CLS 55 AMG Auto Gearbox tiptronic question

[YdnaT1]

My son has a 57 plate CLS 55 AMG with an auto gearbox but has the facility to change up and down using the gear lever also however this does not appear to be working.
The gearbox itself works perfectly smoothly when in drive or reverse however in drive when he (or I) move the gear lever to either D- or D+there is no response and the instrument panel still shows "D" rather than the gear it has changed to.

Any ideas if we are even driving it incorrectly or is this a known fault.

I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee with the Merc Diesel engine and these gearboxes were famous for the gear selector mechanism to fail. Is this the same for the 7G Auto box??

Any tips to try or pointers greatly appreciated

Many thanks in advance,

regards
Andy

Oh and Hi by the way as this is my 1st post

 

[andy27168]

Hi,
Welcome to the forum Andy.
Bit confused, As far as I am aware the CLS55 was replaced by the CLS63 in 2006, also the CLS55 never had a 7 speed box.
Are you sure it is not a CLS500 (AMG badge fitted) with the later type of V8 which was 5.5 litre, if you look at the Vin. No. in the lower part of the windscreen on the N/S the chassis no. should read WDD219376......XX if it is a CLS55 AMG.
Either way, I would not just replace gear selector without having the car plugged into STAR (MB Diagnostic computer) first to confirm.
Post up you're location and the forum can possibly recommend a Indy STAR equipped near you
Do the flappy paddles on the steering wheel still work?

 

[KillerHERTZ]

When your driving along and you double press the '-' (left hand steering wheel button) does it shift down?

 

[YdnaT1]

Thanks guys, we are near Aberdeen in Scotland.

My mistake its not a CLS55 but a W219 CLS500 with the 5.5L V8. It doesn't have flappy paddles but that function is on the gear lever but doesn't appear to be working which is the problem. Flappy paddles probably came in just after this model year.
I'll get a photo when he comes home from work of the gear lever which will help explain. I think what should happen is if I move the gear selector to the side the display should change from D to whichever gear I am in and if i nudge it forward or backward it will change up or down a gear however it just stays in D.

We are in Aberdeen which has a Merc main agent but I cant find any independents close by.

Many thanks for the help.

regards
Andy

 

[brucemillar]

I think what should happen is if I move the gear selector to the side the display should change from D to whichever gear I am in and if i nudge it forward or backward it will change up or down a gear however it just stays in D.

On my C55 (2004 vintage) the manual tiptronic is activated by moving the gear lever from left to right, when the lever is in "D". Or by pressing either +/- paddles on the steering wheel.

As soon as you activate it, by either the lever or the paddles, the display changes to show the selected gear. It does not work by moving the lever forwards or backwards (as in BMW style).

 

[YdnaT1]

On my C55 (2004 vintage) the manual tiptronic is activated by moving the gear lever from left to right, when the lever is in "D". Or by pressing either +/- paddles on the steering wheel.

As soon as you activate it, by either the lever or the paddles, the display changes to show the selected gear. It does not work by moving the lever forwards or backwards (as in BMW style).

This is the same without the paddles. It should change manually by pressing left to right as you say (not forward or backward as I wrongly said earlier) but nothing happens it just stays in "D". I think its either a software issue or a microswitch issue somewhere but no idea where to start. I think he will have to take it into the Mercedes main agent and take it on the chin when he gets the invoice. I will tell him to get it checked with the Star Scan tool.

Andy