[wahnsinn]

P1747 MERCEDES-BENZ - Electronic Gear Selector Module: Defective Interaction of CAN With Control Unit Instrument Cluster

This current fault code is set on my vehicle. Sometimes it is only pending; sometimes it goes away. Is this fault code related to an instrument cluster issue or a gear selector/transmission issue? CAN is a network? My instrument cluster behaves erratically—flashes lights, freezes, doesn’t work at all, or works normally. I have no shifter/transmission problems.

Is the domelight on the same curcuit as the instrument cluster?

Any advice appreciated.

 

[Dusto]

P1747 MERCEDES-BENZ - Electronic Gear Selector Module: Defective Interaction of CAN With Control Unit Instrument Cluster

This current fault code is set on my vehicle. Sometimes it is only pending; sometimes it goes away. Is this fault code related to an instrument cluster issue or a gear selector/transmission issue? CAN is a network? My instrument cluster behaves erratically—flashes lights, freezes, doesn’t work at all, or works normally. I have no shifter/transmission problems.

Is the domelight on the same curcuit as the instrument cluster?

Any advice appreciated.

Hey man, i'm dealing with somethjng similar but mine was a purchase of a previously mouse infested car in the desert. Many other issues prevously fixed, then this code all of a sudden. Ok so i was fed up and took it to a mechanic and told him hostly Im a DIY type partially because i dont have a lot of money and because i am capable so why not?
Anyway, he just charged me the diag. fee and ran the codes more extensively than my $30 ace hardware purchased "micro mechanic" could tell me.
Tbey reset the codes they got (which were apparently many,) and drove it around. They said it runs great its just returning 2 codes now, as I thought and one waS this P7147 . Same one i was getting all of a sudden since before.... He says its the cluster itself. It has nothing to do with the transmission except in that it's trying to communicate (the trans. To the clust.) And for whatever reason they arent performing as expected in some way. (Most likely bad soldering inside the cluster if i were to guess)
I have seen my instruments do weird thing and even not work at all sometimes which is actually scary to me. Anyway He said its the cluster he would bet, because this model especially this year of this model... mine is a 2000 Ml320 not sure yours at this moment but this year this model was "known" he said to have had this sort of thing frequently. New (or functioning used) replacement of that will be the thing.
So now, i did notice some wiring in my case was actually incorrectly run under the fuse panel and switched out that harness, and all errors went away except P7147... including this specific info for the cluster itself! Before it always mentioned the TCU so just like the guy told me to, I'm going to go to the junkyard in LA and get a new cluster (new to me) and pop that [email protected]!#* in there, see what happens brother!!!!
Haha
So maybe you could try that too idk if that helps anybody.
Oh, and i read on a diff thread somewhere that, yes it seems that the dome light may be on the same circuit as the headlight switch and cluster.
Peace good luck

 

[wahnsinn]

I still have my P1747 code. I was told by another source as well that the instrument cluster was the problem. It has occasionally exhibited all manner of erratic behavior including freezing or going dead while driving, flickering lights, twitching gauge needles etc. but 95% of the time it’s OK.

I have looked into replacing mine with a used instrument cluster but have hesitated because it will display the odometer reading of the original car which won’t agree with the title and it will be as old as the one I have and just as prone to flaky behavior. The problem is usually caused by a bad capacitor on the cluster but I can’t see any obviously bad ones on mine. Some, but not all, of the clusters fo the W140s are the same as the R129 cluster (and there were many more W140s made so they are easier to find) but you must check which ones are compatible with your VIN and model year.

The frustrating thing is that the car drives fine, but this code, which is completely unrelated to emissions, has kept me from getting it smog checked and now my registration has expired so I need to do something quick. Good luck.

 

[sushipaste]

I still have my P1747 code. I was told by another source as well that the instrument cluster was the problem. It has occasionally exhibited all manner of erratic behavior including freezing or going dead while driving, flickering lights, twitching gauge needles etc. but 95% of the time it’s OK.

I have looked into replacing mine with a used instrument cluster but have hesitated because it will display the odometer reading of the original car which won’t agree with the title and it will be as old as the one I have and just as prone to flaky behavior. The problem is usually caused by a bad capacitor on the cluster but I can’t see any obviously bad ones on mine. Some, but not all, of the clusters fo the W140s are the same as the R129 cluster (and there were many more W140s made so they are easier to find) but you must check which ones are compatible with your VIN and model year.

The frustrating thing is that the car drives fine, but this code, which is completely unrelated to emissions, has kept me from getting it smog checked and now my registration has expired so I need to do something quick. Good luck.

There are cool smog places all over socal to help you pass and be done with it lol. I can look for you and make a recommendation. I was lucky, I used a totally legal trick when purchasing my car to avoid smog.

 

[brauhaus]

Is the domelight on the same curcuit as the instrument cluster?

Why do you ask if the dome light is on the same circuit as the instrument cluster? Did you do some work on your dome light?

 

[Dusto]

Some recommendations for a smog guy would be ideal. I wasnt aware of the owners responsibility to do that wgeb i bought it and im so over it i kind of want to burn this car and film it in slow motion just to get my moneys worth. The instrument cluster i got works perfectly. I found an exactly identical model at the junkyard. Im talkin exactly. Even the ecu and etc module had the same numbers. Still getting same code after replacement though and dont think that my scanner is actually resetting the codes at all. I really just beed to smog it so i can get plates and drive legally. Any help is appreciated.

 

[RKH]

Can you clear the code to get it smogged before the code comes back ?

 

[wahnsinn]

I bought a used instrument cluster from a 1997 S500/W140 for $125. The mileage of the donor vehicle is very close to mine. (The W140 IC lacks the silver trim around the gauges and the silver center pin, which frankly looked kind of cheap, so I don't mind.) Installed it today and to my great relief the P1747 code cleared itself. For the record, the (4) IC units compatible with my 1997 with the AMG package are:

129 440 12 11
140 440 65 11
129 440 11 11
140 440 64 11

I have to do the drive cycle to reset the emissions monitors. I would love to have some recommendations for lenient smog tests to be safe.

As for the dome light--I had replaced the two map lights months before the code problem. The original ear view mirror is missing so there are several disconnected wires in it. The car ran fine for 2 years before the code appeared so I do not think the dome light caused it. My IC, however, was completely flaky/erratic.

Thanks to all.

 

[wahnsinn]

The code came back immediately after clearing with the bad IC. With the replacement, the code cleared itself.

Can you clear the code to get it smogged before the code comes back ?