E300TD W210 "W and S" Switch on gearbox

[Disco300]

Hi there, I wonder if someone could help me. I have recently bought a 1997 E300TD Estate and love it. However, I read in the Owners Handbook that if the switch on the automatic box is in the Winter mode the car will start off in 2nd gear and if in Summer mode it will use 1st. My vehicle appears to start off in 2nd regardless of where I put the switch. Have I got a problem or is this normal. I have to say that although the car has loads of power it is a little slow taking off.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Don

 

[996jimbo]

Just to confirm this, if you start off slowly in S mode (gear leaver in 'D') and then quickly move the gear leaver to first, is there a definite change down?

Also just to check, starting in S mode if you bang the accelerator straight down and hit the kickdown switch, is there a slight pause as it changes to first?

 

[Disco300]

Yes, if you start off slowly in S mode and drop it to first there is a definate change down.

And yes if you nail it when in S mode it does pick up first.

I also read that when in S mode reverse is remapped to a sharper mode. At the moment it feels slow and lazy in reverse which I guess is how it should feel in W mode!

Is this all how it should be ?

Regards,
Don

 

[jimmy]

Do a search, I am sure I read somewhere about a sticky switch or mechanism being a problem on these gearboxes, I think it was Dieselman who showed how to fix or check it.

 

[Dieselman]

As jimmy has indicated the s/w switch is stuck in w mode.
You should be able to feel the gear change when you flick the switch and are stationary. In addition the car has two reverse gears but you cannot get it to change more than once in any selection of reverse.

Here is the thread, I will repair the picture links so you can see them.

http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=6722&highlight=switch

Done. Sorry about the quality on some of the pics.

You're going to love your car when this is done.

 

[Disco300]

As jimmy has indicated the s/w switch is stuck in w mode.
You should be able to feel the gear change when you flick the switch and are stationary. In addition the car has two reverse gears but you cannot get it to change more than once in any selection of reverse.

Here is the thread, I will repair the picture links so you can see them.

http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=6722&highlight=switch

Done. Sorry about the quality on some of the pics.

You're going to love your car when this is done.

Dieselman you are a STAR!!! Many thanks for the info and the link, I'll print it so that I can hold onto the pictures. I'm really greatfull to both you and Jimmy, who originally mentioned that you had addressed this problem in a previous thread.

I already love the car even after having had glow plugs fitted Would you believe it, full MB history (124,000 miles on the clock) and they left a knackered and very stuck glowplug in place

Thanks again guys, this is a great forum, much better than the Land Rover one that I used to visit when I had my Disco and Range Rover.

Actually I still have a Discovery that I must sell now that I've got the Merc ... it's an N reg with LPG if anyone is interested !!!

Regards,
Don

 

[scousetechie]

Good stuff Dieselman, I need to replace the shutter that goes across the gate on the gear selector on my W202 and I was wondering how to dismantle the drive selector and your piccies have shown me how it's done. One thing I have to ask is how do you remove the gear knob it certainly is a snug fit.

 

[Dieselman]

Turn the collar on the bottom of the knob 90 degrees anticlockwise. It will be tight so grip hard.

 

[Disco300]

Did the work today Dieselman, as you said it is a little fiddly but manageable. And you were so right, what a different car it is with the S mode working!

Thanks for some great help.

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Curses. I think I have the same problem. I'm forever finding daft little faults that the previous owner didn't rectify! The W/S switch makes absolutely no difference I can find to the operation of the gearbox.

Oh well, out comes the toolbox again

 

[Parrot of Doom]

I've got the unit out, and all the bolts undone.

I'm struggling to unclip the large plastic case though, it just won't budge. Any tips? There seem too many clips to undue all at once?

/edit: heh, right on cue it just came apart

/edit: holy crap you should see the amount of dust and dirt in here

 

[Dunx]

Yup, it's definitely fiddly! I did mine on Tuesday! Well worth the trouble though. What a difference!!

My seems to have the same niggly little faults as yours! Headlamp range problems, etc!!

 

[Parrot of Doom]

I think I found the problem.

In the W position the switch pushes down on a small plastic pin/rod, which is black in colour, and rests in the main big piece of white plastic (that has the plastic lenses in for the LEDs).

The pin was so unbelieveably tight that at first I thougt perhaps it was something integral. It was stuck permanently down, which would be the W position.

I've sanded it lightly, and put a tiny dab of silicone lubricant onto its sides. It now slides up and down ok, the pin is pushed upwards by a small black lever which rests underneath the big white piece of plastic, which itself is sprung (you can just see it in the piccies on the other thread).

Gonna put it all back together now and see if it works!

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Sorted, works perfectly now. The car is much pokier in drive and reverse at low speeds now Always thought it was a bit sluggish from the line!

 

[Birdman]

I read in the Owners Handbook that if the switch on the automatic box is in the Winter mode the car will start off in 2nd gear and if in Summer mode it will use 1st. My vehicle appears to start off in 2nd regardless of where I put the switch. Don

My 1997 E320 had this 2nd gear take-off characteristic from new. I really came to believe the only difference between S and W was S hung onto the gears longer and changed down sooner. I found I could force it to select 1st from take-off using the manual over-ride, or flooring the pedal, but it became jumpy even on a light throttle in town driving so there seemed to be no advantage in pulling away in 1st unless I had a point to prove.

Maybe the switch could be relabelled T and C.

 

[GRAV888]

@Dieselman
My reversing lights have stopped working today.
I have power to the wire that goes into the selector unit.
Is the switch inside the selector unit or on the gearbox somewhere?

 

[Parrot of Doom]

You could try to reset the box's behaviour with the old key-pedal down-key-pedal up-wait 2 mins trick

 

[Parrot of Doom]

Is the switch inside the selector unit or on the gearbox somewhere?

On mine it was inside the selector unit. If you follow the link in this thread, you'll see it in the piccies, its 2 long pieces of copper on the case.

 

[GRAV888]

On mine it was inside the selector unit. If you follow the link in this thread, you'll see it in the piccies, its 2 long pieces of copper on the case.

Will give it a go in the morning.
Thanks

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Doh!! I only said last night that my C32 appears to pull away in second gear!! Anyone else encountered this on a 203??

I had assumed it was as the throttle control is too sensitive in first. Just as well I'm back at the dealer later this month...