E320 CDi 1999 gear selection & display problem

:( My E320 has defaulted to crippled mode.

It is not showing any automatic gear selection in the dashboard indicator and when you select D it only runs in first gear.

You can select R with slight difficulty (going back from D to P is slightly difficult)

Recently it stuck in P and had to be unlocked via the secret hole!

.. the only other problem I noticed was that the cruise control did not always work on first start.

My engineer has fault codes 034 and 130 but is not sure what they are.

I note one fault code links the cruse control and brake switch is that a clue?

We did change the battery and that helped for a day ... but then it came back.

Help appreciated

Reply to
grandad
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Brake light switch disengages the cruise control - so when you step on the brake the cruise is cut off.

If your "engineer" doesn't know what the codes mean you MUST find a mechanic who does; these cars are too complicated and their parts too expensive to play guessing games. Remember, it's YOUR money that buys the wrong parts and pays for wasted labor.

Reply to
Take A Guess

.... are you certain you have a 1999 CDI? These did not come to NA until the early 2000's. Where did you get this car from?

cheers, guenter

Reply to
Guenter Scholz

Thanks. Sound advice and on the case.

I was giving my local guy the chance to see if the problem was not too complex ... in the hands of MB specialist now

"Take A Guess" wrote

Reply to
grandad

Thanks .............I am in U

"Guenter Scholz" wrote

Reply to
grandad

LATEST INFORMATION:

New tests with more specific equipment indicate a value sticking in the gearbox

recommendation is a flush cleaner in the gearbox fluid and a change of fluid filter and fluid in the gearbox.

This was last done in 2002 at 64k miles so now at over 200k it is well overdue. Mercedes servicing in last few years has not done it!

Will keep you posted if this solves the problem

Reply to
grandad

Sorry to highjack the thread but I did not see a valid reply address... Quick question, what fuel consumption do you have on average and what driving do you mostly do? (city, long distance...) Thanks!

Kind regards

robert

Reply to
Robert Klemme

Fuel consumption very good around an overall 40 mpg

Do a mixture of short and long distance driving now ... prior to that a lot of long distance. 40k per year.

Car is now in what they call "crippled mode" ...will not go out of low gear, will not go over 30,000 revs ... this appears to be a defualt mode due to the selector/transmission problem.

Car running well and drivable within those limitations ...seems to be a get you home or to garage mode.

Confirm computer software shows transmission valve sticking and transmission fluid change/treatment possible solution ... this not worked.

MB dealer appears to be only option at present ... paying for a one way ticket to hell!!

thank for your interes

"Robert Klemme" wrote

Reply to
grandad

Really, that's under 6 liters on 100km - that's pretty good for such a bug car!

That's quite a bit (I assume 40k miles) - but then again "long distance" in the US is typically longer than over here in Europe.

I hope it never goes above 30,000 revs - not even motorcycle engines go beyond 20,000 so... I guess you had a zero too many - or don't you use minute as reference (i.e. rpm)? Ah, all these different measuring unit systems...

I hope it's not a major overhaul.

Thanks for the detailed info!

Kind regards

robert

Reply to
Robert Klemme

Was the 1999 E320 CDI sold in the US, I assume this was 40 miles per an imperial gallon(4.54609 litres?). Still not bad at all.

Reply to
Me

their, UK, gallon is larger than ours

Reply to
jdoe

it's average, I can get 36+ mpg on long highway runs

Reply to
jdoe

On longish highway trips at moderate speed I've done 40 miles per US gallon with a W210 E320CDI. With a W211 I6 E320CDI I've done better than 40 but for an average of 7.2 litres per 100 km I've had a mix of driving "mostly" highway (but an average over more than 20 000 km). Isn't this about 39 miles per Imperial gallon, not actually far from the 40 (but my experience is that a W211 drives with less than the W210 320CDI).

Reply to
Me

:D

Firstly, yes it was 3000 rpm cut off in the limp mode!

I get 40 miles per UK gallon overall, on a long Motoway (Freeway) trip up to 42 cruising at around 70 mph (our limit)

Fuel consumption has never been a problem.

Good news!!! and I take back some of what I said about MD dealers .... I took the car in limp mode into a new MB Dealer today .... 45 mins it was fixed .... Air Volume sensor replaced ... total cost around £120!!!

Car running very well again now. Seems that the engine goes into limp mode if key sensors fail ... don?t see why this locked the gear-stick in the first place but all ok now

Thanks for all your interest

Reply to
grandad

Sorry about the lateness of this contribution but I have a similar car and it has exhibited similar problems.

Sticking in P (relieved by pencil down secret hole) and cruise control failure are both symptoms of one single and easily remedied fault: bad electrical contact in the brake sensor. On my instruction my mechanic applied contact cleaner to it and both problems went away. Didn't charge me anything (wasn't MB mechanic, obviously).

I get long term average a little above 40mpg on mine and have once observed 50mpg on a 250 mile run. This on a large car with acceleration that can terrify your mother.

Reply to
Nihil

Better late than never!!!

After the MB fitting of an new Air mass Sensor all has been well ... until today!

The car is now not getting stuck in P ... but the dashboard gear selection indicator is blank ... and when this happens I know the car is in limp mode... low gear/ max 300o revs. This is usually when left overnight when damp.

This appears to correct itself if I start the car ... run it for a while ... then switch off and the on again.

Appears to be a low voltage problem ... .. cos going back, when the battery was cahnged we got a day or so OK.

The brake switch idea has come up before ... so duly noted and will do as suggested anyway ... but it seems to be functioning OK .... where is it to apply spray????

Much appreciated

d

"Nihil" wrote

Reply to
grandad

archive:

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Hi,

I have read this article with interest as my E320 CDI (2000 year) has demonstrated similar fault only the ABS/BAS Lights came on and the display said "take to dealer ect" scary as that usualy means big Mercedes style bills, this was a couple of minutes before I got home. When I got home I turned off the engine and when I came to re-start the gear displaywas blank, the engine would not start and the gear selector could not be moved out of P position (unless I used the hidden hole), all lights were on and I know the battery is OK. The RAC man has been and unable to fix so it is now off the MB to fix on Monday. However, I notice your note re contact cleaner, where was this applied, was it to the switch (under the steering colume by the brake pedal) as it may be worth me trying this before it goes to MB. THanks David

Reply to
dh110953

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