SL63 “Without gear changing, consult workshop”

[Ian Cade]

BTW
I’m trying to resolve “Without gear changing, consult workshop” and “Risk of vehicle rolling
Transmission not in park”
I’ve read this may just simply be the fuse for the intelligent servo module but am unable to locate its whereabouts in the car.
Any help gratefully received

 

[Ian Cade]

Hi.

I’m trying to resolve “Without gear changing, consult workshop” and “Risk of vehicle rolling
Transmission not in park”
I’ve read this may just simply be the fuse for the intelligent servo module but am unable to locate its whereabouts in the car.

Any other ideas regarding the intelligent servo module etc or any other help gratefully received

Thanks

 

[Wighty]

Hi.

I’m trying to resolve “Without gear changing, consult workshop” and “Risk of vehicle rolling
Transmission not in park”
I’ve read this may just simply be the fuse for the intelligent servo module but am unable to locate its whereabouts in the car.

Any other ideas regarding the intelligent servo module etc or any other help gratefully received

Thanks

Do you still have Mobilio breakdown cover buddy ?

 

[AMGeed]

Hi.

I’m trying to resolve “Without gear changing, consult workshop” and “Risk of vehicle rolling
Transmission not in park”
I’ve read this may just simply be the fuse for the intelligent servo module but am unable to locate its whereabouts in the car.

Any other ideas regarding the intelligent servo module etc or any other help gratefully received

Thanks

I saw this message today whilst changing my brake pads. ( Risk of vehicle rolling. Transmission not in Park.)
The car was up on a jack and I started the engine to turn the wheel direction for access.

The message was gone when I restarted the car with all 4 wheels on the ground.
My fuse diagram is in the foam compartment along with the other suppled tools in the boot.

 

[Ian Cade]

Thanks AMGeed

I've checked the boot and there's no tool kit in my SL63 R231, just a towing eye...

The car was parked up 2 days ago and not been touched until we tried to use it yesterday morning...

There hopefully is someone out there that an help me identify which fuse protects the ISM, and where exactly the fuse is.

There's no illuminated P,D,N or R on the centre console shift surround, but the dash is should that it is in P.

The sport/comfort selector dial is working.

Any more ideas guys please?

 

[V6Matty]

How’s your battery voltage, try giving it a charge over night and then see if you get the error in the morning, Mercedes really do some strange things when batteries get low,

 

[Ian Cade]

Thanks
I’ll give it a try
Which battery would you suspect?
I’ve had to replace the convenience battery before on my 2 previous old sl55’s.
So far the SL63 has been a different beast with regards to battery drain problems.

 

[peterws1957]

Thanks AMGeed

I've checked the boot and there's no tool kit in my SL63 R231, just a towing eye...

The car was parked up 2 days ago and not been touched until we tried to use it yesterday morning...

There hopefully is someone out there that an help me identify which fuse protects the ISM, and where exactly the fuse is.

There's no illuminated P,D,N or R on the centre console shift surround, but the dash is should that it is in P.

The sport/comfort selector dial is working.

Any more ideas guys please?

The website Fuse Box- Info might be a starting point to locate the fuse, but only if the fuse is in one of the fuse boxes!

 

[Ian Cade]

Thanks
Been there tried that
Unfortunately they don’t have sl63
Just SLS and SL55 which are both different
Going to try another Indi garage today to see if they can help

 

[Botus]

its a normal failure of the 7g box's ISM (intelligent shift module) I think its the bit that responds to the shift lever inside the car

its a very common Mercedes breakdown and you should NOT ignore it ever. It can leave the vehicle totally stranded and has to be specialist recovery as you can't even push to the side of the road... the best thing is.

"drive to workshop without shifting gear" and without turning it off even for petrol, straight on to a ramp at the garage that's going to replace the dead ISM on the side of your gearbox

 

[Ian Cade]

Thanks Botus
Unfortunately the message came up when it was started from cold after being used 2 days before and had never seen message previously.
As you have said I’m having to get it recovered to the garage to fix…

Having one last effort and have removed battery for a deep charge as it was a little low on voltage due to me having doors open and ignition on for several hours trying to fault find and check fuses and wiring.

fingers crossed it may clear when battery goes back on so I can get it to garage

 

[Botus]

bummer, hope it behaves, was one bod in American used it for months and got away with it.... not sure how

 

[Hay]

Thanks Botus
Unfortunately the message came up when it was started from cold after being used 2 days before and had never seen message previously.
As you have said I’m having to get it recovered to the garage to fix…

Having one last effort and have removed battery for a deep charge as it was a little low on voltage due to me having doors open and ignition on for several hours trying to fault find and check fuses and wiring.

fingers crossed it may clear when battery goes back on so I can get it to garage

Can't you jump start

 

[alexanderfoti]

Can't you jump start

I would really hope he isn't still there, a year + later.

