W210 stuck in low gear!

Cole@MBS

Forum Supporter
Authorised Forum Supporter
Joined
Dec 1, 2008
Messages
13,702
Reaction score
950
Age
54
Location
Southampton
Website
www.mbssouthampton.co.uk
Your Mercedes
124 300 CE 24 Coupe, C220CDI, Porsche 911 4s, Dolomite sprint,
W210 Stuck in gear.

This one is common as muck; it applies to all models up to about 2004 but is most common on the 210.

Come out in the morning and start the car, drive of up the road and you notice that the gearbox is not changing gear correctly, staying in first or second, you pull over and switch off and restart, the car then changes gear correctly, you carry on and forget the whole thing!

The next day the same thing happens, you do the above again and the fault clears!

Right what’s going on?

The biggest cause of this fault is that the battery voltage is down due to the battery nearing its sell by date! When you start In the morning , the cranking amps needed to throw the starter in and crank the engine is causing a loss of power to the other systems on the car, the other electrical systems are being starved of voltage!



For some reason the gearbox control module is the first to kick off! The control module detects the loss of voltage and then stores a fault code in the control module, the gear box then refuses to change gear because of this,

What then happens is, because by this time the car has been running for 5 mins, the battery has had its voltage topped up by the alternator, you restart and the fault is then put to a stored fault, as above, gearbox goes back to normal!!

Cause of this, low battery voltage, car been sat, or a new battery needed,

Most times a replacement battery will cure, on the odd car the fault codes will need to be erased before the box returns to normal!!!
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
Thats nicely worded and easy to understand,, thank you SAM again
 

delboy777

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2008
Messages
347
Reaction score
0
Location
KEITH, MORAYSHIRE
Your Mercedes
2001 W203, 220CDI Elegance Full Leather/Sat Nav
I have got the "T" shirt for this one, happened to me just last week:rolleyes:
 
R

rose3748

Guest
Can I check and see if you think my car fits this?

I have a R Reg C180 Esprit Auto petrol. In the mornings it won't go above 20mph until it's been running for 5-10 mins. I thought it maybe just needed to warm up a bit, but reading your post perhaps this could be worth investigating, what do you think?

Thank you,
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
Well it is simple to check and a £5 multi meter would prove the point,,just hook it up when you start up and check the voltage on the battery
 

Dosco

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
3,942
Reaction score
5
Age
83
Your Mercedes
W211
This just might answer one of those probs that I've lived with for some considerable time - always put it down to a 'cold box - thick fluid'

Will try out Malcolm's suggestion 2morrow..:eek:
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
This just might answer one of those probs that I've lived with for some considerable time - always put it down to a 'cold box - thick fluid'

Will try out Malcolm's suggestion 2morrow..:eek:

Some cars like my 129 a 1999 car could lock up if the gear selector was shifted, even when hot, and it was a turn off and on to cure it
 

Alex Crow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
10,677
Reaction score
47
Location
Super Suffolk
Your Mercedes
W169, W124, w202, W203, KTM 250 EXC, VW T25 camper and a Polo in a pear tree
Can I check and see if you think my car fits this?

I have a R Reg C180 Esprit Auto petrol. In the mornings it won't go above 20mph until it's been running for 5-10 mins. I thought it maybe just needed to warm up a bit, but reading your post perhaps this could be worth investigating, what do you think?

Thank you,

do you need to turn off and on again to go above 20mph?

does it fail to change up gear at all when these symptoms are current?

if it resets itself without turning off/on then this is not the same scenario.
 
R

rose3748

Guest
Battery Tested

Hi,

I have tested the Battery, It is reading 14 engine off, then down to 13.8 with the engine running and load of things on i.e fan & lights.

So not sure if the battery is the problem? As soon as there is a reading on the temp gauge is seems to run OK. I only get the problem when the car is cold. I haven't tried the turn it off and re-start thing yet, anything else I could check?

Or is this just a problem with the automatics?
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
The car does hold on to the lower gears when cold, to warm up the CAT quickly,,what happens if you down shift and go back to D
 
R

rose3748

Guest
Not sure haven't tried that either. If I push the accelartor any more than a quater of an inch, it dies to walking speed, same as if I try to drop it down to a lower gear.
 
R

rose3748

Guest
???

