Benz@70605

I'm trying to disconnect the gear shifter linkage from transmission with car stuck in park on my SL550. Can anyone tell me how to do it?

cdk4219

You can get to it from the bottom, ate yiu trying to get the shifter out so yiu can repair the lock pawl?

cdk4219

If so you have to get the shifter out of park to get the console trim off. That’s the tricky part.

MikeJ65

Remove the shifter knob, put slight pressure on the shifter lever to the right and back, hit the top of the shifter with a soft face hammer or 2x4. It might take a few tries, but it should pop out of park.

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

And if that doesn't work, use a BIGGER hammer. 🤪

There is a plastic brake pedal interlock that requires applying the brake to move the shifter out of Park. It breaks. There are aftermarket metal replacement pieces. If you remove the broken piece and put nothing back, the shifter still works, but allows you to shift without applying the brake. That may fail a safety inspection, depending on where you are.

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

There are YouTube videos on how to replace the broken piece.

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

You will need to get under the car and disconnect the shifter linkage to the transmission to remove the shifter assembly to fix the broken piece.

Tom Manning

There is a plastic brake pedal interlock that requires applying the brake to move the shifter out of Park. It breaks. There are aftermarket metal replacement pieces. If you remove the broken piece and put nothing back, the shifter still works, but allows you to shift without applying the brake. That may fail a safety inspection, depending on where you are.

Also it will allow anyone to shift the car out of park and roll it away. No steering lock on the R230. And it will allow you to knock the lever out of D and into any other gear at speed - probably undesirable.

Remove the lockout pawl without replacing it at your discretion...

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

Search YouTube for "mercedes r230 shifter repair". Here's one to get you started.

Carpedmman

I experienced this same issue on my ‘07 SL 550 and in my research I discovered that there’s a relay switch directly above your brake foot, which allows the transmission to shift gears. If this relay fails, the third brake light won’t illuminate, and the transmission won’t release.

I suggest checking this relay before disconnecting the transmission in anyway. Good luck!

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

Actually, applying the brake and seeing if the brake lights come on should be a real easy test. Good call to check that switch. But the hammer approach is much more fun!

Carpedmman

something about a hammer and a Mercedes- I don’t like the outcome!!!

Benz@70605

No, this whole problem started while scanning my car and finding that the Snap On scanner that I 2as using said that the version of my ECU was not recognized by the scanner and told me to please select one of the eight versions below. I did so to no avail and kept changing versions until I got to the last one. When I got to the last one now when I turn on the ignition I have no power to instrument cluster or anything!

Benz@70605

I'm trying to remove the center console to get to my ignition switch

Benz@70605

Thanks for the detailed process steps. That's exactly what I'm trying to do is remove the center console so I can access my ignition switch but have not been able to get it off because of the shifter lever.

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

JettaRed

iTrader: (1)

Ignition switch? You don't remove the console for that. Is that what you meant to say? See the attached.

MR.AMG.

Hi mate did you manage to remove the linkage? And was your car starting or was it just stuck in park?

MR.AMG.

Hi would you know what the purpose of the gear linkage rod is please? I am hoping replacing this solves my no crank no start and stuck in park issue

Tom Manning

The rod connects the shifter to the transmission.

You can activate the transmission manually by moving the rod back and forth, thus moving from R to N to D but unless the shifter also knows where it is via its sequence of movement through the optical pickups, you won't get drive authorisation.

One war at a time though - as Lincoln said, when threatened by the British during the Civil War. First deal with the stuck in park by replacing the lockout pawl with the aluminium part. While the shifter is out, resolder all the optical pickups in the shifter.

Then see where you are with the no start.

MR.AMG.

So replacing the broken rod won't start the car? I have already replaced the plastic to a aluminium one. When i found the broken rod i assumed this was causing my stuck in park and no start issue?
I had a electrician over he managed to bypass the gear selector and fired the car up and told me it's the gear selector but he never noticed the rod so what do you think?

Tom Manning

If you have replaced the pawl in the shifter, then it's no longer stuck in park, right?
What exactly is broken now? Elaborate. Does the shifter move through its travel OK?
Sounds like it's the optical pickups. You'll have to scan it to know more. Do you get crank, but no start, or no crank?

MR.AMG.

it wasnt broken i just got it changed anyway. It is still stuck in park i had wiring issues which is sorted but the gear stick rod has somehow snapped so I'm hoping the rod is causing this problem? Its a no crank no start. I had it checked the guy somehow bypassed the gear selector and got it started after sorting the wiring he said I need a new gear selector but he didn't notice the broken rod 😮‍💨

MikeJ65

There is a Park/Neutral switch in the transmission that can prevent a start, you can check the status in diagnostics. A broken linkage can obviously affect the status of this switch.

The shifter is released by a solenoid which uses part of the brake pedal switch. You should hear a click at the shifter when you press the brake pedal, especially with the aluminum release lever.

I'm not sure what your guy did to get it running, but 'bypassing' the shifter won't work. It is 1/3 of the immobilizer trio and needs to give its blessing in order for the car to start. Unless the ECU has been modified or has an emulator attached, it needs to handshake with the shifter and EIS before you get a start authorization.

Bottom line is you need to do a proper diagnosis and work your way through everything needed for a start. You might as well start with the shifter not unlocking and repairing the linkage since both of those repairs will be needed anyway.

brucewane

The rod/linkage between the shifter and the transmission has a clip at each end. Pretty simple to remove/replace once you get access to it. You'll have to remove an underbody panel or two, an underbody panel support bracket, and loosen a heat shield and slide it towards the rear of the car to gain access to the shifter end of the linkage. Not difficult if you've got a fair bit of experience working on cars and have proper equipment - the main thing needed here is jack stands, get the car as high off the ground as you can manage.

BUT - not to doubt your word, but it would be pretty weird for that linkage to snap. It's not under much stress at all. It is a two piece linkage that slides/locks to allow length adjustment, so maybe yours just had the bolt that locks in the length adjustment get loose and allow the two pieces to slip apart. Also, the linkage has a bushing at each end that can wear out/harden/crumble leaving the linkage very loose. If you're going to the trouble of accessing the linkage, you might consider getting new bushings and new retainer clips to make sure everything's fresh and tight.