When you find that the gear selector in your Mercedes isn’t working, you may be at a loss for what to do next. While fixing your gear selector is not a difficult task, it is important to diagnose the problem properly and efficiently. Since a malfunctioning gear selector is also a problem that should be fixed right away, Hayes European offers the fastest and safest gear selector repair in Santa Cruz, Aptos, Soquel, and Capitola, California.
The Purpose of the Gear Selector
A gear selector is a metal lever in your car that is used to choose the car’s gear settings. Gear selectors are found specifically in automatic cars where the car has to select different gears itself while operating. These gears include some of the following:
- drive 1
- drive 2
- drive 3
- reverse
- neutral
- park
In manual cars, on the other hand, the driver is required to shift gears while driving in order for the car to locomote properly. If you are driving a car with an automatic transmission, your vehicle most likely has a gear selector mechanism.
Signs of a Malfunctioning Gear Selector
If your gear selector is not working as it should, there are a few different reasons that this could be happening. One includes the gear selector cable. If the cable is torn or not working, your gear selector will fail. Some of the most common signs of gear selector failure are:
- Your car won’t turn off: If you put your car in park and attempt to turn off your engine or but it simply won’t turn off, this could mean that your gear selector is malfunctioning. If your engine won’t turn off, it could signify that your gear selector has not actually notified the car that it is in park or failed to park the car altogether. If this happens, make sure to turn your wheels and pull your emergency break. Then, try the gear selector until your car finally turns off. Pay close attention that your car does not begin to roll, and take precautions when exiting the car.
- The indicator light is wrong: If you put your gear into drive but the indicator light still shows that your car is in park or reverse, it means that either your indicator is broken or your gear selector is no longer working. To figure out which is the more likely problem, slowly take your foot off the brake to check whether you are able to drive or not. This will tell you what gear your car is really in. You can also try to give your car a little gas by lightly pressing the gas pedal. If your engine revs, you will know that your car is actually in park rather than in drive. Double check to see that your indicator and gear shift are on the same selection before continuing to drive your car.
- Your car won’t go into gear at all: When you attempt to move your gear shift stick to another gear and it will not budge, that could very well indicate that your gear selector is failing. A car that won’t go into gear at all is not safe to drive and should be towed to your local auto shop right away if you cannot shift back and forth between drive, park, and reverse.
- A crunching sound when the car is shifting gears: If your vehicle is still driving properly and shifting gears in the correct time but making a loud cracking or crunching sound when shifting gears, this is an indication that your gear selector is on the verge of failure. A crunching sound is never a good sign when driving or shifting gears in your car. Don’t hesitate to make an appointment to get the sound diagnosed as soon as possible before the gear selector reaches total failure.
How Hayes European Can Help
At Hayes European, we strive to offer the highest satisfaction for all our customers from Santa Cruz, Aptos, Soquel, and Capitola, California. We guarantee shorter wait times, the friendliest service, and lower prices than our competitors. We are also proud to offer a free shuttle service and after-hours key-drop box for our customers. For all of your gear selector and Mercedes diagnostic needs, visit Hayes European today.