UncleSnakeE63

Yeah, it would probably be a waste of money at this point. I think the fact that, 1. It works fine sometimes, and sometimes it doesn't, and 2. That it begins to work once warmed up indicates some sort of electrical issue, like we have been saying since the beginning. Likely a short somewhere in the line linking the shifter module to the ECM or whatever its called.

UncleSnakeE63

OK, so I am still having MAJOR problems with my car. Right now its idling in the garage after having to jump start it, after discovering the battery completely dead yesterday. A few days ago I went to go drive and noticed that the shifter module red light was not illuminated, and it would not go into P or R. The icons for the gear positions are recognized on the dash, as it indicates that it is in P. However when I open the door I get the red message "Vehicle not in P" on the dash. So, I had to revert to what I was originally doing before all this ISM mess started, which is disconnecting the ground on the Aux battery to get it to recognize the shifter module and go into P. So I drove to the store and came back, and left the ground off the Aux battery. Yesterday my wife and I went to go take the car out for a spin, and I had a dead main battery. The first time I tried to crank it, it sputtered, but after a couple more tries it died completely, with no electronics lighting up in the car at all. I was fed up at this point so I left it alone for the night. This morning I put my jump starter on it, and it cranked right up. I currently have the Aux battery all hooked up, and it is in the garage idling, hopefully charging the main battery up....but it is still not recognizing the shifter module. Why would disconnecting the Aux battery cause the car to then go into gear? I thought the Aux battery on this model controlled the shifter module? So wouldn't it make sense that if the battery that controlled the module was unhooked, it wouldn't work? But in my case it seems the reverse is happening? I have an appointment this weekend at the dealership, but I am just so so so fed up with this car. My rational mind tells me that all of this is interconnected and that it is a small electrical issue somewhere that is causing ALL of my problems. I just don't know anymore.

PeterUbers

Get it warmed up and working nearly 100% (minus the airbag warning) and go trade this in for another used car TODAY

UncleSnakeE63

Now I cannot even get it to go into gear with the Aux battery unplugged and ever since the battery died and I recharged it it’s saying “Service Required Do Not Shift Gears Visit Dealer”. I’m thinking the main battery may be fried now even if I was able to jump it enough to start the engine. Probably gonna replace that and the Aux battery at the same time. Then I’m going to set it on fire, drive it off a cliff and get the insurance money

PeterUbers

I mean..... good plan too

UncleSnakeE63

So I really do not know what’s going on with my car now. I went to start it today and the battery was dead. I jumped it, let it run for about an hour, and all of a sudden it works like nothing was wrong with it. Went into gear perfectly and I took it on a drive for about 20 minutes and it was like a brand new car. I have an appointment to take it in the dealer on Wednesday to get everything diagnosed once and for all.

PeterUbers

is there really a "once and for all" with this thing?

I like the idea of
A) drive it off a cliff
b) trade it in

Maxfli

UncleSnakeE63 - I commend you for your patience...you have been through a lot! I have the same '11 E63 which I bought used about a year ago and absolutely get a grin as wide as my face each and every time I drive it so I understand why you are holding on and can't let it go.

Having said that, I would heed PeterUbers sage advice of "get it warmed up and...go trade this in for another used car TODAY!"

There are many fine examples of the same car out there without the headaches you have been experiencing...

Good luck!
Pete

UncleSnakeE63

Thanks man! Yeah this has been an absolute nightmare. I just want to get it checked out at the dealer one more time to see what all it would take to fix everything once and for all. I have learned my lesson about buying used performance vehicles with high mileage, and also my lesson about taking said used performance vehicle ANYWHERE but the dealership when it has a problem.

