GLK Super Fan

Hello, just need some advice. My glk sometime will not shift to reverse or neutral after driving. It always work after i restart the engine. I already replaced the auxiliary battery and main battery. It reduced the sequence it happen, but it still happening from time to time. I am thinking maybe it the steering wheel column (shift stick) acting up? I really don't want to replace parts that i don't need. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Mmr1

How old is the fluid, that’s where I would start. The mb interval for a change is to long, for all oils - my opinion.

GLK Super Fan

Don't think it the fluid. I changed not long ago. The car shifts fine. It just from time to time, won't engage to gear and has to restart the engine before can select the gear again

Mmr1

Have you tried Google or links to Youtube , there are a few very detailed mb transmission videos I’ve seen

GLK Super Fan

Yep, couldn't find much info other than people were talking about the auxiliary battery or the steering wheel column.

John CC

If you try to shift it and it won't, there should be a fault code.

formerjeepguy

My GLK250 did this a couple times before I traded it. It had about 16k miles on it at the time. The first time it was quite disconcerting.

I remember seeing 3 or 4 other threads about this behavior over the last few years. I think it was corrected with software update at the dealer.

GLK Super Fan

No fault code and no CEL. It just happen from time to time. I am not even sure the dealer can duplicate

John CC

That would seem to indicate it doesn't recognize that you've pushed the lever. Why switching off and back on would fix it is a puzzle; usually that means there is a fault.

emtskibum

This has happened to me maybe 3 times over the past 4 months. No CEL, fixed with a restart.

andreigbs

What year is your GLK250? I wonder if this is the early stages of the ESL mechanism failing? If so, it's a common fault on the x204 chassis cars. From past reading, it either works or it fails in which case you can't start the car even; not sure if intermittent failure prevents shifting from/to P or D.

GLK Super Fan

Ya, mine was fixed by restarting it. Honestly don't know what's wrong with it. If it software glitch, it will be a pain to get it fix.

GLK Super Fan

It a 2013 model, glk 250. I think the facelifted version don't have the ESL mechanism issue. I am hoping maybe some Mercedes tech on the forum will give me some lights on how to fix this issue

GLKwanter

Hey you ever get anywhere with this? Mine just did it for the first time.

calder-cay

Can you be a bit more specific?

I'm curious, because I think I may have experienced this for the first time today in our 2014 GLK350 Base (gas).

I left at 6am to go to the VA Medical Center (takes an hour to get there) and I had to stop on the side of the freeway to check Google Maps.

I slowed down (was at freeway speeds of 60+mph), stopped, shifted into Park (GLK still running).
After a couple minutes goofing with Maps, I laid the phone down and shifted into Drive (or so I thought).

Applied gas pedal... nothing (I looked down and it was still in Park).
Paused for a second. Diligently shifted into Drive - it worked. (Might have been an odd fluke)

When you shift into Drive or Reverse, do you have your foot on the brake pedal?
Do you try to shift in Neutral?
Does it show that you are still in Park?

Does it ONLY then shift into Drive or Reverse, after his problem, if you turn the GLK off, then start it again?

GLKwanter

If it went right into drive and you didn't have to shut if off and turn it back on im going to say that was driver error as what i experienced and all im reading it doesn't fix itself like that.