Floppy automatic gear lever????

[austinado16]

Sometimes the Universe gives you a little nudge.  Maybe this is a little motivation to start the journey of learning how to work on your own car.

[Davek1]

I replaced my bushing a while back and one thing I would add is to remember how the tensioning spring came out. It took me more time to get the spring back in the correct way than for the hole job. It was a nice improvement though once done.

[Rahul]

+1 on the tensioning spring... Caused me massive frustration towards the end of the job.

As I have been reminded often by members of the forum, ALWAYS take photos before you start work and as you go along... Of everything! You can never have too many, and it is always much easier to take things apart than it is to put them back together!

Good luck

[Essey]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement Todd. I have already bought a fair few tools, plus trolley jack and ramps, but was a little too scared to try my own repairs... This is all really new to me and just finding the part numbers i needed for this little repair was pretty confusing... I was seeing 3 or 4 different numbers for the same part!

I got some amazing advice on this forum and thanks to a couple of them, nailed the problem and the fix... So in short, with the help of this forum i will be trying to do a bit of the maintenance and chhecking myself.

Thanks again

Sean

[Essey]

Hi Davek....Unless I am very much mistaken, all i need to do is heat up the new bushing, slide it onto the arm and then slot it back on to the part that comes through under the car. All the work is under the car and i do not need to touch any springs??!!!
 

[Essey]

Thanks Rahul... As a total newbie this kind of advice is pretty useful

[Mike Hughes]

When you obtain your new bushings, invest in a pair of special bushing pliers.  They will make installation of the new bushings quite literally a snap.  having done one already, I keep a couple of bushings and the bushing pliers in my traveling toolkit.  They'll eventually come in handy, either for my car or someone else's!

[Essey]

Great suggestion! I did not know such things existed.
Do you have a picture of what these things look like... or even a link to where to buy one?

Many thanks

Sean

[BobH]

I think you can use any type of grips, molegrips or the like to squeeze the bushes in if you soften them first, but this is the purpose made bushing tool, and a video how to use them

https://mercedessource.com/store/automatic-transmission-shift-rod-bushing-replacement-tool-kit-new-bushings-included

Probably available from other sources closer to home

[Essey]

Thanks Bob... Now i know what to look for!

[J. Huber]

Hi. The tool is definitely the way to go but... if you attempt it without the tool, it really helps to soften the bushing up in a cup of very hot water. And it only goes in one way (should make sense when you look at the bushing).

James

[Essey]

I have been searching online for teh tool in Europe and in the UK, but have yet to find one..Are they only popular in the States?

[BobH]

You can use standard pipe grips or mole grips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt8jFLFYEcs

[JamesL]

Many of us read the first post and "knew" the likely (and actual) cause and it's clearly anissue for auto cars over many years for MB

So why hasn't anyone found a better material for the bushing?!

[Lorsar]

I don't know James my bushing only lasted 40 years before it gave out.