Shifter Replacement Questions
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: North Jersey
2000 S430
Shifter Replacement Questions
Hello All,
I read through most of the threads regarding the shifter module and have a couple of questions for those who are familiar.
FYI, it's a 00 S430
About a week ago my shifter decides to stay in park and after trolling around this site I find out that it could either be my brake switch or the little black tab that's part of the lock mechanism in the module itself. Since I could hear the lock mechanism disengages every time I stepped on the brake I assumed it wasn't the brake switch.
So long story short, I yank out the shifter and find the little black tab had broken inside and quickly remove it. I realize I'm not all that comfortable with the fact that shifter can easily be placed into park or reverse with the slight of hand and quickly order a used shifter assembly that I find off another forum site. The numbers match my stock shifter assembly so I assumed that it was compatible with my car.
The piece arrives today and I replace my current shifter with the "new" one. Right away I notice that the brake switch not disengaging the lock mechanism and the shifter not functioning like normal only to assume that it may need to be reprogrammed? After coming to that conclusion, I place my "old" shifter back in and find out the car is not recognizing the "old" shifter either and it's not going out of 2nd or 3rd gear when I'm on the road. Possibly limp mode? But there are no malfunction indications.
So am I right to assume I need the new shifter assembly reprogrammed through MB? And what could cause the car not to recognize my old shifter?
Thanks guys.
I read through most of the threads regarding the shifter module and have a couple of questions for those who are familiar.
FYI, it's a 00 S430
About a week ago my shifter decides to stay in park and after trolling around this site I find out that it could either be my brake switch or the little black tab that's part of the lock mechanism in the module itself. Since I could hear the lock mechanism disengages every time I stepped on the brake I assumed it wasn't the brake switch.
So long story short, I yank out the shifter and find the little black tab had broken inside and quickly remove it. I realize I'm not all that comfortable with the fact that shifter can easily be placed into park or reverse with the slight of hand and quickly order a used shifter assembly that I find off another forum site. The numbers match my stock shifter assembly so I assumed that it was compatible with my car.
The piece arrives today and I replace my current shifter with the "new" one. Right away I notice that the brake switch not disengaging the lock mechanism and the shifter not functioning like normal only to assume that it may need to be reprogrammed? After coming to that conclusion, I place my "old" shifter back in and find out the car is not recognizing the "old" shifter either and it's not going out of 2nd or 3rd gear when I'm on the road. Possibly limp mode? But there are no malfunction indications.
So am I right to assume I need the new shifter assembly reprogrammed through MB? And what could cause the car not to recognize my old shifter?
Thanks guys.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,578
Likes: 7
04 S430 (sold),05 X5 4.4i, 02 325i, 87 560SL, 85 Alfa Romeo
Hard to say because programming has nothing to do with the shifter being able to come out of park that's just and electrical function common to all shifters.
The "new" shifter sounds like it has th same problem as the old shifter.
Recheck your connections on the old shifter to make sure its correct. I dont see how swapping shifters then going back to the original wold have changed the cars program.. It sounds more like its in manual shift mode not limp.
but again is hard to tell because I'm not there... You did all of this work with the ignition turned off right? otherwise you may have dmaged your original module while you ere swapping.
You could try to remove the shift module ( electronic part ) from the shifter that is working and swap it with the one that is not..
The "new" shifter sounds like it has th same problem as the old shifter.
Recheck your connections on the old shifter to make sure its correct. I dont see how swapping shifters then going back to the original wold have changed the cars program.. It sounds more like its in manual shift mode not limp.
but again is hard to tell because I'm not there... You did all of this work with the ignition turned off right? otherwise you may have dmaged your original module while you ere swapping.
You could try to remove the shift module ( electronic part ) from the shifter that is working and swap it with the one that is not..
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: North Jersey
2000 S430
Thanks for the response.
I was always under the assumption that whenever you change the shifter mechanism you had to have it reprogrammed through das.
Here's the thing, as soon as I placed the old one back in I noticed it acted the same way as "new" unit. The car didn't recongize it and the only reason I could drive with it was because the black lock tab was taken out of the assembly.
It is on manual shift mode but I can't shift out. I forgot whether the car was on or not because not being able to remove the key.
Thanks so much.
I was always under the assumption that whenever you change the shifter mechanism you had to have it reprogrammed through das.
Here's the thing, as soon as I placed the old one back in I noticed it acted the same way as "new" unit. The car didn't recongize it and the only reason I could drive with it was because the black lock tab was taken out of the assembly.
It is on manual shift mode but I can't shift out. I forgot whether the car was on or not because not being able to remove the key.
Thanks so much.
