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Annoying buzzing sound from automatic shift lever

26K views 39 replies 22 participants last post by  Sinbadd 
#1 ·
I think a family of bees has taken up residence in my center console.

Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but I have the most annoying vibration possible coming up straight through the hand lever of the automatic transmission on my '01 230. It's not a "jar your teeth" type of vibration, it's a high frequency "make every trim part in your console buzz" type of vibration. When I lay my hand on the lever firmly enough I can dampen the vibration enough to keep my passengers from looking oddly at the strange sounds being emmitted by my vehicle.

I am expieriencing no transmission related problems with the vehicle by the way. Shifts are smooth and strong, no hesitation or slipping.

Any suggestions on the likely culprit of this?
 
#27 ·
likemike - 2/11/2006 1:36 PM

I got the PN 202-992-00-10 from the dealer and was only given the bushing. Am I supose to get a clip too? Do I even need to replace the clip?
no you dont get a clip or need to replace it. the picture is just to show what the clip looks like to give people an idea how to take it out put it back (the hardest part of the process). Most of the time you wont have visiblity of what you are doing while installing this, you just kind of feel through the underneath of the car with your fingers.
 
#29 ·
Please help me out.

My shiftknob is making buzz noise whenever I step on the gas pedal to accelerate, it stop when I let go the gas pedal. So buzz go with the acceleration. No sound at P, nor R, nor N; a little bit buzz at 4th gear, and a very annoying buzz at D gear. And I have notice that the shifter has like 1/2 a cm linkage on D, if I push it all the way down until it can't go further, the buzz sound will stop. I have asked one of the senior mechanic where I work, he said if it is the linkage bushing worn out, the shifter will buzz all the time even at P. After I told him my SLK's symptom he told me right away it is the bushing at the transmission or at the engine, there are at least four of them there. And which bushing has worn out need to check by a mechanic.

Is he right about it? What do you guys think? Thanks in advance.
 
#30 ·
Shifter Bushing

Had the same buzz on my 99. My independent shop told me that it is a bushing in the linkage - about a $5 part. It was changed out as part of changing AT fluid, coolant, brake fluid, and differential lub. The total labor charge was for 4 hours so the bushing could not have been much of a job and it was done from under the car.
 
#32 ·
Buzzing sound not at idle

My shifter would not buzz at idle. As soon as I accelerated the buzz would start. Sound was most pronounced between 2000 and 3000 RPM and would always stop if I put my hand on the lever. My independent mechanic said that this is a very common problem on SLKs and other MB cars that use the same AT shift linkage.
 
#33 ·
Thank you Steves. I'm happy now since I went to the mechanic this morning and fixed the problem. Yes, lucky that it is just the linkage bushing to repair. He also fixed my losing door interior. Surprise to found out that all the clips inside the door is glue on only, and almost all of them came off.
 
#34 ·
I got the bushings and attempted to replace them. Got underneath the car and tried to remove the clip but couldnt figure out how to remove it and if I did remove it I was afraid I might not be able to put it back on with the lack of visibilitly. Before I attempt this again is there anyone who can tell me exactly how the clip works so I can remove it and if its easy to put back on. Also I forgot to move the shifter out of park, would it have been easier for me to move it into gear? Thanks in advance. -Karl
 
#36 ·
Adding to an old post to help future members. I also had the shifter vibration, and it was eliminated completely when I replaced the bushing. Attached is a picture to help illustrate what bushing is being referred to.

I found it incredibly difficult to press the new bushing in place, it is a very hard material without much flexibility and give. I ended up using a needle nose pliers to squeeze the round bushing into a slight oval, angling one end of the bushing mostly through the cutout in the shifter arm to get the center rims of the bushing started with the proper seating of the rims on each side of the linkage arm, then squishing remaining portions of the bushing into and through the linkage arm cutout with the pliers. Once the whole bushing was 'in place', from the opposite side of the linkage arm from where I had initially pushed the bushing in place, I needed to use a thin flat metal like a putty knife to work the bushing center rim out of the cutout hole and get seated properly outside the cutout hole (the center rim of the bushing was still mashed inside the cutout hole and not seated outside the metal).

An alternate way of reaching the bushing is removing the shifter assembly from the interior, if for instance you are also doing interior work like repainting. Here is a post that member leapyfish steered me towards that includes the shifter removal (you don't need to disassemble the shifter to the extent in this post!). This may be more convenient than replacing from beneath the car, but you risk scratching your interior paint if it is in good condition or cracking plastic tabs when prying the cosmetic covers away from shifter.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r170-slk-class/1369483-reverse-switch-fix-no-backup-lights.html

In the attached photo, you can see the center rims I refer to on the green replacement bushing. Prior to removal from the arm, my original bushing was cracked down the center just riding on either side of the linkage arm, with a portion of the bottom chewed away completely. Hope this helps you tackle your bushing replacement!
 

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#38 ·
Wow... never thought to pull out the shifter assembly, that would have probably been worth the time. This job took me 3 - 4 hours I think? Just getting to the bushing, figuring out how to get the clip off the linkage connection, etc., cause it's way high up there working from underneath the car. Probably worth the time and convenience of disassembling the interior.

MBPaul, I tried using pliers, but from underneath the car, and I couldn't get anywhere with it like that. know what I did?

i started shaving off one of the ribs of the bushing... little by little, trying to get it in the hole. Until... eventually... yup, you guessed it, had to cut off an entire rib. :D then the bushing squeezes right in there, absolutely no problems.

I figured, since I had entirely no bushing in my linkage whatsoever, that having a bushing with only one rib would be an improvement over nothing.

I've had it in there for half a year now, maybe, 6-8k miles, no rattle, no problems, it was like driving a brand new car having that ANNOYING rattle gone. It seemed to me like wiht that connection, having both ribs would make it more secure, but the bushing, and the linkages, aren't going anywhere. I may have to replace it again sooner than if i hadn't cut it... but oh well. Still no problems for me with my little shortcut...
 
#39 · (Edited)
Great pic and very helpful - best advice I had when I did mine was the suggestion to look at the hood 'shock' to see how an identical clip works.

I also found that using a wedge to hold the rod fully into the grommet helps when putting the clip back on.

To anybody planning to do this, its just a matter of persevering to push the grommet into the hole - Rubber glove will help to protect your hand but makes it harder!! - Warming the grommet in hot water helps as does some dri lube (door lock stuff) - don't think I would plan to try it in cold weather tho'.

I'm amazed that they didn't make the bearing surface wider - just has to put too much pressure on the grommet - lets hope the green replacement is an improved material!!!!

Oberoi
 
#40 ·
Sorry for reviving a really old thread, but I seem to have a problem that MAY be related.

I get a "click" or knock in the shifter of my R170 AMG when open the throttle. It feels as if the shifter gets almost imperceptibly knocked backwards - as though something is sliding with the power application and then hitting a stop somewhere.
Engine and gearbox mounts are relatively new (< 1 year) so I doubt it's them.
Could this bushing be an issue perhaps? I get no other noises, just this tap/click when I put my foot down.
 
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