Trying to keep an old rusty automatic alive..

[Teutonic77]

Hi Mercedes Peeps we've got an old Mercedes Vito 638 automatic which we've been nursing along with bits here and bobs there. We've been stuck for a few months without her as the Neutral position/Inhibitor switch needs replacing. We cant seem to locate one that's not a kings ransom from a main dealer. Does anyone in Mercedes world know where we could pick one up from. Are there any breakers that specialize in Vitos or Merc vans. Any help or advice would be appreciated we are in London many thanks in advance.... Happy New year.

Inhibitor/neutral position switch.(Part no. 0501209968). for an automatic Mercedes Vito 1999 to 2003.

 

[Wighty]

Give Three pointed parts a ring , they are a breakers in the West Country that advertise and sometimes contribute on the forum

 

[Frontstep]

Take it apart and clean it .

Or one on Ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes...tor-Control-Unit-ECU-0501209968-/202137162236

£25.99 or offer

 

[Teutonic77]

Ah topnotch!! ... will give them a try we've put a lot of effort into welding her into shape don't want to scrap her over some dodgy electronics!! ... Many thanks for your help .. Happy new year.

 

[Teutonic77]

Hey that

Take it apart and clean it .

Or one on Ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes...tor-Control-Unit-ECU-0501209968-/202137162236

Take it apart and clean it .

Or one on Ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mercedes...tor-Control-Unit-ECU-0501209968-/202137162236

£25.99 or offer

Hey that's great thanks i'm trying to contact seller to try to pick it up in person (i've brought one recently online and when it arrived it had a bad bodged repair done and didn't work!!).. This looks promising thanks and Happy new year.

 

[Teutonic77]

Trying to keep an old rusty automatic alive..PART2
Thanks to the kind efforts of ' Frontstep ' i managed to get hold of an Inhibitor/Neutral position switch from eBay Unfortunately the Auto electrician I'm using believes its naffed as the van still won't start. That would be the second used switch I've brought that was faulty (Just a case of no luck!!).. I'm posting screen shots of the codes his scanner pulled up... It seems that no mater what position the gear lever is in either the gearbox or the gearbox ecu believes it is in 4th gear i can't believe the gearbox is stuck in 4th gear as it was working perfectly until i pulled up ...put it in park ..and switched off to open the front gates. When i got back in the wagon it wouldn't start. Just in case it's not a faulty Inhibitor switch has anyone any clue what else could be going on. When i turn the key with the gear lever in park(or any other gear) The dash lights up and a " Start Error " message comes up on the dash and not a hint of starter motor activity.When the gear selector is moved through the gears The scanner would show the position the gear lever was in but would indicate that the auto box was actually in 4th. The auto Electrician tried several times to get the van to relearn the gear positioning with his scanner but this seemed to make no difference.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[corradoman]

would you not be better off putting it on star diagnostics, (apologies if you already have) im sure star would pick this up, try find an auto specialist

 

[Teutonic77]

would you not be better off putting it on star diagnostics, (apologies if you already have) im sure star would pick this up, try find an auto specialist

Thanks i think you are right. I am trying to avoid going to the main dealers and i am using a local Auto Electrician who seems to have the equipment needed.. Time is ticking so unless anyone has any clues i guess i may have to get a tow up to the money pit.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Those screenshots are from STAR, HHTwin specifically as its an older vehicle.

Which ecu is he in to get these actual values for? If you move the selector lever, does the selector lever value position change?

 

[Teutonic77]

Those screenshots are from STAR, HHTwin specifically as its an older vehicle.

Which ecu is he in to get these actual values for? If you move the selector lever, does the selector lever value position change?

Hello Alexanderfoti thanks for your reply .. It's come in perfect time!! The latest Auto Electrician to diagnose the van came back for another go yesterday. He assured me the equipment he was using was the Mercedes " Star " scanner so thank you for looking at the screen shots and confirming he was using the right gear. From what i could see he was taking readings first from the vans main ecu (obd port beside the under seat battery ) found no starting issue codes there he said. Then i think he then plugged into the gearbox through a multipin connector sitting on top of the gearbox. When the gear selector was moved you could see the value for the gear position change to represent the position that you move the gear lever to accept when park was selected. When park was selected z1 would appear on scanner as you can see in the screen shot. All other gear positions would show up 'n' '1' 2' 3' r' and so on. However the 'Actual gear' reading would never change no mater what the position of the gear stick. it would read 4 in all gear stick positions.???

I don't believe the gearbox is actually stuck in 4th gear as you can easily push the van. When you select reverse the reverse lights come on so i am now doubting whether it is the Neutral position switch or not?? Do the codes p2019 and p2015 look like plausible
gearbox codes when i google them they don't reference the gearbox?? ... Also the ' Start error ' message that illuminates on the dash display is a mystery to me could this be pointing towards some kind of immobilizer....Ecu ...key issue?? (Key is old style blank with chip in it and the first Auto Electrician who came out said he checked the immobilizer)

I think I'm in dangerous territory now whereby if i take the van into a garage they could charge me a kings ransom at guessing whats wrong or just saying ecu(for gearbox or engine or both) or gearbox needs to be changed. I'm not sure what my next move should be? I'm considering sending the gearbox ecu away to be checked but again that's going to cost a bit and will take some time....

