Your Mercedes vehicle was designed and built for performance, style, and safety. It responds to your every command seamlessly, and this is what provides you with the smooth ride that you expect.
As you go from park to reverse or as you accelerate, your Mercedes quickly reacts to your demands by selecting the proper gear. If you have an automatic transmission, you rarely notice the gears changing as you accelerate or decelerate.
The best way to keep your Mercedes in shape is to have your trusted mechanic keep an eye on the gear selector. Even though you do this, there is still the chance that the gear selector will have issues.
The Function of the Gear Selector
The gear selector in your Mercedes is located in the car cabin between the two front seats. The gear selector is responsible for putting your vehicle in the gear that corresponds to your speed.
As previously stated, this can also mean going from park to reverse or from reverse to drive and all other gear options in between. As you step on the brake or gas pedal, Mercedes responds appropriately. Without the gear selector, you would not be able to drive your vehicle.
In a manual transmission Mercedes, the gear selector is called the gear shifter, because it is the driver that is responsible for selecting the gears as they upshift and downshift.
Recognizable Signs of a Failing Gear Selector
Having issues with the gear selector can impact your entire driving experience because you may not be able to drive your Mercedes at all. Keeping this in mind, it is important to know what signs to look for that point to gear selector issues.
One sign is not being able to turn off your vehicle. Your Mercedes, and every other vehicle, will only turn off when it is in the “park” gear. So you know that there is an issue with the gear selector if your vehicle is in park and you cannot remove the key from the ignition. This can be dangerous because there is no way to tell what gear your vehicle is in.
Most of the time, you can deal with this issue by cycling through the gears and then trying to turn your vehicle off once you are in “park” again. Unfortunately, this may take a few times, but eventually, this should work. Keep in mind that this is not a proper fix. It is recommended to have your Mercedes inspected at the first sign of gear selector troubles.
Another sign you should be aware of is your Mercedes not going into gear. This issue indicates that the gear selector has lost connection with the gears. For example, you can put the gear selector into the gear you need, such as park or reverse, but your Mercedes will not respond. At this point, the gear selector system needs to be inspected to properly identify where disconnect is occurring.
One last sign that indicates gear selector issues is grinding noises while shifting. These grinding noises could be from the gear selector itself or the gears that are connected to it. The grinding can be a combination of multiple things. For example, debris could be caught in the gear selector, or the gear selector or gears could be so corroded that they need to be replaced. It could be a combination of the two.
Dealing with Gear Selector Issues
Gear selector issues are something that will 
quickly decrease your ability to drive your Mercedes. The best way to deal with these issues is to bring your Mercedes into your trusted auto shop as soon as you notice any of the above-mentioned signs.
At Heynneman European, we have trained and certified technicians who will diagnose your Mercedes issues through rigorous testing. The most up-to-date technologies are used for inspections, and high-quality parts are put into your Mercedes if anything needs to be replaced.
We are easily accessible from the areas of Larkspur, Kentfield, Corte, Mill Valley, San Anselmo, Fairfax, and San Rafael, CA, so making an appointment with us is simple. You will be happy that you brought your Mercedes into us to have the gear selector repaired.
