I can't take much credit - I just happened to have RTFM recently enough that it was somewhere near the top of my aging memory pile 
Dead Car. In Park. Need a Tow!!!
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 576
Likes: 8
From: Placitas, NM
E550
Dead Car. In Park. Need a Tow!!!
So, the battery completely craps out -- no power at all available. The car is in Park. You need a tow, which means a pull up on a flat bed (hopefully).
How do you get the car out of Park so the guy can pull it up without two long black marks on your drive and flat spots on the rear wheels? And maybe a broken Park pawl?
How do you get the car out of Park so the guy can pull it up without two long black marks on your drive and flat spots on the rear wheels? And maybe a broken Park pawl?
Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 194
Likes: 0
e350
So, the battery completely craps out -- no power at all available. The car is in Park. You need a tow, which means a pull up on a flat bed (hopefully).
How do you get the car out of Park so the guy can pull it up without two long black marks on your drive and flat spots on the rear wheels? And maybe a broken Park pawl?
How do you get the car out of Park so the guy can pull it up without two long black marks on your drive and flat spots on the rear wheels? And maybe a broken Park pawl?
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 576
Likes: 8
From: Placitas, NM
E550
Assume the failure is in Hotrock, AZ, and the only service available is "Mumbo's Carburetor Fixing and Towing." Is there a way to get the damn thing out of Park without power?
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
'01 A6 2.7TQM
Code:
If the battery is defective, the automatic transmission will be locked in position P. To shift the automatic transmission to position N, you must provide power to the vehicle's electrical system in the same way as whenjump-starting (page 338).
So yes, the previous poster nailed it - connect jumper cables, shift to N, proceed with towing adventure 
Richard
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 4,372
Likes: 945
W212 FL
Sorry to hear this happened ,btw your car's battery is dead but there should a button onto the pano roof panel about towing alarm . I doubt it would go off but still make sure it doesn't come on during towing procedure
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Super Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 639
Likes: 14
From: Suburban Phila., PA
2012 E350 Coupe
Live Oak:
Don't know if it's too late or not, but if you're still stuck all you should have to do is call the dealer or 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES. They will (or at least SHOULD) dispatch a service vehicle with a new battery. It can be installed on the spot. Just insist they bring out a new battery this time. I would still have the car checked over when you are operational again.
The only hassle you should have is pro-rating the value of the dead battery.
OTOH, if you don't wish another OEM battery installed, as some have suggested, they should come out, give you a jump and get you moving so you can go where you want to get a new battery.
I speak from personal experience here. That's exactly what Roadside Assistance did for me when my battery died on a previous car. They most certainly will do the same for you.
If you go to a tire and battery dealer for a non-OEM battery, just be advised that either you or they will have to know how to reset certain functions of the car when there is a total power loss. Roadside Assistance took care of all of that for me.
Good luck.
Don't know if it's too late or not, but if you're still stuck all you should have to do is call the dealer or 1-800-FOR-MERCEDES. They will (or at least SHOULD) dispatch a service vehicle with a new battery. It can be installed on the spot. Just insist they bring out a new battery this time. I would still have the car checked over when you are operational again.
The only hassle you should have is pro-rating the value of the dead battery.
OTOH, if you don't wish another OEM battery installed, as some have suggested, they should come out, give you a jump and get you moving so you can go where you want to get a new battery.
I speak from personal experience here. That's exactly what Roadside Assistance did for me when my battery died on a previous car. They most certainly will do the same for you.
If you go to a tire and battery dealer for a non-OEM battery, just be advised that either you or they will have to know how to reset certain functions of the car when there is a total power loss. Roadside Assistance took care of all of that for me.
Good luck.
Thread Starter
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 576
Likes: 8
From: Placitas, NM
E550
Being just the kind of geek who reads the manual for a car he doesn't (yet?) own.... I saw this the other day and found it again - page 342 lower left corner:
Code:
If the battery is defective, the automatic transmission will be locked in position P. To shift the automatic transmission to position N, you must provide power to the vehicle's electrical system in the same way as whenjump-starting (page 338).
Thanks for the info.
Reading the manuals, towing is a dangerous process. It seems to me that there are too many ways to break the car (expensively) when it's in Park. Since the default no power position is P, and doing practicaly anything with the doors puts it in P, there should be a way to mechanically put it in N and keep it there. Yeah, I know, more expense.
For example, Toyota has a flip up cover on a mechanical release for the floor shifter in earlier cars -- don't know about now.
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
'01 A6 2.7TQM
Reading the manuals, towing is a dangerous process. It seems to me that there are too many ways to break the car (expensively) when it's in Park. Since the default no power position is P, and doing practicaly anything with the doors puts it in P, there should be a way to mechanically put it in N and keep it there. Yeah, I know, more expense.
For example, Toyota has a flip up cover on a mechanical release for the floor shifter in earlier cars -- don't know about now.
For example, Toyota has a flip up cover on a mechanical release for the floor shifter in earlier cars -- don't know about now.
Code:
The automatic transmission automatically shifts to position P when you open the driver's or front-passenger door or when you remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. In order to ensure that the automatic transmission stays in position N when towing the vehicle, you must observe the following points: X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary and the SmartKey in the ignition lock is in position 0. X Turn the SmartKey to position 2 in the ignition lock. On vehicles with KEYLESS-GO, use the key instead of the Start/Stop button (page 145). X Depress and hold the brake pedal. X Shift the automatic transmission to position N. X Release the brake pedal. X Release the parking brake. X Leave the SmartKey in position 2 in the ignition lock.
Richard
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
'01 A6 2.7TQM
Richard
