SL/R230: Won't go into park
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 992
Likes: 245
From: Tucson, AZ
'20 X5 M50i; '17 Ram 3500; Golf Cart; Bikes; Scooters
You may have a bad 'park lock' plastic part within your shift lever. There is a replacement part that is aluminum that will fix it. Most failures like this leave the car stuck in park, not neutral, so this may not be the issue. This is DIY but 4-5 on level of difficulty. Search for car stuck in park.
Could also be the brake switch under the pedal. If your foot is not on the brake, it may not allow the shift to occur, which is determined by the brake switch, not the pressure you exert on the brake. Easy DIY if you search for brake switch.
Could also be the brake switch under the pedal. If your foot is not on the brake, it may not allow the shift to occur, which is determined by the brake switch, not the pressure you exert on the brake. Easy DIY if you search for brake switch.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 746
Likes: 185
From: Melbourne, Australia
2005 SL 500 R230
To get it back into park, try moving the shifter back and forth through the gears with your foot on and off the brake. To eliminate the brake switch as a failure point, get it back into park if you can, then put your ear to the shifter and listen to the click when you press the brake. That will tell you that the solenoid in the shifter is being energised.
Almost certainly you have a cracked, but not completely broken yet, lockout pawl in the shifter. If you don't act, you will be stranded getting it out of park one day.
Pull the shifter and replace the pawl with one of the milled aluminium pieces on eBay. Set and forget - problem solved. It's kind of an absolutely essential modification to make to an R230 and one I would do immediately if I bought another one, as well as resolder the optical pickups in the shifter while it's out.
Almost certainly you have a cracked, but not completely broken yet, lockout pawl in the shifter. If you don't act, you will be stranded getting it out of park one day.
Pull the shifter and replace the pawl with one of the milled aluminium pieces on eBay. Set and forget - problem solved. It's kind of an absolutely essential modification to make to an R230 and one I would do immediately if I bought another one, as well as resolder the optical pickups in the shifter while it's out.
Last edited by Tom Manning; May 21, 2023 at 07:48 AM.
Newbie
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 12
Likes: 4
From: Roy, WA
R230 2003
Ordered the Brake switch as I couldn't hear any click from the Shifter Solenoid, $10. But I did remove the Cable going from the Ignition to the Shifter. Pulled the shifter out and manually (Long Needle nose plyers) put it in Park and the car started right up. My Plastic piece isn't broked but I ordered one from Amazon, get it in 2 days with Prime whereas Ebay would've probably been a week for shipping for about the same price. I should put a Multmeter on the Old brake switch, and I might, but I'll definitely plug in the shifter and check the new Brake switch before install. Shift rod was a pain to get out of the shifter. Is the cable really necessary?? Seems like a waste, what happened to common sense?
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Super Member
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 746
Likes: 185
From: Melbourne, Australia
2005 SL 500 R230
Now that it's back in park, can you hear the solenoid click with the ignition on, and your foot on the brake?
Put your ear up to the shifter.
If it clicks, brake switch is OK.
The cable runs up to the ignition module and locks the key in the barrel with the car on. You can't get the key out unless it's in P.
Put your ear up to the shifter.
If it clicks, brake switch is OK.
The cable runs up to the ignition module and locks the key in the barrel with the car on. You can't get the key out unless it's in P.
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