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Will definitely keep the group informed. Ques- where's the latest and greatest place to buy the replacement part? I've seen some on Amazon, then there's monoglobal... any suggestions? I think some on Amazon are plastic.
Hi Jay, I just ordered an aluminum lever on Amazon, it cost $69 from CFAdvance.If anyone reading this had to whack their shifter with a hammer to get it out of park, did it damage the shifter module or just destroy the plastic lever. Before I changed the broken lever last year I could still shift out of park, I could drive to the shop, put the car on the lift and would be able to shift into neutral to remove the console. This is the next step before the part arrives.
I would go with a machined aluminum part, not the cast aluminum, and never the plastic.
There are 5mm and 11mm mounts, and I'm pretty sure the SL has the 11mm, but check to be sure. There are a few DIY documents that will spell out what you need.
Hi crazy, review the thread recommended by jaysee (post#15 on this thread), as there are numerous references to hammer, 30#weight, 5#weight, closed fist whacking of the shifter... after removing the top piece (twist/pull), or keyless go (no twist, just pull). There is also some warning of setting off the airbag!! Good luck.
I read the post, what is not clear is the direction of the hammer blow, do you hit it like a nail on top of the shifter, or do you hit it in the direction of the drive position. Thanks
In direction of drive.
You are knocking it past the Park lock-out, which may break things beyond repair. You will be able to see once it's apart for replacing the lever.
Best case is you can fix it. Worst case is a new/used shifter assembly, which still needs the lever replaced! I think the new assembly also needs SDS to install, but not sure.
Thanks for the input, any used or new module has to be programed to the vechile. I don't want to drag the car onto a flatbed and then get it on the lift. When we changed the lever last time, the hardest part was trying to get the linkage clip and grommet off the shifter, there is no room on that side, We had to disconnect the linkage at the trans.
OK, crazy, review a long, long thread on the W220 forum, search for Anyone Have This Stuck in Park Problem. There is mention of rubber mallets, 5lb sledges, no go and mushrooming damage of the shifter. Some say tap the top while pulling the shifter toward drive, some say pull up on the shifter as you tap towards drive. Sorry, no absolute, definitive answer that I can decipher.
I spent 1 week+ trying to get the shifter linkage undone from inside the cabin, based on a rumour on this forum. When I finally got the car up on ramps and undid it from underneath, I found there was no F%^*#n way it could be done from inside, the physics wouldn't allow it. Until someone actually admits that they got it out of park themselves with a hammer with the nitty gritty details, I would also take it as a rumour.....
I added it to the pile to remind you that getting it out of park is a big problem. (I had a 300C that had the same problem, but it had an override button that a mechanic could access. Thats why I changed the SL55 lever.)
It's a miracle, today I started the car and tried to pull down the shifter with some force and nothing, than I quickly moved the shifter right to left with a little bit of force ( this is how I got the car out of gear when the original lever started to fail ) to my surprise it worked. I was able to turn the car around in case it jammed again and I needed to be towed. What may have happened when I originally parked the car and there where no shifter issues, the weight of the car on a slight incline could have put stress on the linkage connected to the module. I still intend to install the metal lever. Stay tuned,
Now I have removed my shift module and opened it, then I see that my plastic part is unbroken, still I have this problem with getting stuck in Park!!!!! This is strange as I feel the engagement of the solenoid when pressing the brake pedal.
I have have metal replacement part so I will fit it, and I have a new Brake light switch as well that I also will fit.
I did remove the Shift module without lifting the car, this can be done if you cut away the plastic peace that is fixed to the Dash panel above the gear lever module. When this is moved you get clearance to loosen the tap on the Module to the gearbox lever.
The plastic peace can be glued back if required when putting it all together, I will see what I will do when I put all together again. I'll keep you posted
Hi lagolag, Did you have any trouble removing the clip and grommet that connects to the shifter, We could not free it and had to disconnect the linkage at the trans.
The clip cant be removed, you have to lift/bend/twist it so the left half of it disengage from the grommet and then you can slide out the gear shift module. Attached is a picture from STAR shows what I try to tell.
I spent 1 week+ trying to get the shifter linkage undone from inside the cabin, based on a rumour on this forum. When I finally got the car up on ramps and undid it from underneath, I found there was no F%^*#n way it could be done from inside, the physics wouldn't allow it. Until someone actually admits that they got it out of park themselves with a hammer with the nitty gritty details, I would also take it as a rumour.....
I added it to the pile to remind you that getting it out of park is a big problem. (I had a 300C that had the same problem, but it had an override button that a mechanic could access. Thats why I changed the SL55 lever.)
Jay- how did you remove the linkage arm from the shifter under the car? Does that silver clip need to be removed to get the rod out? I removed the bracket (stiffening bridge) that holds the under carriage plastic shield. Did you remove the heat shield at all to access better? So curious how to get this linkage apart. I should be home free once I get this off.
Jay- how did you remove the linkage arm from the shifter under the car? Does that silver clip need to be removed to get the rod out? I removed the bracket (stiffening bridge) that holds the under carriage plastic shield. Did you remove the heat shield at all to access better? So curious how to get this linkage apart. I should be home free once I get this off.
Thanks!
This is the linkage I'm trying to get separated. I found this pic online. I believe this guy remove the linkage at the trans to allow for extra length to work on in the cabin. Looks like the silver clip stays on when the pin comes out. Do you have to squeeze the clip or something? Or just pop the bracket off the pin with a screwdriver? Thx.
OK, got the linkage off! From underneath, have to unbolt the 1. the plastic cover, the bracket holding the cover, the rear bracket under the exhaust, and the heat shield. You can only slide the heat shield back, but this gets you enough room to get under the linkage pin at the shift. Take a flat screw driver in the clip, twist slightly and pull the linkage back, comes right off the pin. Now to final remove the shift box and tear into it.
Just to add my 2¢. My guess is that the picture was taken from inside the cabin during reassembly. The clip is really just to keep things together during assembly/disassembly because when in the installed position, the tooth sticking out of the transmission link goes behind the shifter linkage, preventing the pin from falling out. This is what makes disassembly so difficult. I couldn't rotate the shifter assembly enough to get it to clear, so the transmission end of the transmission link has to be unhooked to get the required rotation. lagolag says he could rotate the shifter enough by modifying the console, but I would not be comfortable doing this, better to bite the bullet and get out the ramps....
I would go with a machined aluminum part, not the cast aluminum, and never the plastic.
There are 5mm and 11mm mounts, and I'm pretty sure the SL has the 11mm, but check to be sure. There are a few DIY documents that will spell out what you need.
Well it happened again, On labor Day after five or six weeks of easy shifting I am stuck in park. I have tried everything I could think of including hitting the shifter with a rubber mallet. I ordered a lever made out of aluminum, the plastic version lasted a year and a half. The shifter has to be in the neutral position to clear the console without damaging the wood trim. How can you remove the shifter under these circumstances,
i thought my lever had broken as well. so bought a metal one but when i got into it turns out the rubber gasket on the shift rod had broken and allowed the shift rod to come off the shifter. might want to check that.
I find it hard to believe that there is no manual override for the shift interlock as there is on every other modern MBZ I'm familiar with. I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that the car has SBC and the lawyers don't want it moved out of park if there's no power?
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