Direct Select Lever on the Steering Column

jgsb

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Members.

A question to all E-Class owners regarding the Direct Select Lever on the Steering Column (The Electric Gear Selector R.N.D.P. )
How reliable is it ? What problems should one look out for, if any. Has this type of gear change had a good record since it's been introduced. Any info on this or anything else would be most helpful. Thank you.
From a potential E-Class owner.
 

television

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It is the best thing since sliced bread, just flip it with a finger to go forward and up to reverse,push the end to get P, just so nice and never go back to the lever in the console. No faults yet on here with one.
 

roop_the_loop

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It's very convenient and intuitive, quickly becomes second nature and you won't want to go back to the old style auto lever. It also comes with some additional features, such as if you open the driver's door the system goes automatically into 'P', etc. The only slight (very very slight) niggle I have is that sometimes if you press the lever too lightly it only goes from, say, R to N and not to D as you intended, but I think this is me being careless rather than anything wrong with the system. All in all, a great setup!
 

turbopete

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It also comes with some additional features, such as if you open the driver's door the system goes automatically into 'P', etc.

not that great if you have to look out of the door to reverse occasionally (judging distances can be hard when you cant see the ends of the car like me, coz im a midget!)
 

Rotorhead500

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As above really. Drove one for 5 days and when I got in the car had forgotten they'd introduced the column change.

But as RTL said, very intuitive, convenient - and personally, quite liked the clearer access to the lower part of centre console!
 

EmilysDad

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not that great if you have to look out of the door to reverse occasionally (judging distances can be hard when you cant see the ends of the car like me, coz im a midget!)

I'm a 6' tall midget & still like to open a door to see where I'm reversing to ...... fortunately although my R Class has this this selector, it doesn't put the transmission into P when the door is opened.
 

television

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I'm a 6' tall midget & still like to open a door to see where I'm reversing to ...... fortunately although my R Class has this this selector, it doesn't put the transmission into P when the door is opened.

pushing the throttle may override it,,I will test
 

EmilysDad

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It's very convenient and intuitive, quickly becomes second nature and you won't want to go back to the old style auto lever. ......

I'd say that moving the lever in the direction you want to go would be more intuitive rather that the opposite way like my R Class's lever does.

I keep trying to select D or R using the wiper stalk on my Vauxhall though :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

television

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I'd say that moving the lever in the direction you want to go would be more intuitive rather that the opposite way like my R Class's lever does.

I keep trying to select D or R using the wiper stalk on my Vauxhall though :lol: :lol: :lol:

Tell me about it push that wiper stalk on the V70R all day and the car will not go back
 

EmilysDad

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as an aside ....... how do you move a car with this selector in the event of a completely flat battery? I'm guessing that you just have to have your Greenflag/AA/RAC/other recovery firm's number to hand.:rolleyes:
 

television

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as an aside ....... how do you move a car with this selector in the event of a completely flat battery? I'm guessing that you just have to have your Greenflag/AA/RAC/other recovery firm's number to hand.:rolleyes:

This is the same on the center shifts
 

television

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You cannot over ride it as the key needs to be turned, some cars have the little hole for a pen to release the lever
 

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