1995 Mercedes E320

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I have a 1995 Mercedes E 320…it won’t turn over although there seems to be plenty of battery…no click or cranking taking place…do you think this is possibly the starter…? Also…the transmission started only going in drive about one month ago…but no reverse…why no reverse? How to fix and cost? I this worth fixing on a 12 year old car?



Any help is appreciated.



Thks



Dan

2

i would say, without being there… and from scant info

the neutral safety switch sounds like it is going.

the car wont start. or crank. and only going into drive.

how do you KNOW the battery is good? tested it? how?

just because the lights come on, isnt an indicator of voltage.

3

i’m guessing a bad shift cable

4

after mulling over the possibilities:

i think the shift linkage IS the common problem.

the transmission was having trouble getting into R. then it wouldn’t go into D.

now it wont start. sounds like it is still in gear.

the neutral safety switch isn’t seeing either neutral or park, so it wont let the starter crank.

how do you test this?
can you push the car?
will a car move when the engine is off, and the tranmission has been left in 1,2,D or R?
if the car moves, then the tranmission is not in P; but will it move if it is in D?

this sounds funny but i have never tried these things!

5

I agree, check the bushings on the shift linkage (it’s not a cable). That could explain both the starting and shifting issues if the shifter is not correctly aligned.

6

According to a “Marty” out in Internet Land, the reason the car will not start is because its neutral saftey switch is bad. It will likely start if you start your Mercedes in neutral. It worked for me. So, at least you can start your car and drive it to the mechanic rather than towing it there.

7

Is that really “timely” advice for somebody who posted his query 10 years ago?
More than likely, his Benz went to the junkyard at least a few years ago.

1 Like
8

hmm … let’s see, the OP was 10 years ago, and it was about a 12 year old car at the time … hmmm … so it’s 22 years old now? It’s still newer than either of my vehicles … lol …