Shift buttons under steering wheel not working.

[MWCLS]

It maybe a coincidence, my C209 CLK has a aftermarket double din touch screen media with what looks like the GPS antenna mounted on the dash under the windscreen.

When i switch the gearbox mode to M the buttons do nothing, possibly haven't been connected back? Im guessing they are just micro switches both to fail at the same time ?

I do have a dealer * small dealer * warranty on the car tbh i can't be doing with the hassle they put a aftermarket warranty on the car ... you guessed it doesn't cover the gear change buttons., even if it did there is a 75 excess and you have to use their recommended garage ...i know that's all total rubbish i could start quoting consumer acts at them they have to prove that the problem wasn't present when selling me the car ( Mid sept 16 )

I dont want to pursue this route for what is a minor problem,.

Anyone had trouble with the little black shift buttons? Any pointers?

Thing is im sure they worked at one point or i maybe imagining it!

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks

Michael

 

[brucemillar]

Michael

I may be mistaken here. The +/- gear shift buttons should operate in any mode. You just push them and they operate. Cancellation of them is achieved by either switch off the ignition or moving into Reverse then Drive again.

To have both fail would suggest that that you have another issue at play here. Possibly with the main connection or the reluctor ring in the steering wheel? I do not believe that they are fused. A quick session on STAR should show up any issues.

I am assuming here that they did work? and that you do not have an "aftermarket" steering wheel fitted?

 

[MWCLS]

Hi Bruce, thanks for the reply. They don't appear to work in any mode. Its a oem steering wheel. The car was originally specced with audio 20 so at some point the after market clarion unit has been fitted as ive lost the volume buttons to.

I had a similar issue on a E46 M3 on just one of the paddles i just cleaned up the micro switch with contact cleaner and all was well.

Im not to hands on and dont want to break the button's,.correction * I will break it * .

 

[Ted]

To see if it is working, it might be worth trying the tiptronic. If that works, my guess is that the wire to the switches is broken/disconnected. The flappy paddles should also work in C and S modes as Bruce says.

 

[MWCLS]

Thanks ted, i never thought of that, ill give that a go.

 

[tec]

The flappy paddles should also work in C and S modes as Bruce says.

They don't on my CLK320 Sport.

Mind you though, I have never tried them in 'M' mode yet as not had the car long.
I am sure I read in the owners manual the paddles only work in 'M' mode.

 

[whitenemesis]

Steering wheel paddles should operate in all modes. It's just that in either S or C all it will do is limit the shift ranges i.e. if the dash shows 3 the autobox will change up and down as required but only between 1-2-3.

In M mode the paddles will select the next gear as requested by the paddle and not change again unless speed drops too low or the redline is reached, when it change up and then if an AMG it will simply limit the revs without changing up.

Paddles are just a steering wheel mount tiptronic extension.

 

[davidjpowell]

The gear buttons needs some coding on STAR to work. As nothing works part of me wonders whether the wheel's been retrofitted and not coded.

Do the other buttons all work?

 

[MWCLS]

Tried the shift buttons tonight in tiptronic they work in all modes S C and M. Not a retrofit as they are on my my datacard the car is a CLK280 AMG sport... well a CLK with a 2996cc engine and a oem AMG bodykit from the factory so not a true AMG. Thank you to everyone for your help and input... maybe i need to read the manual being a fairly basic car in the MB world i didnt bother!

Oddly my last car a CLS which was had all the bells and whistles i didnt need to look anything up on how basic functions worked.

World crisis averted.

 

[tec]

They don't on my CLK320 Sport.

Mind you though, I have never tried them in 'M' mode yet as not had the car long.
I am sure I read in the owners manual the paddles only work in 'M' mode.

My paddles do work in all modes.

User error here also.