E320 CDi 1999 gear selection & display problem

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

df

On 15 Jan, 00:25, grandad wrote:
> 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 dashboardgear
> selection indicator is blank ... and when this happens I know the car
> is in limp mode... lowgear/ 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
>
> df
>
> "Nihil" wrote:
> > jdoe wrote:
>
> > > On Sun, 07 Jan 2007 11:49:08 +0100, Robert Klemme
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > >> On 06.01.2007 19:24, grandad wrote:
> > >>> Fuel consumption very good around an overall 40 mpg
> > >> Really, that's under 6 liters on 100km - that's pretty good
> > for such a
> > >> bug car!
> > >>
> > >>> Do a mixture of short and long distance driving now ...
> > prior to that
> > >>> a lot of long distance. 40k per year.
> > >> 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.
> > >>
> > > their, UK, gallon is larger than ours
> > 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.
>
> --
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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