ML 430 Gearshift stuck!!
 

I have an ML 430 year 2000. Recently the battery was dead and I had to charge it back up. When I started it the radio was not functioning so I took it out and completely unplugged it, put it back in and now it works fine. It started up yesterday just fine, began driving, and it won't shift out of first gear. Noticed the gear indicator by the clock was not registering anything - no PRNDL. I went back home in "limp home mode" and the gearshift was stuck in either neutral or park. When I turned off the key I could put it into park and remove the key.

The dealer told me to remove the trim around the gearshift and unplug some wires under the gearshift and plug them back in to reset it. (just like the radio).

Anybody have any thoughts on this? I have it all torn apart awaiting your input.....

ON almost all 2000 & later Benzes w/auto trans the shifter is a computer...

That computer NEEDS the brake light circuit to function properly.

We replace them all the time due to liquid spillage....

OF course a scanner is needed to "really" diagnose the problem..

brake light shifter - where is it?
 

thanks for the info - where is the brake light shifter? How would I know if it is really that?

maybe battery?
 

Some one today told me it may just be the battery. The battery has been dead several times over the last couple of weeks. Could a weak battery cause all these issues?

I'm getting a new one tomorrow.

Any thoughts????

I asked the question "do the brake lights work".

Again that is the first requirement for the shifter to release!

The battery should not have any effect.

brake lights don't work!
 

Wow, the brake lights don't work. What is my next step? Can I replace this thing myself?

The brake lamp switch is a common failure, VERY easy to install...MB number 001-545-64-09 with a $13 list price...

brake light switch
 

Thanks for the info. Where is it located? Under the dash? Under the hood? Any pictures or diagrams on the web you could direct me to?

See http://forums.mbnz.org/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1166641&posts=15 ;)

Woo Hoo!
 

Thanks so much, can't wait to get this done and get back on the road.

New Developments
 

Every day is a new beginning when you own an ML......

Today the brake lights are working fine. I realized that when I tested them yesterday the key was not on at the time.

Now the key is stuck in the ignition. I can move the shifter from park to neutral, I can start the car (no problem with the battery - even though I went and bought a new one yesterday- I haven't installed it yet), I can put it into drive and go out on the street. The transmission will not go out of first. It seems it is still in "limp home mode". When I get back into the driveway I can't put it back into park unless I turn off the engine. Then it goes into park easily. But I can't get the key out!!!

I am so doomed!!!

Help please!

A scanner that can read TRANS codes is needed!

Sometimes what looks like a major tragedy ends up being something simple and inexpensive. Take the advise from DOC and spend a few dollars to have the truck scanned before it nickle and dimes you to death. I imagine that battery wasn't cheap and may have cost you the difference to repair the truck. Believe me, DIYers need to have humility, or deep pockets.

Agreed. But please understand the last time I went to the dealer they wanted over $1000 to replace my power steering system and it turned out to be a $2 gasket. On another problem they wanted $600 for an EGR valve and it turned out to be an $80 CPS (which I fixed with your help!).

I just can't help but think it has something to do with the battery. And since the brake lights work fine with the key on and there has been no liquids spilled I can't believe it is the brake light switch since it releases out of park with no problem.

The battery has to be jumped every day.

Whatdya think???

Ted, I was doing a search on symptoms of your problem. Did you have problems with the shift lock, in which you were sticking something into the unlock hole? I thought I saw your response in one of the posts, which may be a prelude to your problem, misaligned gear shifter contacts. Let me know what you think; this is what I found:

A strong possibility is the shift lever is out of adjustment. There is a feedback electronic circuit that tells the computer what gear you have selected. If the linkage has slipped, you can confuse the computer and throw it into the limp home mode. Put the trans in park and look to make sure the shift lever on the side of the trans is touching the metal stop bracket. If all is in proper adjustment, you will not a very smooth movement of the shift knob through all the gears with no hangups.

If not, loosen the "torques" set screw on the shifter rod and move the shift arm over to the stop.
I found it ½ way down the 1st page, post #10 of
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=104862&highlight=limp+mode

Still workin' on it
 

Steve,

Thanks for the input. There ain't nothing better than a good mechanic and there ain't nothing worse than a bad one.....

