My 1996 W210 with 126,000 miles just developed an annoying problem. It will not start or even crank in Park. I have to put the car in neutral and it will then crank and start-usually. Any thoughts?

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Retired NYPD
Retired USMC
Life is good.

Tagging along. My dad just called with the same problem but he said the tranny was locked in Park. He has a 2002 E320

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Sent from an agnostic abacus

2014 C250 21,XXX my new DD ** 2013 GLK 350 18,000 Wife's new DD**

- With out god, life is everything.
- God is an ever receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller as time moves on..." Neil DeGrasse Tyson
- You can pray for me, I'll think for you.
- When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.

Poster 1, neutral saftey switch

Poster 2, stop lamp switch or more likely, bad shifter unit.

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

Is replacing the neutral safety switch easy to do? I'm pretty handy but haven't done this before. Thanks.

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Retired NYPD
Retired USMC
Life is good.

Tight space ,but not bad.

It is on the left side of trans..Couple of tricks

The wire harness connector has a white circular ring that locks the connector plug..You simply must rotate that ring in order to unplug the harmess.
And there is a line-up hole for the lever that is lined up for correct operation..you will see that.
And lastly, it is quite common to have a bad plastic bushing on the shift rod..get one of them too.
Sometimes that is all that is wrong..a bad bushing does not allow the rod to travel all the way into P before the shifter gets stopped by the gate.
Youwill feel a lot of slop in N if that is gone.

http://catalog.peachparts.com/ShopByVehicle.epc?q=1996-Mercedes--Benz-E3--0-Transmission&yearid=1996%40%401996&makeid=63%40%40MERCEDES+BENZ%40%40X&modelid=6393%3AMBC%7C1575%3AED%7C10000023%40%40E320&catid=241185%40%40Transmission&subcatid=241298@@Neutral+Safety+Switch&mode=PA
http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/W124ShiftBushings

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A Dalton

Arthur hit it on the head. As usual.

Follow his instructions & you'll burning dinosaurs again in no time; I just did it on my 300E.

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Currently:
1972 350SL Euro 4spd
1973 BMW R75/5
1981 BMW R80GS
1995 FZJ80 with OM606 Conversion In Progress

It's so easy even a marine could do it! (spoken by a former submariner)

Actaully it is straightforward, with the caveats that you neeed to get under the car and the access is tight (use small wrenches). The shifter linkage bushings need to be squeezed in with channel locks.

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Prost!

The trick on the bushings is to warm them in a cup of hot water..they will then just Pop right in.

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A Dalton