UncleSnakeE63

I thought I would give an update on the status of my vehicle as it is currently at the MB Dealership and they just sent me an update, after a detailed inspection. Its not pretty and I don't think they've even gotten to the root cause of why I took it in to begin with LOL. What they told me is wrong is as follows:

- oil leaking from the cylinder head cover (gasket I am assuming?)
- rear flex disk cracked through
- sway bar links blown
- lower control arm bushings worn down
- motor/trans mounts collapsed
- rear brakes at 3mm
- tires worn down

Now, one or 2 of these by themselves probably would not be that bad. Also I have an extra set of virtually brand new tires that I can put on....but GEEEZ. Thats a lot of stuff. Im sure the motor mounts are not cheap to fix. And we have not even gotten to the multiple issues I took the car in to begin with. Im just laughing at this point. Probably to save myself from crying. But, as others have suggested....I am going to get it road worthy, with no check engine lights or shifting issues, and trade is directly in on something else. And I need to track the guy down who sold it to me and give him a very big piece of my mind.

OK so update. After that initial report, here is everything they have suggested to be done. I am absolutely flabbergasted here.
$1,413 to fix faulty SRS module
$876 to fix faulty oil temp sensor
$245 to flush contaminated coolant
$209 to flush brake fluid
$449 to replace rear brake pads and rotors
$239 for an alignment
$725 to fix torn sway bar links
$1641 to fix collapsed engine mounts
$332 to fix collapsed transmission mount
$929 to fix cracked rear flex disc
$1754 to fix worn strut rod bushings
$1410 to fix worn thrust arm bushings
$1311 to fix cylinder head cover leak
$1810 for 4 new tires mount and balance
$320 for engine belt replacement

Like, what?!?!?! Thats damn near $15,000 worth of repairs! The car is functionally totaled right now. I'm just at a loss for words. Now, obviously I am not going to do even close to most of that. I know the engine/tranny mounts are important, but I'm going to take it somewhere else to fix those if I do somehow end up keeping the car. The main things that I must get taken care of if I plan on getting rid of it are the SRS Airbag issue, the oil temp sensor and the battery/electrical issues. The dealer just told me that the reason it will sometimes not go into gear is due to low voltage somewhere in the system. They said I have 2 options - replace the battery for around 400 dollars, or do a battery draw test for also around 400 dollars and then go from there. I don't know what to do. I'm leaning towards just replacing the battery. The dealer said this morning the car would not go into gear, so they let it run for about 30 minutes and it then went into gear fine, which leads them to believe the alternator charged the battery enough after that time to give it the voltage to power the shifter. Anybody know if its cheaper to just go buy my own battery and install it myself versus paying what seems to be a very exorbitant amount of money just for a new battery.

fireball27

I had similar electrical gremlins. Weird/intermittent codes would pop up. I bought a battery from Interstate. $250, changed it out myself. Previous battery was 3yrs old. After a week later driving it daily, all clear, and no more CEL. I had other previous CEL issues so I sold car, just done with maintenance hassle of this particular car.

UncleSnakeE63

Yeah man it’s pretty ridiculous to be honest. It’s not like this is a 25 year old car. Apparently these things go to complete **** after 100k miles. Lesson DEFINITELY learned here. I’ll have another AMG someday but it will not be a high mileage one. That’s for sure

PeterUbers

but the reality is these electronic gremlins happen in e350's and e550's ... they share so many SAM parts and CANBUS parts... it's really not an amg problem per se ... thoughts? (the electrical gremlins)

the other issues the dealer found are partly because the dealer wants your cash and partly because the previous owner neglected maintenance that he never sought or was recommended and he declined (or owners before him)

UncleSnakeE63

IDK if anybody is still paying attention, but I thought I would give an update on the madness that is still 100% ongoing...

So, I ended up just having the dealer replace the battery, as they informed me that low voltage from the battery was causing the loss of communication with the shifter module. I get a text today telling me that my car is ready for pick up. Whooooo hoooooo I thought. Not so fast. I ask the service guy if they have confirmed that the new battery has resolved the issue of the car not being able to shift into D upon startup. He said he would go check himself. He calls me back about 30 minutes later and, lo and behold, the car still will not go into gear upon start. He says the the low voltage code is gone, but they are now getting a message that the ISM (which was very recently replaced) cannot communicate with the shifter module. Shifter module was also replaced in the past 18 months or so. If they clear the codes for this issue, the car goes into gear as expected, but they keep coming back....Service guy says he needs to talk to his shop foreman and he will call me back. He calls me back and tells me that if I can produce receipts for both the ISM and the shifter module that they will do a warranty replacement on both modules and replace and code both of them under warranty. Luckily the previous owner left the old shifter in the trunk of the car, with the receipt, and I still had the receipt for the ISM I bought from that same dealership a few weeks back. So now, again Im sure I probably have to wait days for them to order the new parts and install them. I PRAY that this will solve everything and be the end of it. We shall see I supposed...

