I know this is old ground, but I have just experienced the stuck in Park mode and have managed to remove the gear knob, and done the "hit the steel gear rod with a hammer" to no joy!
Is there a simple way of getting the lever to release, so that you can remove the centre console veneer or do I have to cut the selector shaft off, so that the console can be removed gaining access to the selector unit? And carrying out the replacement plastic lever.
I understand that this is a common fault and any help or guidance would be appreciated.
Well after consulting the main Stealers and being advised it needs to be towed in and be placed upon the diagnostics system, I have established the problem, as previously highlighted by other members, it was the dreaded under engineered plastic solenoid lever breaking!
With the help of a member, I managed to remove the veneer console and gain access to the shifter mechanism and replace the piece of pathetic plastic!
After a lot of time and patience, it is all back together and changing gear silky smooth!
Well after consulting the main Stealers and being advised it needs to be towed in and be placed upon the diagnostics system, I have established the problem, as previously highlighted by other members, it was the dreaded under engineered plastic solenoid lever breaking!
With the help of a member, I managed to remove the veneer console and gain access to the shifter mechanism and replace the piece of pathetic plastic!
After a lot of time and patience, it is all back together and changing gear silky smooth!
I know it was a long time ago, but can you recommend and tips or instructions, how did you get the console out? did you get the hammer to work? how did you disconnect the linkage
regards
Why is that we always downgrade years of automotive engineering and design in absence of having another excuse why something failed, particularly when we are frustated.
Its mechanical and all thinks mechanical are prone to break.
Happy you got it fixed and such that hopefully, you can put it behind you and move on to enjoying your Mercedes Benz automobile.
another comment...we all demand lighter, faster cars that obtain better fuel economy....then when something gives way, we blame the manufacturer for under-engineering a component
BTW FF; what year is your SL 350 and how many miles/klms on it?
another comment...we all demand lighter, faster cars that obtain better fuel economy....then when something gives what, we blame the manufacturer for under-engineering a component
BTW FF; what year is your SL 350 and how many miles/klms on it?
There is some truth here. However, I think with the number of folks, on this forum and others, having/complaining about the same issue, I believe it's justifiable to hold a mfg'er accountable for NOT addressing the issue (TSB).
The car is a 2004 with 28000 miles and in the last 6 months the SBC unit had to be replaced and the Stealers were honourable in stating that the replacement unit would be in the region of £1400.00 here in the UK and because the car has a full MB service history they would honour 80% of the cost! That's good but surely the thing shouldn't have failed in the first place and should have a life expectancy of the vehicle!
It would appear that as the vehicles become ever more reliant upon electronic components, the Accountants are running the businesses, by designing elements on a budget rather than by design and durability.
I appreciate, understand and to a degree agree with everyone's view on these matters...i work hard for my money too, have put kids through college and now at 58 look forward to retiring. I also believe my wife and I have reached a point where we can afford nicer things including our Mercedes Benz automobiles of which we own 3 today.
What I'm wondering about is how do our vehicles compare in terms of M&R cost to own/operate a $40k car compared to their competitors which if my quick research tells me would be in the range of 2007 used cars by Autotrader comparison:
Mercedes SL
Porsche 911
Dodge Viper (I would not include)
Cadillac XLR
BMW 650i/740/760
Jaguars
Audis
Your right, I'm just thinking other high line cars which compete with the R230's likely have their share of issues in terms of maintain. and repair cost.
May be they should try BMW, Porsche, Audi and Maserati.
The grass is greener syndrome is imminently called for here.
Or better yet if you can't afforded, get rid of it.
Cheers.
Hey, Fast Fritz, how did you remove the shifter box (ESM) from the linkage cable? Did you do it from inside the vehicle or you had to access it from underneath?
I have the same issue now and I cannot seem to be able to remove the shift box from the linkage from inside the car.
i agree, to the rhetoric and i admit my guilt...i was simply responding to the OP's comment concerning an "under-engineered" plastic solenoid lever which in this situation the alternative to the problem is to replace it with another "under-engineered" plastic solenoid lever
I am just frustrated by the way some users are cursing and trashing this fine automobile every time they face a malfunction. A forum should be used strictly as source of information sharing and technical references not as a venue for giving our cars an undeserving bad reputation. I frequently see folks wanting to buy an R230 and some pissed off responders raise a red flag and scare the inquirer away. I think an SL of any vintage is one hell of a fine ride. " The best car to see and be seen in" to quote TOP GEAR.
BTW i am not affiliated to MBUSA or any official Benz group. I am just trying to be fair here, drawing from my passed and present experience with the SL.
Cheers.
In response to comments from individuals questioning the validity and design of a "simple plastic lever", one would be rather frustrated to say the least, if you or your partner had merely gone out and ended up stranded, either on the highway, multi storey carpark etc.. as a result of a failure on this component.
The question is why wasn't this component made from aluminium or a more durable component, as something so fundamental failing could isolate you and your car without any notice. Wouldn't it have been advantageous to enable an override facility? Or do you just become paranoid a bout leaving the vehicle in park? Replacing the component in metal, does give you the reassurance that this is not likely to arise again!
So, as a forum to give any prospective purchaser or individual, an insight and access to a wealth of informative resources, to any matters with any respective Mercedes, then surely this is help and not as you purvey denunciatory of the brand!
