Shifter stuck on park in my 2000 S500 !!!!!!!! - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

#1 02-26-2004, 02:30 AM

My shifter in my 2000 S500 is stuck in park - only in the morning for the pat few days - I had to yank it Yesterday to move it to R , after that it operated 100% perfect all day . Today I had to do the same thing too ! it operated normally all day except if the car has been parked more than 4-5 hours - What could the problem be . Please help!

joe p · #2 02-26-2004, 08:16 AM

Did you spill anything in it? The most common problem I've seen was sticky stuff spilled in 'em.

Joe

Gilly · #3 02-26-2004, 08:20 AM

Mr Mad Face:

The shifter assembly is actually considered a control module also. No parts available for it.
Since you "forced" it to shift, we can assume it's getting the signals to operate, but is jamming a bit, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to force it to move. You're supposed to read the owners manual where they tell you how to move the car out of park in an emergency (such as a dead battery or what have you).
I don't know if anyone has been successful in attempting to repair or lube the shifter module or not. I definitely wouldn't recommend just trying to spray lubricant around the gaps. If someone wanted to attempt to lube it I'd recommend at least a partial disassembly of the shifter. You may want to price out a new one first.

Gilly

PS this could have been combined with your post about the door.

hookedon210s · #4 02-26-2004, 09:03 AM

Probably been posted elsewhere but here goes. I had the misfortune of spilling liquid into the shifter, er control module, on my 01 E320T. Everything seemed fine until I came to a stop 10 minutes later. The car wouldn't downshift out of 5th gear. Shut the car off, car wouldn't restart, shift lever wouldn't move, instrument cluster display wouldn't indicate the gear selection, ABS, BAS lights lit, etc. After waiting for a few minutes with the car off, the car restarted in limp home mode and would permit me, with finesse, to shift into drive which produced only 2nd gear, reverse and park (had to turn the car off to get it into park as I recall). I decided to disassemble the control module to clean the computer. No luck. Finally replaced the control module myself for $400 (the dealer stocks lots of these--common problem due to the location of the cup holder). Expensive mistake. From your description, it sounds like you did not impact the computer but the lockout solenoid in the control module is dirty/jamming. Not too difficult to disassemble to that point to examine. Of course, the computer or even the brake light circuitry (just a guess) could be the culprit.

blackmercedes · #5 02-26-2004, 11:16 AM

Reminds of me of why the incredibly complex W220 is not on my shopping list...

I overheard someone with a similar problem at the dealer, and they replaced the control module and solenoid and it fixed the problem. The dealer indicated that they found what looked like a entire pot of coffee spilled inside the console!

Anyone recall the days of mechanical linkages for gas pedals, brake pedals, shifters and steering wheels? Or am getting that old...

hookedon210s · #6 02-26-2004, 11:46 AM

Certainly didn't have all the electronic related problems then that we have today. It makes me leery to own these new vehicles outside of the warranty period but that is the subject of other posts. I spilled approx. 1-2oz. of water over the entire center console when I had to brake unexpectedly. Have since learned to either not have drinks in the car at all or to use the closed lid variety. The problem is that the winter/sport switch is right next to the shift gate and is a part of the shift computer. Since there is no moisture sealing whatsoever, the beverage leaks into the computer and presumably shorts it out. It would be a simple matter for Mercedes to find a way to seal the switch, move the switch to the bank of switches on the upper console or the shift lever but I guess Mercedes would rather have upset customers with cars that will not start, shift, etc. and sell more parts (not a warranty item if the dealer suspects fluid contamination). I'm sure plenty of these $400 shifters have been replaced under warranty due an inability to document fluid contamination which only costs Mercedes money that they really can't afford. I would bet that this could be the subject of an NHTSA safety investigationl if people really wanted to make an issue of it. Mine failed in the not so good section of downtown Jacksonville on a Sunday evening at a stop light. I was fortunate that the car finally went into limp home mode so I could get my wife, my car and myself out of there. To my knowledge Mercedes still hasn't modified this situation. Of course, we could just go back to the days when Mercedes didn't install drink holders at all and we dumped coffee into the power window switches. :p Mark

ILUVMILS · #7 02-26-2004, 12:22 PM

The 220 shifter is different than the other MB shifters. Since the 220's don't have a steering lock, they need extra protection. The late model MB's can be taken out of PARK with nothing more than a pen if you know how to do it. The 220's don't share this feature.The 220's have a mechanical solenoid within the shifter that unlocks it when the criteria are met. Faulty stop-lamp switches are a common cause of this problem. If you're stuck try this. While gently pulling the shifter out of park, strike the top of the shift knob with the palm of your free hand. Sometimes this will momentarily jar the solenoid out of the way.