PeterUbers

Thanks for update ... holding my breath here ....

fireball27

Yes, I’m reading your updates, hoping the best outcome. Your commitment and fortitude well exceeds mine. Even after I changed battery, different codes popped up for me, after a few min from starting car. I had to drive around for 2 days(maybe 70 miles per day), kept clearing codes, before it all settled out. Day 3 and 4, no mores codes. Day 5, sold car.

UncleSnakeE63

O.M.G. So, my car is STILL at the dealer, going on, i dont even know know, 3 weeks? They replaced the battery, which fixed the Low Voltage messages, but the shifter module was not communicating with the ISM. It would intermittently fail to shift out of park. They suggested then replacing the shifter module (which thankfully was still under warranty after the previous owner replaced it). I just got a call from them telling me that after replacing the shifter and programming it, that the car will not go out of Park, even with their computer. Now, they are going to replace the ISM (again), under warranty. If that doesnt fix things I have no idea what is going to happen. Hopefully the people who installed the ISM the first time just did not do something correctly, or the part was bad, and this next time around will finally fix things. All I know is the very first day I get this piece of crap back in my possession, I am going to trade it in on something else. Im finished with this crap. Like what could it possibly be? If the Mercedes dealership techs cannot figure it out, Im basically just screwed.

PeterUbers

they very well may deliver you a car that won't go out of park - you had a chance a couple weeks ago to trade it in when it would drive ok for an hour or two. I hope they can reproduce at least that less than desirable (but now very desirable) scenario for you again!! Good luck keep us posted

kevm14

If you are on the east coast this car needs to be seen by Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics.

dinman

Wow this is incredible. I pray mine never has some odd electrical issue like this. 195k miles on my 2010 E63, have owned it for ~7.5 years. I do all of my maintenance (minus one thing - more on that in a sec) and it’s pretty staggering over the years. Sure it’s wear components, but expensive on these as you know. Did engine mounts and all sway bar links at 115k ~5 years ago. Cam adjusters were rattling, I rebuilt them ~25k miles ago. Airmatic line cracked ~6 years ago. Cupholder roller blind broke a few months back.

On the issue you are having - I don’t have much to weigh other than my personal experience.

~5.5 years ago, mine began to not go into gear upon start. This, over some weeks, developed into randomly going into neutral going down the road. This would make the red illuminated “D” disappear, and the “PRND” etc in the cluster would disappear. It would do it violently, I assumed the transmission totally failed the first time it happened. But a shut down and restart would fix it for a day or so? So obviously not something mechanically wrong.

I researched, and believed it was the transmission valve body / conductor plate failing. A more common thing on 722.6, but not unheard of on the .9. As mechanically inclined I sometimes (wrongly) believe I am, I can’t code a TCM/conductor plate assembly to this car. I tucked my tail and towed it to my closest MB dealer I trusted, 4 hours away.

They phone back, and claim it was a cruise control module located in the passenger footwell. They ordered it from Germany, installed, and no dice. Back to the drawing board.

They then came back with the diagnosis that it was infact the transmission conductor plate / valve body assemblies. Replaced, married it all to the car, and I was blasting off.

