2000 C280 Stuck in park = Brake Light Switch

[glenmore]

From searching the archives, this does not seem to be a common problem but it is probably worth repeating.

2000 C280 with about 70k. My wife called saying the car was stuck in park and she couldn't move the shifter. I asked if she was parked on an incline and she was. My only suggestion was to turn the wheel lock to lock a few times and this somehow freed the shifter. I thought this was nothing more than the weight of the car on the shift lock. Then it happened again on flat ground and I found the emergency procedure in the archives. There is a small trap door under the "D" in the shifter panel. Slip the blunt end of a pen down there about an inch or so and release the shifter. This emergency procedure will tide you over until you can get a new switch, about $20. Replacing is routine. Remove small vent grill. Four screws to lower the trim piece. I unhooked the hood release cable but you may not have to. Note the tab on the new switch and grab the old switch, depress tab, turn clockwise about a quarter turn to release. Attach wire plugs to new switch and insert. Note the two different sized tabs on the nose of the switch. It can only go in one way. Also you'll have to depress the brake pedal a bit to get the new switch in. I noticed that the plunger in the old switch was no longer fully extended, probably indicating a worn out spring.

Glenmore
1991 300CE
2000 C280