Installing flasher - Shifter locked in Park

[Fredvon4]

long shot but you might suspect coincidence here... double check ALL the brown wires going to ground.... and BOTH terminals of the Battery..... and the fuses at the Battery for the SAM unit...

Something is loose or tripped... too many owners are finding LOOSE grounds and Weak batteries

[Kidbyte]

David, yes, I did read that thread and it did sound like a possibility. However, to get to it requires you to remove some of the lower pan, so I think I am going to let Dallas Smartcenter deal with it all. I called Allison and she claims she has only had TWO with this type of problem. I seem to remember reading a few more than that, but I will take her at her word. I am awaiting a return call, as she is talking to her sevice guys about it.

Thanks!

Kidbyte

Update
Allison says her service guys are familiar with it (2 others before me) and it could involve 1 of about 4 items. Says to call Smartusa and have it towed in.

Kidbyte

Originally Posted by getsmartusa

There is another thread where the deealer found a faulty brake switch to cause the exact symptoms you describe. It seems the car is designed not to be able to be shifted out of park unless your foot is on the brake and there is a switch that senses that. Maybe you inadvertantly disconnected/interupted the +12v supply to that switch.

- David -

[Kidbyte]

I did my best to retrace all the wiring, grounds, power, etc. I took the pulser out totally and put it back as it was. No go. I was able to utilize the little yellow lever to get it out of the garage! Waiting now online with 1-800-smartusa to have it towed in to Dallas Smartcenter, per Miss Allison Powers.

Kidbyte

Originally Posted by jwight

Very strange; I installed the webelectrics brake light pulser using Dave777's instructions and it works like a charm - no brake problems at all. I know this is obvious but I'd recheck each step in the process and ensure power is flowing as it should be.

PS - at least if your car goes to the dealer you can ask about a spare Radio 10!

[Billc]

I did the same thing and had the same results. Had to be towed to the dealer. First they said it was the shifter then it was the brake switch. They fixed under warranty but took a week to get the part.

It happed when I cut the wire to the third light but no power was there when I cut it and nothing I did would of caused the problem. I did not have the switch on nor did I have someone press the brakes. Still something did it.

When I got the car back I did the very same thing and had no problem installing the pulse switch. It work great.

I thing something was wrong when I parked the car because my wife and I noticed a funny noise when we backed the car in that night.

[jwight]

Bill, what part did they replace?

[SmartCard]

I'm glad I resist the urge to tinker with a brand new car!

[Kidbyte]

Wow! Bill, that is exactly what happened to me. I was wondering if I should even TRY to reinstall the flasher. I actually have two, so I may try to install the SECOND one. I have some suspicions that something could be wrong with that first one that could have contributed to this fiasco. Who knows? This is turning into a horror story. I am so glad I haven't sold my old C280 yet so I had a ride to work this morning! ;)

Kidbyte

Originally Posted by Billc

I did the same thing and had the same results. Had to be towed to the dealer. First they said it was the shifter then it was the brake switch. They fixed under warranty but took a week to get the part.

It happed when I cut the wire to the third light but no power was there when I cut it and nothing I did would of caused the problem. I did not have the switch on nor did I have someone press the brakes. Still something did it.

When I got the car back I did the very same thing and had no problem installing the pulse switch. It work great.

I thing something was wrong when I parked the car because my wife and I noticed a funny noise when we backed the car in that night.

[Kidbyte]

I am a born tickerer! (sp?) So it's in my blood. However, sometimes it's just better to say "NO!".

Kidbyte

Originally Posted by SmartCard

I'm glad I resist the urge to tinker with a brand new car!

[Kidbyte]

I am seeing what Evilution is talking about now. After going through the manual a few times it starts to become obvious that information is very scarce in several areas. Thank gawd we have so many curious and helpful people who participate here! ;)

Kidbyte

Originally Posted by jwight

As pointed out by Evilution numerous times, our operators manual is "dumbed down" compared to the UK version - incomplete list of fuses, no oil range table, etc. Sad but true.

[Kidbyte]

Fred,
I can see how these items could cause this type of problem. I would dearly LOVE to have a technical wiring diagram of this car! The things I could do.......

Kidbyte

Originally Posted by Fredvon4

long shot but you might suspect coincidence here... double check ALL the brown wires going to ground.... and BOTH terminals of the Battery..... and the fuses at the Battery for the SAM unit...

Something is loose or tripped... too many owners are finding LOOSE grounds and Weak batteries