CLK-Class (W208) 1998-2002: CLK 200, CLK 230K, CLK 320, CLK 430 [Coupes & Cabriolets]

Dash doesn't read gear, car no longer shifts gear

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Old 02-08-2012, 02:20 PM
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2000 Mercedes Benz CLK 320
Dash doesn't read gear, car no longer shifts gear

Car: 2000 CLK 320

My problem had stages...

1. When i turned key to on position one day the dashboard did not identify the car being in the "P" position, though the car had indeed been shut off and left in the "P" position for the key to be removed. Once I started the car it ran fine but did not shift easily into "D". When I put it into gear it slammed into gear and once i began to drive it would not shift out of the lowest gear. After driving around the block and getting the car home I was unable to get it into the park position without pushing a pen through the pen hole to release transmission control. When I turned the car off and then back on... Everything worked perfect and I went on about my day.

2. I was driving home, on a 3 hour drive, and I heard a noise and then the BAS ESP light came on. I finished the drive with what seemed like a loss of power and turned the car off. When I turned the car back on, just like before the problem had gone away...

3. I was leaving 2 days later for another 3 hour drive when I got into the car and the car was doing the exact same thing as in #1. Dash did not recognize gear and car would not shift past 1st. When I got back to the car 2 days later it had rained and the passenger floorboard had gotten soaked. I tried to start the car and now it would no longer start either.

4. I went out to the car this morning and it started. I did research and from those that didn't give up and pay $750-$8000 to fix the problem, the responses I have gotten vary. I am going to replace the "Stop Lamp Switch". What I am looking for is a useful direction to go, if this happens to not work. I have taken the center console off as well and all the connections look to be clean. I did not remove the shift lever itself I just cleaned around it and checked the connection.

I understand how important specific model and information is important, that is why I am reposting about this subject, because my problem has not seemed to been addressed to a satisfaction conclussion with my model car... If it has a link would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully, the switch works... Thank you for reading and posts!!

Last edited by Boredomkills462; 02-08-2012 at 03:33 PM.
Old 02-08-2012, 02:29 PM
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CLK W208
if your passenger side floor was flooded then it might have been caused by the TCU(trans control unit) remove the carpet and you will see a aluminum foot rest under the cartpet against the firewall, there are three nuts remove those and that piece comes off, your TCU is sitting behined that, with the car off remove the connections and clean everything up and that might do the the trick.
Old 02-08-2012, 03:24 PM
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2000 Mercedes Benz CLK 320
I removed the carpet to find more water. I took the aluminum cover down and the TCU was clean and dry as the day it was shipped out of the factory. I did disconnect the battery and unplug the TCU and inspect to double check and it looked brand new. I put the plugs back and re-connected the battery. After reconnecting the battery the problem is the same. Last time I drove it the car (prior to problem 2) shifted smoothly through every gear.

Last edited by Boredomkills462; 02-08-2012 at 04:03 PM.
Old 02-09-2012, 01:22 PM
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2000 Mercedes Benz CLK 320
Replaced the "Stop Lamp Switch" today and the ABS, BAS/ESP warning message went away. The car is still not reading that it is in "P". I did the replacement with the battery disconnected. After I reconnected the battery and started the car I got the error message and turned the wheel to the left and the right and it cleared the errors. I turned the car off and back on and still no read on the dashboard as to what gear the car is in. I'm going to disconnect the battery again since I got the error message to clear and see if that helps with reading the gears. Any help as to how to get my car to read what gear its in again would be greatly appreciated!!

Cheers!
Old 02-09-2012, 02:28 PM
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the gear reading is done by one wire that is connected to you shifter narness and goes all the way from the side of the center consul to under the driver seat wiring tunnle and all the way to the back of the cluster. the main harness on the shifter has one wire that goes a seperate way, if i remember correctly its either blue and bron or blue and gray. on the back of the cluster that wire goes into the connector that connects on the right side of the cluster, you can easily take apart that connecter and find the wire, theer are two bump clis on the side just softly pry on the side of the black connector housing and the main connector that the wire is attached to pops out. run a voltmeter test on the wire from ened to end and see if the wire is working properly(meaning its not cut or ripped somewhere) if that wire is gine then you have an issue with your floor shifter.
Old 02-09-2012, 02:34 PM
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2000 Mercedes Benz CLK 320
I will do that next. I have also inspected every fuse I can find. I know of 3 fuse locations and all fuses look good. Another symptom that I just noticed while I had it in "P" (though the dash wasn't reading it was in "P") I was pumping the brakes when I would pump the brakes I would hear a click sound in my gear box for each press of the pedal. When the car was turned off there was no sound. Starting to get farther and farther away from a DIY problem...
Old 02-10-2012, 01:25 AM
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CLK W208
check that wire and if its not that then it is for sure your shifter, because there is nothing between the shifter and the cluster, that wire goes straight to the cluster, there are no fuses or relays or anything else.
Old 02-10-2012, 03:59 AM
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2000 CLK 320
I had the same problem as described in (1). Took it to an independent mechanic and his system could not talk to the transmission modules to find the faults. I took it to the dealership and they identified the problem to be the floor shifter. No liquid was spilled on the shifter, and the vehicle is also a 2000 model, so I guess the shifter just conked out. I'm now waiting for a replacement shifter to replace the broken one.
Old 04-27-2014, 09:28 AM
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Clk 230 kompressor coupe
Originally Posted by VIPclk320
if your passenger side floor was flooded then it might have been caused by the TCU(trans control unit) remove the carpet and you will see a aluminum foot rest under the cartpet against the firewall, there are three nuts remove those and that piece comes off, your TCU is sitting behined that, with the car off remove the connections and clean everything up and that might do the the trick.
I have this same problem an I keep going into limp mode. I am getting fault code p2313 and say can-bus and gear selector module fault.

