ABS/BAS/ESP Stuck in park

[thebeast7]

Hello everyone,

This is my first time posting, although i do use your archived info quite alot, and would appreciate your opinion on the following fault. My car is a year 2000, E320 CDi w210. While driving the fault 'display failure' came on the dash then ABS/ESP and BAS failure. The speedo, temp and rev counter went off but the car still ran. Pulled over and turned car off. Put into park and tried to start again but starter wouldn't fire, (dash lights did come on). Turned on off a few times and it finally started but now stuck in park and the reverse lights on permanently. Dash has no revs, speedo or temp and 3 malfunctions indicating display, abs/bas and esp failure. Moved shift selector to drive using solenoid bypass switch and drove home very slowly since only seemed to stay in 1st gear and the reverse lights were pemanently on.

Checked the two 10amp fuses on passenger side in engine bay as per archive postings but both were intact. Checked all other fuses and their ok. I haven't had a chance to replace the brake switch or get a diagnostic done on it yet but will do so in the next few days. I'm a mechanic with a fair knowledge of electrics (unfortuneately not MB electrics) so any pointers on where to start would be most appreciated.

Thanks

 

[television]

Hello and welcome,, with no speed signal, that would account for most of your faults if the ABS lamp is on do check the fuse in the OVP relay in the link at the top


http://www.autolib.diakom.ru/CAR/Mercedes-Benz/1997/E420/SYSTEM WIRING DIAGRAMS/6259.pdf

The brake lamp switch could also account for most of the things too only £10 and easy to check

 

[Frontstep]

You might have two faults change switch it is easy, fuse check and clean ! I have had the dreaded three lights of doom changed the switch nothing, had the Star inconclusive ended up going back to basics and cleaning every earth connection it has been fine for about 8 approx months !
Oh and your battery check !

 

[thebeast7]

Excellent!

Thanks! Won't have a chance tonight so will start work tomorrow beginning with brake switch replacement.

Also, last night, while working in the dark and the warm scottish rain, i took out all the fuses under the back seat and the drivers side engine compartment, gave them a clean and put back. This didn't solve the stuck gears or reverse lights so i went to bed. However, i noticed today that the abs, bas and esp faults are not there anymore? Coincidence or intermittent fault? Who knows. Will keep you posted on my progress.

Thanks Again

Scott

 

[television]

This does sound like some blip occurred

You may have a hole just in front of the gear shift where you can poke a pen down to release the lever from P

 

[wmac1976]

I had exactly the same faults on my CLK230 which I posted about on Friday (http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=57864) - I had the faults checked again this morning and have been told that it's the Electronic Selector Lever Module causing the problem.

All the "Display Defective" and "BAS" errors on the dashboard cleared themselves an hour or 2 after the valeters had hold of it but every morning I get the solid pixel display until it's running warm, then turning the engine off and back on seems to have everything running fine again until the next morning.

 

[television]

I had exactly the same faults on my CLK230 which I posted about on Friday (http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=57864) - I had the faults checked again this morning and have been told that it's the Electronic Selector Lever Module causing the problem.

All the "Display Defective" and "BAS" errors on the dashboard cleared themselves an hour or 2 after the valeters had hold of it but every morning I get the solid pixel display until it's running warm, then turning the engine off and back on seems to have everything running fine again until the next morning.

Your fault could be that a SAM has lost track of the selector module,, there again it could be the module not giving any CAN signal.. if the module was cleaned including the plugs the fault could well go away

 

[thebeast7]

Is the SAM unit the black box incased in foam next to the fuse box under the rear seat?

 

[television]

Is the SAM unit the black box incased in foam next to the fuse box under the rear seat?

That is the PSE pump for the locking,, the SAM is in the front fuse control box

 

[Alex Crow]

...although on the w210 the pse unit doubles up as a rear sam.

 

[thebeast7]

Update

Update:

Have been through all suggestions and also studied all the wiring diagrams for control systems on the car. All electric feeds going to the gear selector and the earths were ok but there was no output going to the instrument cluster or control module. So i gently removed the gear stick fascia and the small plastic top plate that has the gear numbering. Directly underneath is a circuit board and this was all corroded. (The plastic top plate doesn't seal so any spillages leak through the sides of the plate directly onto the circuit board. Not a very good design but on refitting i used a thin layer of sealant to prevent leakage onto the board again). So i cleaned off the corrosion with contact cleaner and tried again. Gears still locked in park, but now no fault codes on dash at all and reverse lights now off so a little progress. Decided to fully strip the selector and remove the circuit board from the holder to check underside. So removed the selector and took apart the complete module into component parts. Comes apart fairly easy but have to be gentle with the plastic clips since they're quite brittle. The underside of the board had even more corrosion than the top so cleaned this off and also the circuit at the selector stick. Put it all back together and tried again, still stuck! The WIS manual indicates that when car goes into limp mode due to a catastrophic fault of gear system that it needs to be reset by MB. So i've ordered Carsoft and will keep you posted on my progress. I'm not to confident due to the level of corrosion present on the circuit board and the fact that the electrical short fed back to the dash while also causing an interrupt in voltage to brake system. However, fingers crossed! This fix may work for other owners with similar problems but not such a major failure. If there's any interest i will post the procedure since i photographed the sequence.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[television]

It is always nice to know what is going on and cures

 

[thebeast7]

Checked the car out with carsoft and get the following error from egs module after clearing all codes and running car again:

034 communication with DME disturbed.

130 communication with DME disturbed.

I assume this is to do with a faulty gear selector? Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[Chipstick]

Hi. I know almost nothing about car electrics but have almost the same fault on my C220 CDi. I also have an EPC warning. The tiptronic gearbox will not change up from 1st. More learned folk have suggested that the front SAMM unit has failed -worth a look, cheers Chip.

 

[television]

The faults do look possibly CAN related I will have a look and see what is on that SAM or the selector cannot communicate

 

[yeh yeh]

Hi, this may sound silly, but worth a look, take the front wheels of and check the abs/esp cable are not broken, it can happen.

 

[thebeast7]

Thanks guys, appreciate your help. Have bought a 2nd hand selector from ebay and should get it this week. If that doesn't work will check continuity of wires to SAM unit and the front abs wires. Carsoft does not show any SAM or abs errors but will still check wiring and earths to confirm what software is telling me.

 

[dutchy]

Very interesting The Beasts7s problem, i have something simular going on.
Would like to see the pictures of the stripping of the selector/ module.
My problem is that i have to warm the selectormodule with a hairdryer, wait 15 min
and then on the cluster i get P in the display, and off we go.
Without heating the module, car is stuck in P and nothing appears in the display
it just stays white.
Looking forward many thanks Dutchy

 

[television]

I will have the instructions to remove it,,it must be just 1 bad connection

 

[thebeast7]

Hi, I will take some more photos tomorrow so you can get the complete removal sequence. You can also gently prise off the main fascia around the selector then unclip the secondary fascia around the selector. You will then be left with the upper part of the module in view. The gear numbers are on a small plastic plate that can be popped out using a fine flat head driver. Underneath this you will see the top of the circuit board. This is where the main corrosion was but there was still a significant amount underneath the board which requires removal of the module and dismantling. The top of the board can now be accessed and cleaned with contact cleaner. I will post details of this once i get all the photos together.