SL/R230: Shift selector lever to P??????????
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Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 33
Likes: 3
2003 Mercedes sl500 & 2012 C300 4matic
Shift selector lever to P??????????
New issue today. When I opened the door on my 03 SL500 the gauges lit up in bright red. Left one has a red "P', the right one says "shift selector lever to "P" This only stays this way if the door is open and when the key is not in the ignition and turned on. Close the door and everything is normal, key in or out. Only happens when drivers door is opened, not passenger door.No issues starting or getting into and out of "park". Clearly the car doesn't seem to realize that the shifter is in PARK. I saw an earlier video for R129's talking about the 2 shifter bushings. The R230 only shows one bushing, wonder if excessive play in the shifter rod could end this error message (not detecting the shifter linkage out of transmission moving all the way to the PARK position?
I had the whole gear shift assembly replaced 20,000 miles go when the small plastic lever broke off. I am very cautious putting gear selector into and out of park after that and it is smooth as butter. So the gear selector goes into park, I take the key out and only after a door is opened does this warning go off in the gauge cluster. Any ideas guys???
I had the whole gear shift assembly replaced 20,000 miles go when the small plastic lever broke off. I am very cautious putting gear selector into and out of park after that and it is smooth as butter. So the gear selector goes into park, I take the key out and only after a door is opened does this warning go off in the gauge cluster. Any ideas guys???
Last edited by 2007mustang; May 19, 2021 at 10:33 AM.
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2024
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
SL350 R230 and S320 W220
New issue today. When I opened the door on my 03 SL500 the gauges lit up in bright red. Left one has a red "P', the right one says "shift selector lever to "P" This only stays this way if the door is open and when the key is not in the ignition and turned on. Close the door and everything is normal, key in or out. Only happens when drivers door is opened, not passenger door.No issues starting or getting into and out of "park". Clearly the car doesn't seem to realize that the shifter is in PARK. I saw an earlier video for R129's talking about the 2 shifter bushings. The R230 only shows one bushing, wonder if excessive play in the shifter rod could end this error message (not detecting the shifter linkage out of transmission moving all the way to the PARK position?
I had the whole gear shift assembly replaced 20,000 miles go when the small plastic lever broke off. I am very cautious putting gear selector into and out of park after that and it is smooth as butter. So the gear selector goes into park, I take the key out and only after a door is opened does this warning go off in the gauge cluster. Any ideas guys???
I had the whole gear shift assembly replaced 20,000 miles go when the small plastic lever broke off. I am very cautious putting gear selector into and out of park after that and it is smooth as butter. So the gear selector goes into park, I take the key out and only after a door is opened does this warning go off in the gauge cluster. Any ideas guys???
I have exactly the same problem as you on my 2005 SL. Did you manage to solve your problem ?
If so, could you tell me what the problem was and how you solved it.
It would be a great help as I'm really out of ideas.
Many thanks to you !!!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 1,339
Likes: 366
From: Gretna, NE
'03 SL55 Black, '03 SL500's Aegean, Mars Red, Tazanite, Alabaster, '11 S550 Flint Gray
Check shifter position in ESM module, check park/neutral switch status in TCU, and check communication with Central Gateway. I had one a few months ago that was doing this. ESM and TCU had appropriate values, but diagnostics couldn't find the Central Gateway. Ended up pulling the gateway to check power supply (it was OK) and after plugging it back in, everything was normal again. I'm not sure if it just needed a reboot, if there was a bad connection (terminals looked fine), or something else, but that was the issue.
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2024
Posts: 4
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SL350 R230 and S320 W220
Thanks for your message.
ESM module indicates the correct position of the gearshift lever when the ignition is switched on. However I noticed that the ESM module doesn't communicate when the key is removed.
Therefore, if the ESM module is not powered when the key is removed, I wonder which element communicates the gearshift lever position to the Central Gateway module.