I have removed the carpet by the passengers footwell and got to the wires and TCU there and also removed the panel on the actual gear selector (but have not moved the gear selector yet) how do I find this wire that connect the two as you say as there is quite a few connections in both the footwell and by the gear selector?
Also will I need to remove any paneling by the passengers side to have a visual on how and where these two run there connection?

Any update would be a great help as I seem to have taken my car apart an abit reluctant to go any further... Lol

This limp mode headache is killing me!!! Lol

Thanks.
Old 04-27-2014, 09:31 AM
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Clk 230 kompressor coupe
Originally Posted by VIPclk320
the gear reading is done by one wire that is connected to you shifter narness and goes all the way from the side of the center consul to under the driver seat wiring tunnle and all the way to the back of the cluster. the main harness on the shifter has one wire that goes a seperate way, if i remember correctly its either blue and bron or blue and gray. on the back of the cluster that wire goes into the connector that connects on the right side of the cluster, you can easily take apart that connecter and find the wire, theer are two bump clis on the side just softly pry on the side of the black connector housing and the main connector that the wire is attached to pops out. run a voltmeter test on the wire from ened to end and see if the wire is working properly(meaning its not cut or ripped somewhere) if that wire is gine then you have an issue with your floor shifter.
**Sorry wrong quote in previous post..


I have this same problem an I keep going into limp mode. I am getting fault code p2313 and say can-bus and gear selector module fault.

I have removed the carpet by the passengers footwell and got to the wires and TCU there and also removed the panel on the actual gear selector (but have not moved the gear selector yet) how do I find this wire that connect the two as you say as there is quite a few connections in both the footwell and by the gear selector?
Also will I need to remove any paneling by the passengers side to have a visual on how and where these two run there connection?

Any update would be a great help as I seem to have taken my car apart an abit reluctant to go any further... Lol

This limp mode headache is killing me!!! Lol

Thanks.
Old 06-27-2015, 06:54 PM
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Did anyone actually fix this problem?
Old 07-09-2018, 11:31 PM
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2002 s430
Originally Posted by 1raja
**Sorry wrong quote in previous post..


I have this same problem an I keep going into limp mode. I am getting fault code p2313 and say can-bus and gear selector module fault.

I have removed the carpet by the passengers footwell and got to the wires and TCU there and also removed the panel on the actual gear selector (but have not moved the gear selector yet) how do I find this wire that connect the two as you say as there is quite a few connections in both the footwell and by the gear selector?
Also will I need to remove any paneling by the passengers side to have a visual on how and where these two run there connection?

Any update would be a great help as I seem to have taken my car apart an abit reluctant to go any further... Lol

This limp mode headache is killing me!!! Lol

Thanks.
did anyone fix the problem? Im having the same issue
Old 06-17-2019, 04:24 AM
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2000 CLK230
Also have the same problem

I'm having the same issues after the car (CLK230) has sat idle for about 2 weeks. I've read elsewhere that a low battery voltage can be the problem and the idle time would reinforce that as a possibility.
Has anyone solved the problem?
Old 07-13-2020, 06:06 AM
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Clk320
I have the same damn problem. Any solutions yet? My intuition tells me it may be the circuit board in the gear shifter. A German over engineered driver.
Old 07-13-2020, 09:22 AM
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2000 CLK230
I had exactly the same problem, as posted. Getting a new battery fixed everything.
Old 07-13-2020, 02:34 PM
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CLK 320 Cabriolet
Shifting problem

While I didn’t experience this problem, the previous owner did. He replaced the shifter and it solved the problem. He said it cost around $600 at an Indy shop. Not too bad. Hope this helps.
Old 09-24-2021, 10:10 AM
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E320cdi
Hei man

Originally Posted by adenda
I had exactly the same problem, as posted. Getting a new battery fixed everything.
I have the same problem... Yesterday after i took my sgm to Electronic and he says me its was good readings i mounted back again. Drove the car w211 320cdi all runs super fine. Today it doesnt start and go out of Park.
Your was a weak battery? My o é is not 100%

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