safety problems due to water spill on shifter area
Over the weekend I had a horrid experience when some water spilled over the shifter area and brought the car (01 CLK320) from ~65mph on the highway to a complete halt in seconds. Fortunately, there were no cars in the next lane as the car skidded towards the shoulder and stopped at a safe spot so I managed to avoid any accident. Though the thought of meeting with an accident shook me besides putting a big hole in my pocket for the repair!
After doing a search it seems that this problem has been known for a while but MB never put out any warning signs or used better sealants/cover for the center console/shifter area.
Wouldn't this problem be construed as a safety hazard problem that MB should have put out an adequate warning at the least? Has anyone contacted MB for such issues and if so then what has been their response?
Last edited by dealhunter : 12-02-2008 at 10:32 PM.
Yes, the car stopped after the water spilled over. The shifter got jammed and I could not even move the car. After trying for a bit I was able to move the shifter to "Drive" but car wouldn't drive above 20-25 mph as the shifter control unit probably got fried.
It seems like a serious problem with the safety design aspect of the car. There is no warning about it either!
If you search around someone posted the denial by the NHTSA to mandate a recall on this as a safety issue. The TCM on the sedans with the 5-speed auto is directly under the console and it shorts out when liquids hit it, engaging limp-home mode (second gear).
My favorite thing about it is that they placed the cup holders directly over that location. Amazing that no one ever put two and two together.
Some folks have talked about opening the console and spraying the circuit boards (the windows often short out too) with a non-conductive insulating sealant spray as a preventative, but to my knowledge no one here has yet tried that.
Take care and enjoy the ride,
Greg
__________________ If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under. Ronald Reagan
When you learn from your own mistakes, that's experience.
When you learn from the mistakes of others, that's wisdom.
When you fail to learn from any mistakes, that's government.
To "recall" would require a relocation, which would require a new harness and bracket mounted somewhere it wasn't designed to be, the tech bulletin would leave it up to the techs to be trained enough to improvise on each interior installation when installing the new harness and relocating the unit........ then the labor of it all........ Yeah, that isn't happening.
They can't seal it, they put it there due to the heat is generates and it actually needs the cup holder venting to stay cool. If it were to pass a certain temp it would go into shut down and do this all the time in hot weather causing an even more widespread issue.
I have fried 2 of these, but I still love the car.
B
__________________
The finest example of automobile engineering in the world
Floats like a CADI
Stings like a BMR
Stingy as a Prius
and.... all Mercedes Benz.
I just replaced mine of my SLK just went out out of the blue.Luckily i was slowing down when it decided to kick 2nd.Like the other folks here say it really isnt a "recall" matter so much as if u have to have a beverage in your benz keep it away from the shifters though in an slk.. thats a task and a half.Also in my research the levers with the touch shift option are more suseptible to this because of incresed electronics for that
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
The Cup Holder is.... 
Linear Mode
