Mercedes-Benz is known for its craftsmanship and luxury, but many Benz owners have faced a problem with the gear selector. If you have a manual transmission, this part is known as the gear shifter. It is usually between the two front seats of your car. For automatic transmissions, this is called a gear selector. It allows you to choose which gear you are in, from park to drive to reverse, etc.
Imagine coming out of a grocery store with a full cart of food items. You load up your Mercedes and start the engine to head home, but your gear selector car won’t move out of park. If this system stops working as designed, you most likely won’t be able to drive your Mercedes until it is properly fixed.
Unusual Noises
The first thing many drivers notice is unusual and unwanted noises. Typical noises of gear selector failure includes grinding, clicking, and clunking noises when selecting a gear. This is a common symptom when the smaller pieces of your transmission are beginning to fail.
Slipping Gears
When you are driving, especially during acceleration, you may notice that your car drops a gear. This is pretty common when it is time to have your transmission repaired and is usually due to normal wear and tear. The gears can become rounded, not allowing them to link together correctly. Although this is common as a car gets older, it is still essential to have this looked at right away before you have even more serious and more expensive issues with your Mercedes transmission.
Rough Gear Changes
When you drive a high-end luxury car like the Mercedes, you expect your gear changes to be smooth and effortless. Unfortunately, once the gear selector starts to fail, this may no longer be the case. Some of the problems you may notice include having difficulty shifting your vehicle into reverse, having a rough time completing gear changes, and changing gears but noticing an obvious delay between the time you selected a gear to when the gear change was completed.
Causes of Gear Selector Issues in a Mercedes
Let’s take a closer look at the reasons why you may have gear selector issues.
- Normal Wear and Tear: Depending on the age of your vehicle, the problem could simply be normal wear and tear. As your car gets older, parts will wear down over time. This is going to happen, even with regular maintenance and car health checks. Make sure when you get tuneups and inspections that your garage or mechanic is checking all areas of your car, especially the transmission. If you are already taking all these precautions, the issue could just be age and mileage.
- Valve Body Failure: The valve body is integral to changing gears. It facilitates the hydraulic fluid to flow correctly, which is what allows you to change gears. If it becomes damaged or broken, it will need to be fixed.
- Manufacturing Defects and Issues: Sometimes, the issue happened during the actual manufacturing process. The shifting module is a common issue during manufacturing, but drivers do not know until they start experiencing problems.
The Importance of Properly Diagnosing Gear Selector Issues in Your Mercedes
It is essential to have your Mercedes properly diagnosed and repaired. If you choose to try to fix it on your own and miss something, it could cause more issues down the road for you and your vehicle. When one part starts to go, especially if the problem is normal wear and tear, other small parts may need to be replaced. Your best option is to hire a Mercedes specialist who will save you time and money in the long run by providing excellent expert service.
Momentum Motorworks for Your Mercedes
If you are experiencing issues with your Mercedes 
and need your gear selector inspected, Momentum Motorworks will help. We have been servicing Alabaster, Homewood, Helena, Hoover, Mountain Brook, Vestavia, and Birmingham, AL. For more than 21 years.
We specialize in servicing German luxury cars such as Audi, BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz. We use the latest factory-grade tools and equipment to complete all the repairs needed on your high-end vehicle. Our skilled mechanics and technicians are ready to serve you for all your vehicle needs. Stop by today or call for an appointment.