Hi so far my car is just sticking and takes a few goes to get it out of park
Merc Garage had quite recently changed the transmission oil and spark plugs just wondering if they would have altered or disassembled anything around this notorious plastic lever which members are saying is prone to breaking off? may their tinkering have been at fault? went in fine but a few moths later this !
As mine is sticking and not totally stuck is it likely to still be this plastic part at fault does anybody with wisdom and experience know please?
I was lucky it has so far stuck at home so not needing towing away ...'YET'
Is it an easy fix to replace this plastic part? or will it need a garage i would love to hear from someone who has done this for themsleves if possible
You can probably find a YouTube video or a step-by-step here or on MBWorld that will walk you through the process. I doubt that your problem has anything to do with the work done by the shop and is just coincidental in timing. Mine started to fail about a week after I got the car from a co-worker. Because I could find how to fix it, it was no bid deal. The most time-consuming part is removing the center console to get to the shift box. Not terribly hard, but I would not want to try it in cold weather--always fear the plastic being more brittle.
That said, you do need to get under the car and remove the plastic splash panels to get to the linkage between the shift lever and the transmission. There is a clip holding the shift rod to the shifter lever. Remove the clip and you can separate the two. Then remove the bolts holding the shifter box in place and remove the shifter. The plastic piece is inside and you will eventually find it. Mine had broken in two and took a while to get the pieces out. I didn't have the metal replacement part at the time, so I put it back in without the plastic piece. The effect is that I can now move the lever out of Park without applying the brake. That's it! It has no effect of the car having to be in Park to start it or stop, so there's no risk of starting the car in Drive or Reverse. Eventually, I may put the metal piece in, but since I am the only driver, I'm not worried about a child moving it out of Park or anything like that.
I did it by myself, it is trickey especially if you don't have a lift. I did it without lift but used info from different MB foras and viewd som Youtube clip and the MB service manual. I replaced the plastic peace with one in aluminium sold on Ebay.
So search the net and you have all info you need. To do this I think you need to have more skills than only change egine oil.
Good luck!
Before you go spending a lot of money try replacing the brake light switch. It is located just above the brake pedal and is a very quick and cheap fix (£8 & 15 minutes).
My car had the locking gear lever problem and it was the brake light switch. The brake lights still worked but it is this switch that sends a signal to the gear lever. If your foot is not on the footbrake
then you cannot move the gear lever out of park, try it. Soon as I replaced the switch the problem has gone away and not returned. For a £8 part from Ebay I now keep a spare in the glove box.
I wouldn't cut the shift lever off. You don't need to do that. I think you can remove the knob (trying to remember how I did it). Did you remove the face plate covers off of the cup holders?
And, as Rodney stated, the generally accepted approach is to bang or slam the lever out of park.
When I had the COMAND unit out of mine for the backup camera install, I tried to figure out if there was a way to remove the trim panel with the shifter in park and I could not do it.
If the gear lever is sometimes hard to get out of neutral, then the plastic (the part that fails) has cracked. It will fail shortly leaving the gear lever stuck in park. No amount of hammering will move it. The cracked/broken plastic hook (for want of a better word) lifts a hook towards the back of the gear lever assembly, no amount of hammering will move it out of park.
If it has broken you will have to cut the lever.
I removed mine before it snapped completely but the crack was clearly visible and wouldn't have lasted much longer. Even with the lever in neutral, it is fun and games removing the gear lever assembly. I released the gear rod under the car where it attaches to the gearbox which made it much easier.
Swapper the flimsy plastic part for an alloy one from eBay and it worked well, I checked it all worked well before putting it all back, rather smug with myself. However, in bolting it all back one of the wiring plugs became detached meaning the gear lever was stuck in park, the smugness didn't last long! I then had to cut the gear lever off to get it out of the centre console. I repaired it later with a tight fitting tube and some JB weld.
hello all having the same problem, it was smooth shifting on sat, parked the car went to work and then 10pm stuck in park, no hard shifting no indication,
did you all check your brake light switch ax battery, or is there a fuse to be checked first?
thank you
Ben
Did you first try to change the Brake Light Sensor under the steering column? it cost less than a tenner and takes 3 mins to change- it got mine working immediately
I had the experience of stuck in park so went through the process, removing my shifter thinking a part was failing. Not. Everything was good and I left it alone, even though I had the part, rivets, instructions etc. I buttoned everything up and good for a year.
It was stuck in park the other day but eventually came free. Expound on the 10 dollar part (brake sensor?) since I feel this might be my issue.
With your ear to the console, the brake sensor's operation should quickly be evident. Regardless of whether the pawl in the shifter is cracked or broken, the solenoid in the shifter will energise if the brake sensor is working correctly and you'll hear the solenoid click into action.
As others have said, replacing the brake light switch is the easiest of all three things that can go wrong. I suffered the cracked pawl - got that fixed with a replacement shifter - only to have the brake light switch die 6 weeks later ... in El Paso, 573 miles from home. By now though, I had a work-around: don't put the trans in Park. Turn it off in neutral and leave the key in it. I know (you laugh), what a dumb thing to do. That technique got me to San Diego and back to Austin again. I do not recommend it
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