Parking pawl on 1980 300sd

[DCM]

My 300sd has about 187,000 miles on it and recently, when parking, it rolls back a bit and clicks before stopping.

I can usually stop that by jiggling the shifting lever in park, but suspect that the parking pawl in the auto transmission might have a problem. It has been getting worse over the last 2-3 months.

If that is the problem, are they difficult and/or expensive to repair?

Thanks

[84300DT]

mine does roll a bit too.. not too bad- but try setting the parking brake with the trans in neutral before putting it into park to keep
any strain off the trans

[Marcb]

I am looking at a 1984 300SD for sale and it doesn't hold at all in park. It keeps rolling unless you set the parking brake. Any idea on what needs to be repaired and what it might cost at an indy?

Thanks,
Marc

[jdblann]

Check the plastic shifter bushings on the trans shifter rod and lever. They get old and crack. Replaced mine, but still the car will roll forward or readward
a little when parking.

[rickjordan]

I had the same exact problem with my first Benz, a 1980 300SD. The day after I bought the car, she started to roll back on me. I thought great, there goes the tranny. As it turned out it was just the bushing in the linkage which my mechanic sold me for $1.50.

[DCM]

Forgot that I had posted this one. Also took it to a private mechanic and he fixed it at little cost. It was also a bushing on the linkage.