A question -

I am looking at the gearshift assembly inside the car. On the passenger side, down on the base is a little round-ish opening. Is this where you are saying I can adjust the shifter? I tried every torque bit I have and nothing seems to grab onto something. Am I in the right place? What kind of bit do I need to turn it?

I am also going to install the new battery. You never know - it just might have something to do with the whole mess. My VW was having a multitude of problems and I noticed the dipstick was missing. I replace it and voila! all my problems were fixed.

So - onward...

Thanks,
Ted

I've never actually done the repair, but just make sure if it is a torx bolt, that it isn't one that has the pin lock centers. I think they have a special name (may be set screw) but I can't remember what they are called. The torx bit head has a center hole. Shine a light in the hole and see if you could see the bolt head, you would be able to distinguish the difference.

Progress????
 

I replaced the battery today. At least the car starts up good. Now the sunroof doesn't work. I still have the same problem with the transmission. It still won't shift out of first.

Need some help on Steve's suggestion to adjust the shift knob. Anybody out there?

Thanks for all your help.

Take about 10 minutes out of your day and look at every fuse in the fuse box, both under the hood and inside the cabin.

yeah, i tried that once- had a few fuses out but nothing crucial. i'll recheck again. the shop foreman in MB houston said fuses wouldn't have anything to do with it, but who knows? i think what i'm down to is the shiftlever adjustment, a possible tcm malfunction, or an rpm indicator. battery starts the car fine now, but the sunroof doesn't work on "one touch" anymore. i think i'll narrow it down some more, then possibly take it to a mechanic, that way they're not "searching" the answer for 80 bucks an hour. no dedicated dealership in my area, and the local car repair franchise doesn't have the mercedes obd equipment, which resulted in the bad egr valve/cps diagnosis last time- gee you think if i had bought the egr theory that they would have refunded my money when it didn't work???

there is nothing better than a good mechanic, and nothing worse than a bad one....my car sat at a mb dealership in illinois one time for 6 weeks. i called a mb foreman in houston, he called them, and the problem was fixed the very next day....

also the ML has been sitting for a while, as well.....

thanks!

still stuck
 

replaced all blown fuses, new battery installed. still won't show what gear it's in, and is still stuck in 1st. new development is that when i put it in drive it sometimes won't accelerate like it's stuck in neutral. i understand thru this forum that you have to read the codes thru the tcm, but when i called the local aamco tranmission he said they couldn't do that. it also takes a hard turn forward on the ignition to start and the key gets stuck in the ignition when you turn the motor off. any ideas? i just can't take it to the local dealer not real smart and they're not a dedicated dealer- sell subaru's etc.. help! took my 300e to a non dedicated dealer and it sat there for 6 weeks one time.

YOU need to take the truck to some one that has a dedicated scanner for MB!

Shifter is not good
 

Round one: Your stop lamp switch plays a part in releasing your shifter from park.

Round two: If you cannot see the gear position on your instrument cluster, then your shifter is bad.

Round three: Did you try to renormalize the sunroof after battery replacement?

Round four: Your ignition is linked to your shifter via that cable on the front part of your shifter (at the bottom), if your key is hanging up when trying to come out of the ignition, then, again, your shifter may be playing a part in this.

Don't be afraid, the dealer will charge you the initial 1 hour labor to diagnose, just tell them that my shifter sometimes will not come out of park, and the gear position does not show up in the display, this will let the tech (i hope you get a good one, and not the shop apprentice) know that this is where to look, and the first short test with the SDS unit, should let him know that the shifter is bad.

Happy motoring!!

Still puzzled - more questions
 

Thanks for the info. I don't have any problems getting the gearshift out of park - I can't put it into park from another gear.

Could this be as simple as unplugging the TCM and "rebooting" it?

Also, there was absolutely no problems with the shifter at all until I had to replace the battery. Is this a problem that can just start without warning?

Thanks again for all your help.

Shifter or the shift release cable that goes to your ignition. Quite possibly a shifter.

Happy Motoring!