Urgent help please :)

[SteveX]

Had the battery on charge all last night. Went out and put the ignition on and off with keyless and the key.

Checked for fault codes and there weren't any...

Started the engine with the key in case, shifted through Park down to Drive and up various times all engaged and showed up absolutely fine. Shut off and checked the different control modules for codes again - all clear.

Everything on the car is working fine.

Haven't tried keyless go yet but I suspect as the shifter is working fine so will it.

I actually wonder if it was due to the low battery, as I said, when my alternator went and the battery got very low the car started to do some odd things when turning the ignition on and trying to crank, IE SRS light would come on, command wouldn't wake up, but reset itself when charge was put in and restarted.

I haven't been using the car much at all this past few months, as I have been away, then I bought a new motorbike and have been using that. As I said when starting yesterday all of the lights dimmed and and the starter was slower, I did think I should put it on charge this week but did proceed to make four short trips in it yesterday and activate the roof, so taking more out of it, it was the fifth time I started it that it went odd.

I still want to find a shut down procedure though in case keyless go lands me in that situation again. I'll also still get the tech out to get star on it and give it a good going over, might be best to replace the module under the selector just in case but will see.

 

[SteveX]

Fuse 57 according to the paperwork in-car shows:

- Central Locking
- Start Enable (assume EIS)

57 is in the engine compartment.

Start enable also shows 31 & 52 as well.

31 relates to the steering lock, whilst 52 is not mentioned anywhere else.

 

[television]

The central locking is enabled via the EIS, this is why mercedes are not stolen without the key. The locking also operates the wake up via the EIS again.

 

[Lexman8]

Hmm, been through most of the manual and can't find an emergency stop procedure, which section in the manual was it?

In W215 manual it's in Practical Hints section, see pic.
_

 

[television]

If fuse 57 kills off all the problems and it all stops, If I was nervous I might fit fuse holder in place of the fuse, run a cable from the fuse holder via another fuse holder with the correct fuse in it to a switch under the dash on the kick panel.

 

[SteveX]

In W215 manual it's in Practical Hints section, see pic.
_

Thanks for that, I thought I covered that whole section but didn't see that, will have another look to see if it's in the CLK manual.

 

[television]

Thanks for that, I thought I covered that whole section but didn't see that, will have another look to see if it's in the CLK manual.

There is nothing in either of my two handbooks.

 

[Lexman8]

I also tried inserting the key into the ignition switch with the box in 'D, having already started it with the KG button. The key wouldn't turn.

Couple more extracts from the manual. I assume later cars without a separate KG card work on the same basis.
_

 

[television]

I also tried inserting the key into the ignition switch with the box in 'D, having already started it with the KG button. The key wouldn't turn.

Couple more extracts from the manual. I assume later cars without a separate KG card work on the same basis.
_

Exactly the same as my findings

 

[SteveX]

Cheers guys, well I took it across town and it was absolutely fine, on the way back however it stuck in second gear, and when I got home couldn't move beyond neutral and the dash was stuck on 'D' again.

I'll check the code in a mo but expect to find the one about the can bus signal from the gear selector being implausible.

Luckily, my finding of letting of the brake while in neutral, then pressing sharply and tapping up on the level allowed me again to go to the P position, but the dash was still showing 'D'. Thankfully I had used the key, so I could turn the car off with the key even though it showed D.

Put the ignition back on and it showed in P, restarted the car all back to normal again, reverse, neutral etc all activating and showing fine.

Sometimes Mercedes do dumb things when something fails. I mean if I had used keyless go again, it would have locked me out of going anywhere beyond neutral with the shifter, not allowed me to turn the engine off and not allowed me to use the key.

Think they should have thought that one through in the 'what if keyless go fails' meeting lol.

Going to get it on Star and have a tech come and take a looksie before buying parts.


Cheers,

 

[alexanderfoti]

Had this same failure mode on my mums 211. Unplugging the selector module and plugging in and it would work again, for a bit.

 

[SteveX]

Had this same failure mode on my mums 211. Unplugging the selector module and plugging in and it would work again, for a bit.

Seems to be a common thing with Mercedes, rarely does something just fail, it normally works like a windows machine when you restart it lol.

I heard they need to be coded is that true?