Like the ESM module, TCU module indicates the correct position of the gearshift lever when the ignition is switched on. However the TCU module doesn't communicate when the key is removed. It is therefore not powered, when the key is removed.
When the key is removed, the CGW and EZS modules communicate.
There are no reported faults in the EZS, CGW, ESM, TCU, SAM and Keyless Go modules.
I'm talking about the Keyless go module because I've noticed that if I remove the keyless go fuse, this problem disappears (but the keyless go doesn't work anymore, of course).
Moreover, the lever on Park information only appears in the Keyless Go module when the ignition is switched on. If the ignition is switched off, the information is no longer available...
So, I conclude that this problem comes from the fact that the KeyLess go module doesn't receive the information that the gear lever is in Park when the ignition key is removed and the driver's door is open. I don't know which element is sending this information...
ESM module indicates the correct position of the gearshift lever when the ignition is switched on. However I noticed that the ESM module doesn't communicate when the key is removed.
Therefore, if the ESM module is not powered when the key is removed, I wonder which element communicates the gearshift lever position to the Central Gateway module.
Like the ESM module, TCU module indicates the correct position of the gearshift lever when the ignition is switched on. However the TCU module doesn't communicate when the key is removed. It is therefore not powered, when the key is removed.
When the key is removed, the CGW and EZS modules communicate.
There are no reported faults in the EZS, CGW, ESM, TCU, SAM and Keyless Go modules.
I'm talking about the Keyless go module because I've noticed that if I remove the keyless go fuse, this problem disappears (but the keyless go doesn't work anymore, of course).
Moreover, the lever on Park information only appears in the Keyless Go module when the ignition is switched on. If the ignition is switched off, the information is no longer available...
So, I conclude that this problem comes from the fact that the KeyLess go module doesn't receive the information that the gear lever is in Park when the ignition key is removed and the driver's door is open. I don't know which element is sending this information...
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 33
Likes: 8
From: Tampa, FL
2007 SL550
2007 SL550 here. I have the same issue since I got the car 3 yrs ago. Same red lights and message go on when I open the driver's door after prolonged sitting (presumably after car has 'gone to sleep' and this happens when I open the door and it 'wakes up') - meaning if I did this again a minute later it wont happen, so only if it's 'gone to sleep'. But, lights would come on and after an instant would go out - before I even have the chance to get in the car. Had the transmission replaced recently at my indy due to another common issue (wouldn't go back into park), and the issue went away for a short while, but came back and again the red lights come on as described above. It doesn't bother me since it comes on and goes off, and it's never left me stranded or anything so I ignore it.
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2024
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
SL350 R230 and S320 W220
As far as I'm concerned, the problem is permanent. When the key is removed and the driver's door opened, the red message "shift selector lever to P" appears and a dong dong sounds.
I removed the center console. At the front of the gearshift block, there is a 2-wire contactor. One of the wires is violet/gray. It's the signal wire indicating that the lever is in position P. I measured the voltage at this wire (to measure voltage, there's an easily accessible ground point, a brown wire that joins the airbag module mounting nut). If the ignition key is inserted, the ignition switched on and the lever set to P, the voltage is 0.007 V, which is extremely low. In all other cases, the voltage is 0 V.
It would be interesting to measure this voltage in your SL, if you can, when everything is working. If the voltage is positive by a few volts when the key is removed, then this would mean that the problem is located there.
I removed the center console. At the front of the gearshift block, there is a 2-wire contactor. One of the wires is violet/gray. It's the signal wire indicating that the lever is in position P. I measured the voltage at this wire (to measure voltage, there's an easily accessible ground point, a brown wire that joins the airbag module mounting nut). If the ignition key is inserted, the ignition switched on and the lever set to P, the voltage is 0.007 V, which is extremely low. In all other cases, the voltage is 0 V.
It would be interesting to measure this voltage in your SL, if you can, when everything is working. If the voltage is positive by a few volts when the key is removed, then this would mean that the problem is located there.