#8 02-26-2004, 01:05 PM

Thanks for all the responses , this is a lot of helpful information. I will try that ILUVMILS . now that I remember I did have the sunroof open two days ago when suddenly it started raining for a few seconds , could that cause anything !

TROVERMAN · #9 02-26-2004, 01:14 PM

Don't know if the systems are even remotely the same, but for weeks could not shift my 96 960 Volvo out of Park, it was the shift interlock system, and it turned out to be a $27 microswitch which routinely fails. Althoug it appeared fine, it was the problem. I overrode the switch and now car shifts fine.

Gilly · #10 02-26-2004, 06:25 PM

ILUVMILS:

I know I had a roadside assistance call once for a 220 with a dead battery. I had to move the car, it was backed into an awkward spot and no way the cables were long enough to get to the trunk to jumpstart it, so I had to push it forward. I distinctly remember using a screwdriver to pop it into N to push it (the owner had to help me do it because it was a slight uphill push, that makes me remember it too). Can you double-check that the 220 can't be over-riden in this manner? I'm really sure it has this feature like the rest. I know what you're saying about the steering wheel lock though, I remember that and that the shifter lock is supposed to make the steering lock not neccesary.

Also, and ILUVMILS can probably testify to this; MB did come out with a new part number for a shifter assembly that isn't so affected by water intrusion, there was a service bulletin covering this. This may or may not pertain to a 220 chassis though, I want to hear what ILUVMILS comes up with on the shifter question. I can look at a few of my training books too.....

Gilly

engatwork · #11 02-26-2004, 06:57 PM

Not to make light of the situation but I consider myself a fairly good diy'er and stopped to help a lady with a new broke down E320. Keep in mind I try not to mess with anything newer than around 1995

.. Anyway, I offer to help her push the car out of the road (it was stopped right in the middle of the road at a redlight). I get in and attempt to put it in neutral to get it over and the shifter would not move. She pulls out the manual but I did not take the time to find the part about releasing the shifter control module and left. I told her it was too new for me. Anyway, when I rode by later a policeman was there waiting with her.

And to think I worry about spilling my drink in the window switches

.

hookedon210s · #12 02-26-2004, 08:05 PM

Gilly and ILUVMILS, although I hope not to spill any more liquids on the shifter, it would be nice to know that my new shifter was more liquidproof.

Gilly · #13 02-26-2004, 08:29 PM

I see you have a 2001 E Class. I believe by 2001 they should have left the factory with the "latest greatest" shifter, but hopefully ILUVMILS can double-check the SI and let us know, or else I can attempt to locate it. The SI should have some info as to what the VIN range is that the SI affects.

Gilly

hookedon210s · #14 02-27-2004, 08:04 AM

My 2001 was produced in 11/00. Hopefully the shifter that failed wasn't the new and improved version. IMHO, based on examination of the disassembled shifter and computer, it wasn't sealed against liquid entry via the S/W switch at all. Mark

PHAEDRUS242 · #15 02-27-2004, 09:23 AM

either your shifter module (the whole shifter unit) has failed and requires replacement (most likely from spilled liquidds, as stated here). Or, you have a stop lamp switch that is reading an intermittently implausible value. Might as well start with the stop lamp switch, because it is cheap and about a 5 minute job to replace. if that doesn't fix it, put the old one back in and save the switch (trust me, you'll need it soon enough). Then, bite the bullet and pay for the new floor shift module. 99% of these problems are caused by one of these two things. I have seen a couple diaphram pressure senors that have been fries by brake fluid leakingin and shortin them out, but this was on 203/209 cars, and is not common even for them.