My s500 wont go into gear...has this happened to anyone??
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Joined: Nov 2020
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2004 mercedes benz s500
My s500 wont go into gear...has this happened to anyone??
I own a 2004 Mercedes s500 and am having trouble getting it into any gear but park, The cars well kept and all maintenance is always done.
Has this been a problem for anyone or is there a known history of this problem with this model??? Any info will be greatly appreciated
Thanks,
Valerie
Has this been a problem for anyone or is there a known history of this problem with this model??? Any info will be greatly appreciated
Thanks,
Valerie
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 790
Likes: 17
From: West Palm Beach
2004 S500
Try changing the battery in your key FOB.
Also...make sure your foot is FIRMLY on the brake and the parking brake is engaged. I have had it happen a few times and it seemed to go away when I changed the FOB battery.
I am the 2nd owner of my S500 and have garage kept it for the past 15 years...I "only" have 125K miles and 100K miles of that is highway.
There is a safety switch that is in the shifter assembly that is very sensitive. Good luck with this and let us know what the outcome is. Mine started doing this about 6 months ago ...but only occasionally. Changing the Key Fob Battery helped. BTW, mine is a Keyless Go model.
Also...make sure your foot is FIRMLY on the brake and the parking brake is engaged. I have had it happen a few times and it seemed to go away when I changed the FOB battery.
I am the 2nd owner of my S500 and have garage kept it for the past 15 years...I "only" have 125K miles and 100K miles of that is highway.
There is a safety switch that is in the shifter assembly that is very sensitive. Good luck with this and let us know what the outcome is. Mine started doing this about 6 months ago ...but only occasionally. Changing the Key Fob Battery helped. BTW, mine is a Keyless Go model.
Last edited by sprink49; Dec 22, 2020 at 05:34 PM.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,474
Likes: 439
From: Ball Ground, GA (N of Atlanta)
2003 S500 2007 GL450
Yes, this is a known problem. There is a solenoid-operated blocking lever (starter interlock) that only allows shifting out of PARK while you have the brake pedal pressed. While there are other possibilities (such as a maladjusted or malfunctioning brake light switch), the most common failure seems to be that the plastic lever gradually breaks, preventing removal of the shift lever from PARK.
There are two DIY fixes - purchase and install an aftermarket metal lever; or, remove the failed lever.
If you choose to just remove the lever, the shift lever can then be moved from PARK at any time, just as could the lever in the millions upon millions of cars built before 1968. If you are uncomfortable with this situation, you should replace the blocking lever.
There are at least three different lever designs, and no known way to tell which of the three will be in your car. As a result, there are vendors who sell a kit that includes all three levers, allowing you to dismantle the shifter, then immediately replace the lever with the appropriate version. Otherwise, you will need to disassemble the shifter, determine which lever you need, and let the car sit until you can procure the correct version.
While replacing the lever is not a really simple task, there are numerous videos on youTube showing how to do it. (Search for W220 shifter repair or similar terms.)
There are two DIY fixes - purchase and install an aftermarket metal lever; or, remove the failed lever.
If you choose to just remove the lever, the shift lever can then be moved from PARK at any time, just as could the lever in the millions upon millions of cars built before 1968. If you are uncomfortable with this situation, you should replace the blocking lever.
There are at least three different lever designs, and no known way to tell which of the three will be in your car. As a result, there are vendors who sell a kit that includes all three levers, allowing you to dismantle the shifter, then immediately replace the lever with the appropriate version. Otherwise, you will need to disassemble the shifter, determine which lever you need, and let the car sit until you can procure the correct version.
While replacing the lever is not a really simple task, there are numerous videos on youTube showing how to do it. (Search for W220 shifter repair or similar terms.)
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,474
Likes: 439
From: Ball Ground, GA (N of Atlanta)
2003 S500 2007 GL450
BTW - the keyfob battery has nothing whatsoever to do with starting the car, or with the starter interlock. The battery only operates the RF central locking system, alarm system, the IR unlocking system, etc. The power to unlock the EIS (Electronic Ignition System), which is what actually triggers the starter interlock solenoid and the starter, ignition, etc., is sent from the EIS to the keyfob inductively.
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 23
Likes: 5
From: Johannesburg
S320 CDI W220
Gear selector security solenoid pin
Had this on my S320cdi. At first was sticky now and again and the one day no matter what you do it won’t slide out of park. Had to buy a new selector box for around 6-700 usd. It’s a security thing. When car locks a pin goes through as a type of Gear lock is what Merc agents told me. Hope that helps you. Andrew B
I own a 2004 Mercedes s500 and am having trouble getting it into any gear but park, The cars well kept and all maintenance is always done.
Has this been a problem for anyone or is there a known history of this problem with this model??? Any info will be greatly appreciated
Thanks,
Valerie
Has this been a problem for anyone or is there a known history of this problem with this model??? Any info will be greatly appreciated
Thanks,
Valerie
