Odd shifter/trans problem
08-23-2023, 05:34 PM
#1
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: America
Posts: 2,357
Received 178 Likes
on
145 Posts
1999 C43 AMG, 2005 E55 Wagon
Odd shifter/trans problem
2005 E55. Out of nowhere, car was in limp mode, stuck in 2nd gear. "Great" I think as I get ready to order another conductor plate kit.
However, I noticed the dashboard didn't know what the gear selector was doing. It had blanks where it normally has P/R/N/D or S/C/M. It also wouldn't shift past neutral so I couldn't put it in Park. I fiddled around with it and noticed it would allow me to go into park SOMETIMES after briefly releasing the brake pedal, and sometimes not.
I read online it could be battery issues, as the car did sit for a while and the batteries were dead last week. I had jumped it off and left it on a tender until full, but was getting the red battery warning. I replaced both batteries and reset all codes for trans controller, gear selector, and ESP.
Next day, after being on the tender all night: problem remains. I start the car and still see blanks on the cluster instead of P and S. I'm getting codes for brake light switch, shifter module, and ALL FOUR wheel speed sensors (highly improbable).
Any tips?
However, I noticed the dashboard didn't know what the gear selector was doing. It had blanks where it normally has P/R/N/D or S/C/M. It also wouldn't shift past neutral so I couldn't put it in Park. I fiddled around with it and noticed it would allow me to go into park SOMETIMES after briefly releasing the brake pedal, and sometimes not.
I read online it could be battery issues, as the car did sit for a while and the batteries were dead last week. I had jumped it off and left it on a tender until full, but was getting the red battery warning. I replaced both batteries and reset all codes for trans controller, gear selector, and ESP.
Next day, after being on the tender all night: problem remains. I start the car and still see blanks on the cluster instead of P and S. I'm getting codes for brake light switch, shifter module, and ALL FOUR wheel speed sensors (highly improbable).
Any tips?
08-23-2023, 09:56 PM
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Republic of Texas
Posts: 3,308
Received 969 Likes
on
753 Posts
'99 and '05 E55 AMG
Possible ESM failure. Code P1856. That was the issue in my car. See attached. Be advised it will show as a failure in Xentry.
Last edited by bbirdwell; 08-23-2023 at 10:04 PM.
The following 2 users liked this post by bbirdwell:
nd-photo.nl (08-24-2023),
Sulaco (08-23-2023)
08-23-2023, 10:57 PM
#3
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: America
Posts: 2,357
Received 178 Likes
on
145 Posts
1999 C43 AMG, 2005 E55 Wagon
P1856
P1861
P1860
P1876
P2012
6210
6230
C215c
C249e
C261e
C259d
08-24-2023, 05:44 AM
#4
MBWorld Fanatic!
Join Date: May 2022
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 1,759
Received 456 Likes
on
397 Posts
2005 CLS55 AMG W219 C219
Awesome documentation as usual @bbirdwell 
09-02-2023, 12:07 AM
#5
MBWorld Fanatic!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: America
Posts: 2,357
Received 178 Likes
on
145 Posts
1999 C43 AMG, 2005 E55 Wagon
Well, dealer doesn't sell the ESM, you have to buy the entire shifter assembly and there are only 2 left in the warehouse. $750 each.
I went to the scrapyard today and every 211 I could find was missing the whole shifter assembly. However, I spotted a 2006 CLS500 that hadn't had its shifter assembly harvested yet. So I got the entire shifter assembly for $18.
Swapped it for the assembly in my E55 and it worked fine. Problem is resolved! Thanks for the heads up @bbirdwell
I went to the scrapyard today and every 211 I could find was missing the whole shifter assembly. However, I spotted a 2006 CLS500 that hadn't had its shifter assembly harvested yet. So I got the entire shifter assembly for $18.
Swapped it for the assembly in my E55 and it worked fine. Problem is resolved! Thanks for the heads up @bbirdwell
The following users liked this post:
nd-photo.nl (09-02-2023)
The following users liked this post:
Sulaco (09-02-2023)
