Thanks for writing in about the transmission problem with your 1999 Mercedes-Benz S320. Stays in limp-in mode, Chrysler vehicles. - Answered by a verified Mercedes Mechanic. Transmission clutch discs or bands are worn out or burned. 05/25/2012 6:04 PM. The ABS, ETS lights are on. It was running fine and then all of sudden its stuck in first gear. this is a fail safe mode. Or if I park it and come back later it works. Some Mercedes built over the last 10 years, have a special way of "Resetting" the gearbox. There is a special peg that needs to be inserted, then an electronic reset is made to the gearbox in some way. It will drive around just fine in 1st gear, but we can't go anywhere obviously. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. The various parts of the transmission, including gears, linkages, cables and other components aren’t designed to last forever, and after extensive use can begin to wear out. ... my 2002 c240 wont shift out of first gear, and the autostick doesnt work. Transmission wont shift out of first gear Transmission wont shift out of first gear. If I drive around the cul-de-sac for ten minutes, park, reverse, on and off, it may start to shift. Won't shift out of first gear. Was driving earlier today and was slipping and had to park on side of road and put it in park I put it back in DRIVE. It is a little cool in the garage. 2002 C240 -- stuck in first gear, will not shift up. This can contribute to gear selector failure, and gear selector failure can further wear out parts as well. The code reader showed codes for the brakelight switch, which I replaced today and there are 2 codes related to the rpm sensor: C1100 Rpm Sensor FL ... MB C240 won't shift out of first gear. I have a 2001 mercedes benz e320. It seems that the gear slips into neutral when you push it to the third. My 1999 clk 320 suddenly will not shift out of 3rd gear, its been going good for 184000 miles and all service has been done by a mercedes mechanic sounds like the transmission is in limp home mode where it won't shift out of second gear. Goes into gear but fades out of gear or is slipping while driving: Transmission fluid is low. Goes into gear but does not shift out of first gear: Blown fuse to the PCM controller; Faulty vehicle speed sensor (VSS) Shorted second gear control solenoid Wont shift out of first gear 3 Answers. Typically the issue you’re speaking about is a … Out of the blue our ML320 has decided not to shift out of 1st gear. Over time your Mercedes transmission will accrue wear. If you own a Chrysler vehicle and the transmission stays in 1 gear and will not shift, chances are the computer has put it into “limp in” mode. Faulty transmission shift solenoid. Another instance could be the automatic transmission won’t shift into 3rd gear at all. When I start my car in the garage and back out and put in drive it wont shift out of first gear. The transmission shifts into the first and then to second gear but does not move into the third gear.