Again thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Hello Alexanderfoti thanks for your reply .. It's come in perfect time!! The latest Auto Electrician to diagnose the van came back for another go yesterday. He assured me the equipment he was using was the Mercedes " Star " scanner so thank you for looking at the screen shots and confirming he was using the right gear. From what i could see he was taking readings first from the vans main ecu (obd port beside the under seat battery ) found no starting issue codes there he said. Then i think he then plugged into the gearbox through a multipin connector sitting on top of the gearbox. When the gear selector was moved you could see the value for the gear position change to represent the position that you move the gear lever to accept when park was selected. When park was selected z1 would appear on scanner as you can see in the screen shot. All other gear positions would show up 'n' '1' 2' 3' r' and so on. However the 'Actual gear' reading would never change no mater what the position of the gear stick. it would read 4 in all gear stick positions.???

I don't believe the gearbox is actually stuck in 4th gear as you can easily push the van. When you select reverse the reverse lights come on so i am now doubting whether it is the Neutral position switch or not?? Do the codes p2019 and p2015 look like plausible
gearbox codes when i google them they don't reference the gearbox?? ... Also the ' Start error ' message that illuminates on the dash display is a mystery to me could this be pointing towards some kind of immobilizer....Ecu ...key issue?? (Key is old style blank with chip in it and the first Auto Electrician who came out said he checked the immobilizer)

I think I'm in dangerous territory now whereby if i take the van into a garage they could charge me a kings ransom at guessing whats wrong or just saying ecu(for gearbox or engine or both) or gearbox needs to be changed. I'm not sure what my next move should be? I'm considering sending the gearbox ecu away to be checked but again that's going to cost a bit and will take some time....

Again thanks in advance for your advice.

That is normal behaviour if the engine isnt running. Gearbox needs oil pressure to select the gears so it wont actually change gear if the engine isnt running. Start error is the reason that you are not able to start the van, not the gearbox.

You have an immobiliser fault either with the key, ignition switch, or cluster. There are people that can repair this fault as its quite specific. Try mark at http://www.replacementmercedeskeys.co.uk/

 

[Teutonic77]

That is normal behaviour if the engine isnt running. Gearbox needs oil pressure to select the gears so it wont actually change gear if the engine isnt running. Start error is the reason that you are not able to start the van, not the gearbox.

You have an immobiliser fault either with the key, ignition switch, or cluster. There are people that can repair this fault as its quite specific. Try mark at http://www.replacementmercedeskeys.co.uk/

Thank you. I am suspecting this also. I just don't understand why 2 separate Auto electricians couldn't come to this conclusion..When you turn the key everything lights up on the dash as it should.. It just seems dead at the starter and fueling with
" Start Error " flashing. I have 2 keys and the same happens with both.

SEE LINK FOR DASH LIGHTS: https://www.dropbox.com/s/d58mhh3wb2t56m9/20180116_173912.mp4?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/d58mhh3wb2t56m9/20180116_173912.mp4?dl=0
Is there a possibility that the gearbox ecu is not recognizing key on and allowing van to start via neutral position/inhibitor switch?

Thanks again for your advice.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Thank you. I am suspecting this also. I just don't understand why 2 separate Auto electricians couldn't come to this conclusion..When you turn the key everything lights up on the dash as it should.. It just seems dead at the starter and fueling with
" Start Error " flashing. I have 2 keys and the same happens with both.

SEE LINK FOR DASH LIGHTS: https://www.dropbox.com/s/d58mhh3wb2t56m9/20180116_173912.mp4?dl=0
Is there a possibility that the gearbox ecu is not recognizing key on and allowing van to start via neutral position/inhibitor switch?

Thanks again for your advice.

Because they they don't know the cars well.

Start error is an immobiliser fault 100%

 

[Teutonic77]

Because they they don't know the cars well.

Start error is an immobiliser fault 100%

Thanks for that info ..I called the Merc key chaps and hopefully they will come and have a look ... Cheers

 

[alexanderfoti]

Thanks for that info ..I called the Merc key chaps and hopefully they will come and have a look ... Cheers

Fingers crossed for you

 

[Teutonic77]

Fingers crossed for you

Hi thanks for all your advice the Key chaps you suggested wouldn't come down as far as Luton from Birmingham. I've tried a few other firms who say they cant sort out "Start error " Mercedes issues but again they won't come to the van they want me to have it shipped to them with no guarantee of repair. I've finally got some time to spend on the van again so i'm thinking to buy second hand(ebay) and fit:

1)The keys.. Engine ecu..(not sure if its necessary to change gearbox ecu??) and immobilizer.
or
2)The keys ..The Eeprom chip holding the key codes from a used ECU(have it soldered to my existing ECU) and the immobilizer unit that comes with it.

I've been to visit Mercedes again and they refuse to help with the part no. for my ECU.. Would any of the above scenarios resolve my immobilizer issues? In either scenario do i need an automatic specific Engine ECU...Does the Auto box ecu work independently allowing the possibility to use an ecu from a manual Van as these autos are thin on the ground. Further does the immobilizer unit store the key codes on a built in chip also or is it just reading the key at ignition and corresponding with the eeprom in the Engine ECU.(If it doesn't hold key codes may get away with not swapping it?). Ive removed The engine ECU the gearbox ecu and the immobilizer would you have any idea what are the part numbers i'm looking for to find compatible replacements(will a manual ECU do the job working with my auto ECU).

Thanks Again for all your advice ....

 

[LostKiwi]

Your part numbers from the photos are:
A611 153 64 79
A638 446 24 10
026 545 17 32

 

[Teutonic77]

Your part numbers from the photos are:
A611 153 64 79
A638 446 24 10
026 545 17 32

Thanks much appreciated i'm trying to assess whether this ecu is specific to autos or whether an ecu from a manual the same model will also work Using its keys and immobilizer(If the immobilizer doesn't hold key codes maybe i can keep my original one?)
This is my last bash at this before having it wheeled to the scrapper.