'88 300ce gear selector won't go from drive to reverse
 

on the 88 300ce, i can engage reverse only from "P"ark; when i try to engage by moving the selector up from "D"rive, its as if the car is in neutral, and the selector often doesn't always stay in reverse & slides down to neutral. The tranny shifts fine thru the gears in drive. Car was just bought & fluid was clean & didn't smell burnt. No leaks. I've searched but didn't find anything like this. I also have rough start/idle, which, based on what I've learned from this board, I think comes from a rip I found at the end of the hose going from the idle control valve to the distributor. That i will replace. Would this have anything to do w/ the shifting problem? Thoughts? Thanks

What you suggest is happening can have several causes. Since you don't believe it is transmission related; I'd first focus on the easier fix which is the nylon bushings that are at either end of the fittings into which the linkage rod that connects the shift box to the tranny connects. These hard nylon doughnuts about the size of a nickel can wear out and break. What you describe could be caused by part of one of the bushings breaking off, but would likely also result in the car not always locking in Park either. The more likely problem is in the shift box in the console proper, and if you can slop the stick from D to N for example but it stays in gear, the odds increase that it is a bad shift box underneath the console. The fix for me was a junk yard shift box for $50.

Thanks. Could you describe how to replace the shift box, or is it best done by an independent MB shop?

Engaged!
 

Last nite I got into Reverse from Drive by moving the gear selector about 1/2inch above the R notch, & it worked. This suggests the problem is not a major transmission issue, but rather only an adjustment? Can I do it, & how?

I'll stick with the shift box suggestion for now. And no, I can't advise on the do it yourself solution as the shop dropped my replacement box in when doing some other work for me.

The plastic bushing on the lever on the transmission is missing. The extra play at the transmission lever means you have to move the shift lever farther to get the tranny lever to "click" to the next position.

These are very inexpensive, but can be a little difficult to get in place with the car on the ground. I usually take the tranny lever off and put them in a vice, it saves a lot of time getting dirt in your eyes and pinching fingers with vice grips under the car.

There is also another similar bushing at the shifter end of the rod -- if this one is out, the shifter rattles along with being loose. This one you have to reach from inside, I think, through the console.

Peter

If it IS the bushing as I mentioned in an earlier suggestion, and as Peter is suggesting, I can't say for sure on your car but on my 123 coupe I can get to the rear one from underneath the car. This little doughnut bushing does have flanges on either side making it tough to get in press fit into place as Peter says, but I was able to do it by cutting down one of the flanges slightly. Took about an hour of cussing, only to find my problem was in the shift box anyway.

Rick

92 4matic wagon
87 260E
79 300CD
79 280CE
76 300D

Thanks Rick & Peter. Glad to report that I have no rattles at all. I don't have ramps, etc to get the car off the ground but I'm willing to try an on-the-ground repair & avoid the indy shop for this. Could you give me a step- by- step in the initial removal from the car-I do know how to remove the console trim- and the replacement. I have never done anything w/the tranny lever before, not even replacing the shift knob (altho that is a possible upgrade while I'm doing this). Thanks

Richard,

Try doing a search here for the instructions ...I believe someone posted some nice nice ones not long ago.

This probably won't make sense to you now, but will when you see the bushings.

I use a nut and bolt along with a socket to press the new bushings into the bracket, Works like a charm. They can be a bear but they are well worth the trouble when you get'm in and your shift selector is nice and tight again. :)

Richard:

The most likely bushing to be missing is the one on the tranny, not the one inside, so if you cannot jack the car up on stands, you will need to take it somewhere to get the bushing replaced. I seriously doubt you will be able to reach it without raising the car.

On a lift this is a 5 min job, max, so you shouldn't have to pay much. Try a local independent shop that does import cars, ask if they are familiar with Benz, or look in the form for shop locations.

Peter

Thanks Peter. From all the input & search results, I decided the satisfaction factor for this as a DIY project is nonexistent, plus I can't get the car up anyway. So I have an appt Tues -I will report back on whether the shop tries to rip me off. But now I'm forewarned & can knowingly protest. Thanks again to all of you.

Fixed
 

Indy replaced bushings, I'm not sure which ones, and he charged 1 hr labor & $5.89 for the bushings. He said he had to drop the transmission to install the bushings, which sounds quite different from what the posts say the bushing replacement involves. Any comments on time/ cost? Thanks to all.
Richard

By "dropping the tranny" your Tech meant he lowered it to gain access rather than removing it. Not sure how the tranny sits in the tunnel on a 124, but on a 126 there is planty of room to work.

If you'd have done this DIY, parts would have set you back about $2.00.

Mike, by lowering does he have to disconnect it from the engine? That sounds involved. In his last post above, Peter said that once on a lift this was a 5 minute job.

If he lowered it, all he did was remove the crossmember and allow the rear of the tranny to sag a couple inches. If the tranny had been removed you would have been charged way more than one hour labor.

It is an easy job, especially the front bushing: remove the linkage, remove the lever, cut old bushing out and press in new, replave lever, replace linkage. Done.