the nub beneath the mirror are for the alarm; the red one blinks when you set the alarm (by locking the doors with the remote) and the green one blinks when you unlock. If both blink it means a problem of some kind, including something as simple as a low/wrong battery in the remote.

Jeremy

TMAllison · #17 06-07-2008, 09:55 PM

When DAS recognises the security transducer in the key it retracts the steering wheel lock. You should hear it when key is first inserted and when removed.

CCU = Climate control unit.

RR = rear view mirror. Observe light on underside.

Have you tried another key?

KarTek · #18 06-07-2008, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy5848

RR = rear view

The lights in the nub beneath the mirror are for the alarm; the red one blinks when you set the alarm (by locking the doors with the remote) and the green one blinks when you unlock. If both blink it means a problem of some kind, including something as simple as a low/wrong battery in the remote.

Jeremy

That's only on the '96-'97's. On the '98-'99, the turn signals flash.

Sam, you have some great projects there! I don't envy you having to figure out the electronics on that CRD but it's a great swap idea.

Sir Sam · #19 06-07-2008, 11:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremy5848

RR = rear view

The lights in the nub beneath the mirror are for the alarm; the red one blinks when you set the alarm (by locking the doors with the remote) and the green one blinks when you unlock. If both blink it means a problem of some kind, including something as simple as a low/wrong battery in the remote.

Jeremy

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMAllison

When DAS recognises the security transducer in the key it retracts the steering wheel lock. You should hear it when key is first inserted and when removed.

CCU = Climate control unit.

RR = rear view mirror. Observe light on underside.

Have you tried another key?

Ah, RR tripped me out, I figured it had to mean the ReaR view mirror, but the acronym didn't exactly follow common convention.

Nope, only have one key, and yes, when I put it in the steering wheel lock releases the steering wheel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarTek

That's only on the '96-'97's. On the '98-'99, the turn signals flash.

Sam, you have some great projects there! I don't envy you having to figure out the electronics on that CRD but it's a great swap idea.

Yup, I have no "nub" or anything below the ReaR view mirror.

The CRD electronics stuff is easy, I got that all figured out, course I also have all the reference material I need for that, yay PDF service manuals! right now I am finding troubleshooting this mercedes pretty daunting, I am not envying myself right now, new uncharted waters, been years since I last had a benz and that one was ten years older than this, there's alot to be said for manual injection pumps without drive by wire!

Anyways....only red light I get is here on the door lock button, as previously stated I don't have a "nub" below the mirror.

Here is my guage cluster when first turned to on:

And after a few secs when the glow plug light goes off:

Now, as you can see, even with the key out and my foot off the brake I can shift it out of gear. I feel like my linkages need some adjustment, I'm betting the NSS/brake interlock is acting up which is why I cannot crank the car.

And lastly, the CCU readout:

Which is also what my mutlimeter showed me. 12V is fine now, the real question is what the voltage drops to under load. At this point I really doubt the battery is the problem, seems much more likely its a brake/NNS issue.

TMAllison · #20 06-08-2008, 01:09 AM

You should not be able to shift with key out.

Did any air bags or seat belt tensioners blow? Any CEL?

Sir Sam · #21 06-08-2008, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMAllison

You should not be able to shift with key out.

Did any air bags or seat belt tensioners blow? Any CEL?

Negative on all counts.

Only thing I can really figure is that during the accident someone had their foot on the brake, when the impact did come extra force was transferred down into the brake pedal causing some issues with the interlocks.

Course, while that kinda makes sense, I've never seen that issue before. In all the front end collisions I've never had something like that fail, so it feels a little odd that it would happen now.

And it also follows that this would not have been a problem prior to the accident because it seems to make the vehicle undriveable.

So I dunno - I need to get some good reference material so I can find out where things are, where things go, and what they do, then I can start testing those components.

Fun stuff.

KarTek · #22 06-08-2008, 07:09 AM

Wow, you got the $160 new key too! Keep us posted on your progress with this project. I've done a few "rebuildable wrecks" and it's interesting to me to see the pictures of the front end without any covers, bumper, etc... Oh, and if you haven't figured it out yet, you can press the orange button on the hood hinge and it will raise up nearly vertical to save your head from undue trauma and allow easier access to components.

TMAllison · #23 06-08-2008, 12:45 PM

You've already tried to crank it in N, R and other gears to see if it might be the NSS too, right?

I suspect that because you can shift with key out that you've still got an issue with the brake switch.

You asked about liquid in the shifter a while back. Yes, that can fry the NSS and/or shifter.

