Any thaughts if there is a connection here?
A week ago the ABS and ESP lamps came on and now stays lit. A few days later the gearbox (auto) started to cause trouble, often when standing still and putting it in Reverse nothing happens! The R is shown in the gear display but the car behaves just like it is in Neutral gear. Shifting between R and N usually solves the problem after a while.
Also, when selecting Drive the gearbox stops shifting after a few minutes and stays in 1:st or 2:nd gear no matter what speed I'm riding in... It's not a great experience pulling out on a highway and being stuck in first gear, I promise!
A week ago the ABS and ESP lamps came on and now stays lit. A few days later the gearbox (auto) started to cause trouble, often when standing still and putting it in Reverse nothing happens! The R is shown in the gear display but the car behaves just like it is in Neutral gear. Shifting between R and N usually solves the problem after a while.
Also, when selecting Drive the gearbox stops shifting after a few minutes and stays in 1:st or 2:nd gear no matter what speed I'm riding in... It's not a great experience pulling out on a highway and being stuck in first gear, I promise!
Super Member
The ABS/ESP light may be a broken or dirty sensor on one of your wheels.
The transmission problem sounds like an electrical fault. Hard to say what it might be, but did you happen to spill some liquid around the shift lever recently? There's a circuit board directly under the shift lever that will get ruined if it gets wet.
The transmission problem sounds like an electrical fault. Hard to say what it might be, but did you happen to spill some liquid around the shift lever recently? There's a circuit board directly under the shift lever that will get ruined if it gets wet.
Junior Member
Sounds like your vehicle might be in "Limp Home Mode", it happened to me a day after I bought the darn thing, they had to replace the wheels sensors.
My ABS/BAS, ESP, and Check Engine Lights were on, and car would not go out of second gear. Warranty covered it all, haven't had any problems since!
My ABS/BAS, ESP, and Check Engine Lights were on, and car would not go out of second gear. Warranty covered it all, haven't had any problems since!
Thanks for your wise answers guys! After a slow (1:st gear) trip to the MB garage and a check up, a new ABS sensor for the rear right wheel is now on its way from Germany.
The guys at the garage also talked about "Limp home mode" which the car can enter if it receives strange signals from any of the ABS sensors.
My SLK 320 is on of the first ones out from the factory (13 Dec 1999) so there is no warranty to cover this but about $100 will hopefully take car of it.
The guys at the garage also talked about "Limp home mode" which the car can enter if it receives strange signals from any of the ABS sensors.
My SLK 320 is on of the first ones out from the factory (13 Dec 1999) so there is no warranty to cover this but about $100 will hopefully take car of it.