 

[alexanderfoti]

Seems to be a common thing with Mercedes, rarely does something just fail, it normally works like a windows machine when you restart it lol.

I heard they need to be coded is that true?

Mine didnt, but it was a 211, yours may be different. A bit of a faff to install as I had to disconnect the linkage that goes to the gearbox from above the car, and lots of trim had to come off on the centre console.

 

[SteveX]

Mine didnt, but it was a 211, yours may be different. A bit of a faff to install as I had to disconnect the linkage that goes to the gearbox from above the car, and lots of trim had to come off on the centre console.

Thanks, I've had that lot off before when fixing a stepper motor, so not too bad but yes, lots of trim and bolts to come out to get to it.

I just checked and W203 is the same part number as my chassis no:

A 203 260 68 09

So I could potentially just grab a working one from a 203 and try it. I've left a message for mobile benz tech, probably worth getting STAR on it, but the P240C is the only code I can see when I connect to the TCU.

 

[television]

Just a point on new ECU's they normally come coded for the car these days, so plug in and they will work, but they have to be SCN coded on line to the car if you want to see it in a STAR read out, or in other words if it is not SCN coded and you run a STAR test it will pass over that ECU as though it did not exist.

 

[Cole@MBS]

No coding needed for this type of ESM.........

 

[television]

If it is locking up in P could this not just be the brake lamp switch, when the box ECU fails it normally just shows --- in the display.

The brake lamp switch locks up most in P when it fails.

 

[SteveX]

Sorry I posted the incorrect part number earlier.

CLK gear changer unit is A209 267 03 24.

However, there is quite a history on that unit:

A203 267 25 24

A203 267 60 24

A203 267 55 24

A209 267 03 24

A202 267 90 24


Wonder why so many replacement or so many revisions, all say they are for 5 speed trany.

The above list is from a C32 AMG but part seems to cross reference with CLK too and visa versa, the 55AMG part seems to have also been fitted to all C and CLK models too.

I'm guessing therefore it is a totally generic part that deals with the basic functions of telling the ECU where the stick is located from P to D. Not sure how the manual mode is coped with, however the normal models only have a S and W, where as the 55 shows S C and M, but the switch is still only a two way and you have to cycle through them, I think the switch is actually identical but the ECU cycles through the three modes.

Anyhow, Chris isn't available for two week

Might just get a replacement part and fit it and see where we go from there.


Cheers,

 

[SteveX]

No coding needed for this type of ESM.........

Thanks Cole, good to know.

 

[SteveX]

**Update**

Fitted one from a W203 C class last night, £47 inc delivery from ebay. Early indications are that it has fixed the issue, all functions seem to be as normal for the gearbox, however the keyless go function is not in the unit.

One of the modules on the front that the cable attaches to does not have a connection for the plug with the brown and red wire. I assume this is for keyless go.

If I look inside the unit on the side where the eight pin connecter goes, this side gives the output of the position of the lever - it is connected directly by a small gear. However on the opposite side of this where the cable attaches to at the front, it has an additional connector for two wires, the C class one I have does not have that and keyless go does not function.

There is a small plastic spring loaded rod that is pushed in consistently by a cog when all gears are selected in this other unit, but when put in park, the spring loaded rod clears the cog and reassures that it is in park. The button currently does nothing, and when trying to lock the car it will not as the module is not reporting to keyless go that the car is in park.

Despite all of this, the car / gearbox functions as normal when opening with keyless go, and starting the car with the key. I need to test it for a while to see if the error is gone, I cleared the codes and went for a trip around town (it would normally do it just before I got down the end of the road) and there is no code, manual switching of gears and all three modes seem to work.

It could be the keyless go module that was interfering, or the little rod that ensures park is picked up for it was malfunctioning and throwing it into limp mode. Either way I need to continue to test and if I determine it has fixed the main fault, get a new unit with the keyless go on it.

Not bad for an hours work and £47. I currently have a working car in the interim and this should have diagnosed the fault for me if it continues to work for a few jorneys. How much would mercedes have charged to diagnose it!

The new shifter doesn't have the two pins on top of it for keyless go either, I assume that power connector is for that. The 209 revised unit is sealed also, so I can not take it apart and swap bits.