KarTek · #24 06-08-2008, 01:30 PM

I was just under the hood of my car and happened to think that the drivetrain on your car may have been shifted during the front impact. As a rough point of reference, if you look at the very back of the black plastic cover on top of the engine, it should be almost exactly an inch from the rubber seal that runs around the rear of the engine compartment.

This would definately throw off the alignment of the shifter. I think that 1/2" of movement in the drivetrain translates to about 1" of shifter movement. This may help explain your shifting/NSS issues.

I also noticed the selector switch on the console is set to "W". It should be on "S" for 99% of your driving. W makes it start in 2nd gear for easier movement on slippery surfaces.

Sir Sam · #25 06-08-2008, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarTek

Wow, you got the $160 new key too! Keep us posted on your progress with this project. I've done a few "rebuildable wrecks" and it's interesting to me to see the pictures of the front end without any covers, bumper, etc... Oh, and if you haven't figured it out yet, you can press the orange button on the hood hinge and it will raise up nearly vertical to save your head from undue trauma and allow easier access to components.

I had not figured that out yet, I saw it and wondered what it was. That grill sure can catch ya though, dunno how many times I banged the back of my head there on my 87 300sdl.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMAllison

You've already tried to crank it in N, R and other gears to see if it might be the NSS too, right?

I suspect that because you can shift with key out that you've still got an issue with the brake switch.

You asked about liquid in the shifter a while back. Yes, that can fry the NSS and/or shifter.

Yup, no crank anywhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarTek

I was just under the hood of my car and happened to think that the drivetrain on your car may have been shifted during the front impact. As a rough point of reference, if you look at the very back of the black plastic cover on top of the engine, it should be almost exactly an inch from the rubber seal that runs around the rear of the engine compartment.

This would definately throw off the alignment of the shifter. I think that 1/2" of movement in the drivetrain translates to about 1" of shifter movement. This may help explain your shifting/NSS issues.

I also noticed the selector switch on the console is set to "W". It should be on "S" for 99% of your driving. W makes it start in 2nd gear for easier movement on slippery surfaces.

I will take a look at that. The real question is, is there adjustment in the cables anywhere where I could "pickup the slack"?

What strikes me a little odd is that I can shift it with the key out, which on your good working car you should not be able to do - even with your foot on the brake.

It feels like there is a key->transmission interlock here that I'm missing.

Sir Sam · #26 06-12-2008, 02:23 AM

Welp, got it started today. unscrewed the shifter assembly from the console, with all the screws out and just a little bit of movement the whole assembly kinda "popped" like it was in a bind, immediately after the shift acted normally and would not shift out of gear.

Turned key to on, wait for glowplug, and crank, fires right up. i run it for about 2 seconds and then shut it down.

Fired it up again a little while later to get a quick listen to the engine(don't want to run it long without coolant). got my first look into the engine bay and saw that my trans hose bypass had failed and fluid was gushing out quite quickly.

So now I am definately going to have to replace some ATF. This stuff smells wierd and looks different than regular fluid - what the heck kind do I need to get to refill it?

nhdoc · #27 06-12-2008, 07:06 AM

You need to buy the fluid from the dealer as it is a special type. There are now two approved fluids. The original one is only for your model 722.6. The new one is for the 722.9 but they say it is backward compatible to the 722.6 too and is a little cheaper. You might want to do a complete fluid/filter change on it too.

KarTek · #28 06-12-2008, 09:22 AM

Yeah, and there's a crazy procedure to drain the TC and then add the proper amount of fluid by adding fluid, warming it up some and adding more (or something like that). Details can be found via a search here. You'll also find that there's no dip sitick for the tranny so you'll have to make one or buy the "tool".

The fluid probably looks funny because it has carbon from the transmission infused in it.

Now that you got it started, there's a cool thing about the ignition. After finishing the glow cycle, simply "flick" the key to the start position and then release it. The engine will crank itself until started or for a pre-determined amount of time.

Hatterasguy · #29 06-12-2008, 10:58 AM

It sounds like you need new engine and trans mounts, I bet the whole thing shifted forward a bit. No reason for the shifter to be like that.

TMAllison · #30 06-12-2008, 12:07 PM

If you are going to "add" trans fluid, I would suggest using the 722.6 product rather than the newer #3353 fluid for the 722.9.

The trans fluid temp needs to be at 80C (not coolant temp) when you check it and it is now recommended it be filled to the upper range of the 80C fill marks.

The measurements of the fill marks have been posted previously if you wanted to make your own tool to check the fill. If yuou cant find it let me know and I'll measure mine.