Not sure haven't tried that either. If I push the accelartor any more than a quater of an inch, it dies to walking speed, same as if I try to drop it down to a lower gear.
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
This is different then,, the engine should not do this,, with any power output down the gear box cannot change gear,,so your fault could be with the warm up somewhere on the engine
 

Alex Crow

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2009
Messages
10,677
Reaction score
47
Location
Super Suffolk
Your Mercedes
W169, W124, w202, W203, KTM 250 EXC, VW T25 camper and a Polo in a pear tree
rose3748, try unplugging your maf sensor and see what difference it makes.

i doubt you have a gearbox fault, from your last post it sounds more like the maf sensor.
 
R

rose3748

Guest
Maf

Yep lads thank you,

unplugged the MAF sensor, and that made a big difference. Got a replacment sensor now, and she runs like a dream.

Thank you all for your help.
 

guigyk

Member
Joined
May 28, 2008
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Hi folks, have posted this on another thread but my circumstances have changed and is more relevant to this thread - I'd appreciate any advice.


Like most of you around the UK, We have recently had the coldest few days in this region for an awful long time. Our local temperature got as low -20 degrees and the average night time temp for a week was under -15 degree.

My E-Class Elegance Auto (2000) drove fine for the first couple of days of extreme teperature. On the 3 or 4th day, I parked the car up from a Friday lunch time to a Sunday afternoon when it hit -20 overnight after 6 inches of snow.

Dug the car out, started and drove no problem. Drove about 3miles across town and parked up. Went back out an hour later and it was locked in park. Also, there seemed to be a 3 second lag from turning the key to the the engine started. Released the park under that little flap I read about on here and got going but only in alow gear.

Drove home and parked it up in my car port until the thaw started - put it down to a faulty (frozen) sensor or a brake switch (replaced 12 months ago). Kept the car running for 30 minutes every couple days during the freeze and on one occassion noticed a "Low Voltage" Warning on the dash when it started.

When outdoor temperatures rose to a "normal level" Im not stuck in "P", however if i drop down to "D" then I can only return to neutral, the gear wont shift into reverse. However if i turn off the engine the gear box will shift into "R" and "P".

I am also still stuck in second gear.

The only other thing i notice is this.. If i am in motion while in "D" I can pop the gear in to "P" or "R" no problem. Yet, if i brake and come to a standstill the gear box will not go into "R".


Do you think this is linked to the low voltage warning - the battery is only about 12 weeks old. I've been out on short journeys (3 or 4 mile) but havent been able to get out of second gear.

Is there an fault being stored somewhere that needs reset maybe?

Thanks in advance
 

D7FF M

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2011
Messages
11
Reaction score
1
Age
35
Location
Port seton
Your Mercedes
e240/1998/2.4v6
another common fault which iv found on the a,c,e and s class so far is cracked abs rings causing the gearbox to stay in one gear. but rather than shelling out £500+ on a new shaft we use a company called reluctor rings on ebay or google it and they can supply the abs ring on its own. much cheaper fix :D
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
another common fault which iv found on the a,c,e and s class so far is cracked abs rings causing the gearbox to stay in one gear. but rather than shelling out £500+ on a new shaft we use a company called reluctor rings on ebay or google it and they can supply the abs ring on its own. much cheaper fix :D

Yes we use reluctance rings a lot on here now, mush cheaper fix
 

djKeston

New Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2011
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Location
Swansea
Your Mercedes
E Class W210 2000 E240
Changed battery - still the same issue

I'm still getting the same issue as described in the original post - from a cold start my 2000 (X) E240 is stuck in 1st, drive for 2 mins, switch off and restart and all is fine.

I've put a new battery in and the problem is still exactly the same. What to try next?

1. Clean the shifter circuit board - although if this was 'bad' why would restarting fix it?

2. Same with 'reluctor' rings - why on restart?

Any ideas or someone with the same experience welcome?
 
OP
Cole@MBS

Cole@MBS

Forum Supporter
Authorised Forum Supporter
Joined
Dec 1, 2008
Messages
13,702
Reaction score
950
Age
54
Location
Southampton
Website
www.mbssouthampton.co.uk
Your Mercedes
124 300 CE 24 Coupe, C220CDI, Porsche 911 4s, Dolomite sprint,
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • Moderator
  • #20
Get the fault codes read!!!!!!

Could be anything from a speed sensor in the gearbox plate to a RPM sensor....

Welcome to the forums...
 

d:class automotive are specialists in automotive interiors and upholstery. From Mercedes and modern cars to custom and classics. Tel: 01483 722923 Email:info@dclass.co.ukWeb:www.dclass.co.uk
Top Bottom