 

[Hernan64]

Thanks Botus
Unfortunately the message came up when it was started from cold after being used 2 days before and had never seen message previously.
As you have said I’m having to get it recovered to the garage to fix…

Having one last effort and have removed battery for a deep charge as it was a little low on voltage due to me having doors open and ignition on for several hours trying to fault find and check fuses and wiring.

fingers crossed it may clear when battery goes back on so I can get it to garage

Ian Cade, did you ever resolve the issue with this? I have the exact same scenario atm, I'm thinking the shifter module or DSM module. Any help on your resolve would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[malcolm E53 AMG]

Ian Cade was last seen on the forum July 29 2021

Pity he didn’t report back on the resolution - as said I think this is a common issue when I last visited a MB Independent they were complaining about not being able to push a similar car in and out of the workshop and were waiting for an ISM from MB

 

[Botus]

the ISM tripping in to deliberate timeline induced failure, usually 100k miles is a standard feature of these cars - they also do it with the park brake - and on later cars this idea started to "accidentally" slip into the engine management and throw fake EML messages

its mercs crooked accountancy in action - they figured its safer (AKA more profitable), to pretend we need to disable certain safety related components with a deliberate timeline switch in software. So it gets past class action lawsuits - as it designed as a safety feature to get us to replace before failing

It sounds sensible but really means more cars get zero maintenance and people just hack software or drive round with features not working - when the reality is the hardware had at least double the life left than the accounts department asked the engineering team to put in the software code

a new module fitted and coded (as you have to get that software turned on correctly) is about £1200 all in - when there is nothing amiss with the unit at all

 

[Hernan64]

Thank you both Malcolm210 & Botus for the very quick reply. Wish Ian would have finished this thread, A shop I'm familiar with is allowing me to borrow their scanner, (Snap-on Triton D10) to really check the trouble code and live data, before picking shifter or ISM module path. Both are around the same price as shifter is sold as full assembly (not just the module component) and the ISM has to be SCN coded to the car(glashing with VIN), then when installed an adaptation procedure to make it work. On my Autel Maxicom mk808 scanner I am only getting code "U010300 Communication with the electronic selector lever module has a malfunction", but my car was last parked in garage so if it is ISM failure it was last in P and is probably why it does allow to Start the engine. But have similar symptoms of Ian Cade with no light illumination response, or any shifter feedback whatsoever. The 4wire connector to shifter does however have 12v power to the shifter module but it's not illuminating (I don't have pinout details either for what wire needs to have what voltage so I can be wrong about the illumination theory as shifter may still need ISM response to do anything) which is why I was debating leading to the shifter opposed to ISM to start with replacement. I will update findings. Thanks again.

 

[Botus]

if you get the don't change gear drive to workshop on a 221 it usually means the software tripped in to the special mode (especially if it coincides with it being around 10 years and mostly 100k miles)

it's usually after you have pulled away so you have got in to your journey (so they can get the recovery costs too !) and its NOT safe to ignore and carry on - it can and happens quite a bit - select P on its own when stationary at any point - and can leave you stranded in the middle of dangerous junctions

one guy had this in the states, in the rain at night - couldn't move it as it won't come out of park - in the end plod got impatient with roadside support and had the car towed at huge inconvenience - for the 1.5 hours till any support came - as it was an unlit road with a intersection to a highway he was scared stupid...

 

[Botus]

But have similar symptoms of Ian Cade with no light illumination response, or any shifter feedback whatsoever. The 4wire connector to shifter does however have 12v power to the shifter module but it's not illuminating (I don't have pinout details either for what wire needs to have what voltage so I can be wrong about the illumination theory as shifter may still need ISM response to do anything) which is why I was debating leading to the shifter opposed to ISM to start with replacement. I will update findings. Thanks again.

the baby Aux battery under the dash (terrible name) on the facelift (post 2009) 221s, provides power to the ISM for emergencies (and should be replaced every 10 years - unlike start stop ones you want to remain dead)