2001 E320 51k
Use A Ball Point Pen To Push Below D And Move Shift Lever Out Of
Park, Hold Brake Before Moving Lever And Ign Off, This Is Use For Towing This Is From The Book P-285

This is true for many MB's with electronic shifters (ESM's), but as previously posted, the 215 doesn't have any provision for getting the transmission out of PARK in the event of shifter failure. This is because the 215 (and 220) doesn't have a steering column lock. The shifter is the last line of defense for anti-theft protection.

Until about two years ago, if an S/CL needed to be towed, the shift linkage had to be removed so that the transmission could be manually shifted out of PARK, allowing the car to be hauled onto the flat-bed.

When the new ML-Class, W164 arrived, it presented a problem if a flat-bed was needed, since there isn't any shift linkage to dis-connect. The ML, GL, R, and new S-Class MB's all use the Intelli-Select Module (ISM), which uses a servo-motor to shift the transmission. MB came out with a free-wheeling hub, #164-589-03-63-00, which can be installed on either rear hub, in between the hub and wheel. This allows the vehicle to pulled onto a flat-bed without being dragged.