SixSigmaLarry

Hello, this is my second post. Unfortunately, this post is not a positive one. The '12 C63 AMG I bought just a couple weeks ago I started to have some issues.

On Monday, June 26, after shopping, I went back to my car to go home. I was able to unlock it as usual with the sensors in the door handle and when I sat down in the car powered up as normal; however, when I hit the start button, nothing happened.

At first I thought it was a bad programming issue (the dealership had to order a new fob from MB-this is the one I had on me) or perhaps a dead battery in the fob. I walked to Home Depot and bought a new battery. Unfortunately, that did not work. The car still would not start. Then I called my wife and had her bring the original key fob to me to give that a try. Again, the car would not start.

I took off the START button (thanks Google, didn't know I could do that) to try the "key" method with the fob. Again, nothing.

After some searching on Google. Some people claimed that a low battery or dead battery might be the issue. I did not believe I had a bad battery; however, I needed data to verify that for myself. I walked back to Home Depot and bought a voltmeter to check the battery. The voltage was well within the normal range. So, not the battery.

At this point, I felt rather helpless. Anything else to fix/replace was beyond my capabilities. I thought my only solution was to have it towed to a Mercedes-Benz dealership. My wife was preparing to make a call to the roadside assistance service when I realized that I could not get the car out of park. This really concerned me. I did not want to have the car dragged onto a flatbed in park. I was concerned that there might be some damage caused by this action. I should also note that when I was on able to disengage the car park, my brake lights were not working when I press the brake pedal down.

Most cars have a manual release or something, so I pulled off the shifter boot and saw a button on the lower side of the shifter and thought that this must be it. Lucky guess. I pressed the button and was able to disengage the car from park to drive back to park and so on.

Right before my wife hit the call button for the tow, I pressed the break one more time and hit the start button. The car started!

The next day I called the dealership, a very reputable dealership in the area, about what happened. Their service technician told me that perhaps I threw the car in park and killed the engine too soon for the sensor to realize that the car was truly in park ( meaning, I hit the start button as soon as I threw it into park). That really didn't make too much sense to me, but I figured what the hell, it was working since then.

Unfortunately, yesterday, July 1, it happened again. I recalled what the dealership said, I pulled up the shifter boot out, hit the button and moved it from park to drive back to park to drive and back again to park. I hit the start button and thought this would do it. Sadly, the car did not start. After yelling some profanities, I did it again, nothing. I opened my door and closed it...not sure why, hit the button and presto, it started!

I'm not sure what's going on in the car. Clearly, it is something electrical. After reading that it could be a brake switch or some other electronic component (Keyless Go) in the car.

My question is, can the dealership connect some sort of scanning device to my car and figure out what the issue is even if the car is working correctly? That is, starting and stopping with the start button. I don't want to have to wait for this car to fail to take it into the dealership. That would be a serious inconvenience for me and add unnecessary costs, and who knows when or where it will fail next.

If anyone has been through this, please tell me what the remedy was and what you or the dealership had to do to fix it.

Thank you!
Larry
sent from my iPhone

realjones88

I know you said you tested it with a voltmeter, but if it's the original battery that might be a good place to start before you start throwing a lot of money around.

SixSigmaLarry

Jones, thank you for the response.
I literally just talked to a friend of mine who has an AMG and he said the same thing. He suggested that perhaps one of the cells of the battery is bad. I am going to have this checked tomorrow.

Alex.currie44

I think this battery discussion is a red herring. If the battery was the issue why would it crank and start some of the time when you go through this rigamirol with the shifter and not normally.
My guess is that you have a faulty switch in the system that detects it is in Park which it sees when you mess with it but not when it is operated normally.
So here is something I just tested on my 2013.

If it does not start with the button leave the park releaase alone for a minute.
Take the button out and put in the fob. Turn the fob until the lights come on.
Put your foot on the brake and put the car in N. Start it with the fob.
My car starts this way in Neutral.
If this works everytime and you continue to have issues with it starting in Park my bet si the switch is either faulty or out of position such that when you put it in P normally it is not closing and telling the ECU it is OK to start.
I am wondering if you wiggle the shifter will it start rather than going throught the unlock step.

SixSigmaLarry

Update....not the battery. Had it tested. The battery was a little low, but all cells checked out. Dealer said I had original battery and it might be time for a new one soon.

Alex, thanks for responding. While stranded the first time I did wiggle the shifter (I was trying to get it out of park-this was before I thought of finding the release). I would tend to agree with your thoughts on what is failing.

If the shifter sensor/switch doesn't pan out, I have read from some that it could be a faulty brake pedal switch; however, my money is on the latter.

Does anyone know if the car stores faulty codes that would be related to me issue? I don't have a problem going to the MB dealership if they can plug something to the AMG and tell me what is wrong, that is, with it operating properly. If not, then I will wait for it to fail again - argh.

I will call the dealership tomorrow and ask them. In the interim, any advice or feedback from you all is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Larry

gforc3

Look up steering lock/eis issue

ricecooker713

Your car stores and logs fault codes. Dealers have Star diagnostic/Xentry to connect with the vehicle and perform testing.
If you had your battery tested at a dealer, why not ask them to scan the car or actually diag your complaint, I mean you were there already.

It's rare for a 2012 to have an EIS/steering lock issue, these were mainly on PF.

Alex.currie44

Could be the brake switch as well. Process of elimination. If it starts every time when you wiggle the shifter or put it in neutral to start it my bet is the trans switch not the brake.
Yes I would expect there to be codes. What puzzles me is why your dealer tech has not already hooked up the computer. For sure insist they do so. Might take some of the guess work out it.

jpsingh

Just pitching another possibility :

My car (2011 C63 Pre-facelift) did something very similar once couple of years back and I had it towed to the dealer and they replaced the ESM (Electronic Shifter Module)

The car should have an error message store in it, just have it checked.

SixSigmaLarry

I should have explained my story better. The MB dealership was already closed when I got off of work last night. I went to a Lexus dealership where a friend of mine works to test the battery.
Thanks for everyone's input. I will try to get my car in this week. I will be sure to update this thread once I have some answers.

Thanks!!
Larry

NZ-Merc

Sorry wrong thread no delete button.

bluejae

i had issues where my car wouldn't start and i went back and forth thinking it had something to do with the battery... replaced it with a new one... then it was ok for a while then it did it again... what ended up solving the problem for me was tightening down the connection at the terminal... it's crazy how even though it's barely loose and i mean you would have to tap it with a wrench to get it to move slightly... don't ask me why because i have no idea how this could be the issue but ever since then, no issues.

also check ground wire going to battery. could possibly be loose somewhere