You have probably tried - but can you put the key in the first pos (one click of the start button) , hold the right phone button on the steering wheel (answer call I think?) and “OK” on the other side of the wheel. Hold these two buttons together IIRC. You can then get to a menu that will show current battery voltage / Amps. 7 years ago I had an intermittently failing voltage regulator with a slightly cracked brush. I could watch the amps going crazy, in brief spurts, blasting a new battery in pretty short order, and causing all kinds of weird electrical issues. ABS lights, gear selector going blank, all “comfort features” failing, etc. I replaced the voltage reg and all was good, until about 2 years ago the original alternator finally wore out making a terrible racket that nearly sounding like some bad engine chatter.

Again, I think it would be a very long shot that the dealer and an independent shop missed out on something like this. But it’s worth looking at next time you’re driving it to see.

Sorry for all of your troubles. These are wonderful cars for effortlessly vaporizing highway missions, but issues like these can sadly turn these into total nightmares. I have loved, loved mine for the 7+ years and 100k~ miles I’ve had it.

UncleSnakeE63

So many weird electrical things can crop up on these cars. I have definitely learned my lesson on buying a high mileage, older Merc. Will never make that mistake again.

I have, what I hope to be, a final update on my e63.

So while its been at the dealer I had the battery replaced, the shifter module replaced and re-coded and yet another ISM installed and re-coded (both on warranty for the parts, thank God). After all of this, of course the car would still not go into gear LOL. The shop then did a complete electrical diagnostic on it (no charge to me, thankfully). They discovered that there was some connector somewhere with a jacked up pin, which was causing the module and wiring it was connected to, to be hot when it was not supposed to. I can't remember what module he said it belonged to. They gave me the option either replacing the module (for $1500 bucks)or just unplugging the thing and seeing what happened over the weekend, as unplugging it allowed the car to go into gear for some reason, and it seemed like everything was back to normal. I obviously go for the unplugging option. They wanted to let the car sit over the weekend to see if it would still go into gear normally this morning. Hip Hip Hooray I got a call this morning saying I can come pick it up, and that its going into gear as expected. I will be going to pick it up tomorrow morning, and then in the next day or 2 trading it in on something more reliable. Havent decided what yet. So recap:

1. Car broke down in the car wash, and would not go into gear. Took 3 hours to get out of car wash, then had it towed to non-dealer auto shop.
2. They said the ISM was bad and needed to be replaced.
3. They would replace it, but could not code it correctly. So, I have them do the replacement, and then have it towed to the dealer for coding.
4. Dealer does coding and releases with a good bill of health.
5. Car gets back to third party shop for me to come pick up, and will intermittently not go into gear.
6. They cannot figure out what to do, so I just say screw it and take the car home.
7. Car sits in my garage for a couple days, then I go out to drive it and the battery is completely dead. Jump battery, and it will not go into gear again lol.
8. Start it up a few days later and get lucky that it will go in gear, make appt. at dealer and drive it there, where its been for the last 3 weeks.
9. Dealer says there is a low voltage problem which is causing a loss of communication with the shifter and ISM
10. Have them install new battery - low voltage message goes away but will still not go into gear.
11. They decide to replace the shifter module and the ISM under warranty because both parts were bought there recently.
12. Make the noted repairs and car STILL will not freaking go into gear.
13. They then do electrical diag that I mentioned above and find said jacked up pin on some random connector to some random module.
14. Disconnect module and SUPPOSEDLY it functions as expected now. We shall see. Im not exactly hopeful.
15. You are here.

3 tow truck trips, 2 rental cars for about a total of 6 weeks, 2 new shifter modules, 2 new ISM's, and a new battery. And its looking like I never even needed to replace any of that crap as its very likely been the damaged pin connector the entire time. LOL!!!

UncleSnakeE63

Welp, I did it! I picked up my car from the dealer today at 9:30 AM, and by 10:30 I was at the Acura dealer down the Interstate trading that piece of crap in on a new car! They gave me $13,000 for my AMG, which I think is fair, all things considered.

PeterUbers

Congrats on the new car ... I loved my two TL's and our mdx ... what did you buy

UncleSnakeE63

New Integra A Spec with the Technology package

Maxfli

Congrats on the passing of the guard. Pretty sure you won't have the same challenges with the Integra that you did with the E63.