Wiring Pins on Kickdown Switch (S16/6) Connector?

[anderzen]

Hello All,

Sorting through the bugs on my newly acquired E420, was inspecting the Kickdown Switch and found that 2 out of 4 terminals on the connector to the switch were empty? Only two wires are actually pinned and go to the switch at points 2 & 4... meaning on 1 & 3 there is nothing. Is this the way it is supposed to be? Pictures attached:



The kickdown switch has seen better days and seems my kickdown's are only working via bowden cable from 4-3, 3-2. I will also 12v check the kickdown solenoid once I get a chance...


In other news, my NSS is going out and car only starts in N now, not in P. Replaced shifter bushings that were shot, but no luck and NSS part is NLA. I would like to bypass it altogether with an inline fuse via the purple and purple/white wires in the cabin under kick panel but not as easy to access those as earlier models it seems from poking around. I know none of you will recommend me bypassing the NSS permanently but it is the most logical solution and I am smart enough to only start the car in P or N lol... Any tips appreciated regardless.

Thx,
ANDERZÉN

 

[gsxr]

Yup, that is normal. 2 are NO contacts, the other two are NC contacts. I forget which is which. You can use the other 2 contacts as a full-throttle signal for add-on stuff like a launch light or NOS system.

What's this about the NSS being NLA? AFAIK it's still available, p/n 000-545-62-06, around $100 from your favorite RevParts discount dealership. AHAZ claims to have one, and there's some on Amazon as well (at higher price). Just buy a new one... the hours involved with either bypassing it, or repairing, aren't worth the headaches. And eventually it will cause problems with the powertrain computers (worse if you have ASR).

Update: The NSS is NLA from Mercedes, but still available as OEM aftermarket as of May 2023.

 

[anderzen]

NOS! perfect… jk.Thank you GSXR for your response, your patience with my newbness and answers to my questions are sincerely appreciated.

good to know I’m not missing wires…

will it indeed cause issues down the line if bypassing? That was also something on my mind. My car does have ASR. I am contemplating down the line to manual swap, which was another reason I figured I would just bypass it.

I called three different MB wholesalers and all said NSS was NLA… I’ll take a gander at other sources.

 

[gsxr]

Soooo.... the NSS is a multi-function switch:

1) Starter lockout / neutral safety
2) Reverse / backup lights
3) Shift lever position indicator to E-GAS (ASR) or T/LLR (non-ASR) module

Item #1 could be bypassed if you're ok with the potential safety issues. Item #2 would have to be re-wired anyway for a manual trans conversion (which, I have to warn you, MANY people have talked about but very very few actually do).

Item #3 is the potential headache as long as you retain the factory engine management, and can cause limp mode. This is primarily why I'm recommending to replace it. And if NLA from Mercedes, you might want to hang on to the old one. Someone recently cut one open to show the bits inside, it might be possible to clean the contacts, if nothing is damaged. If you search the forum you'll find the thread, I think it was in the past 6-8 months or so?

 

[anderzen]

Are the potential safety issues for bypass of #1 accidentally starting the car in gear, or other things I am overlooking? My plan was to put an inline 30amp fuse on the purple & purple/white wires which according to what I have found online are for #1, which in theory would allow the others to still function but I would have to test this...

Manual swap is a road I have been down with the C55, so I am confident I could do it... However, don't have the desire atp for my intended use of the car which is why it's only 'crossed my mind'. That could change down the road... would be more interested in 5.0 swap before that though.

I will search for that thread, that is something I figured might be worth a try as well. Thank you! There is also a 93' 400e at a local PnP near me that I may harvest a donor one from, amogn other parts. Already pulled a few things from it.

 

[gsxr]

#1 would only be starting in gear, AFAICT. Mostly a concern when anyone else might drive it. Definitely recommend the 5.0 swap which is mostly plug+play (depending on the donor engine), but the manual trans is a much bigger can of worms, partly due to all custom bellhousing and flywheel stuff.

Oh, and if there is a 400E at the local boneyard, check it out quick. There's a bunch of NLA stuff that might be worth grabbing if intact / undamaged, for example the OE fan clutch & lower fan shroud. If their prices are good on computer modules, get the EZL. BM and LH for spares, if it's an ASR car also pick up the E-GAS. Instrument cluster seems to be fairly valuable now as well.

 

[anderzen]

Yea, the components are a lot more complicated for the M119 manual swap than on the m113 which shares bell housings with everything from the era pretty much...

Thank you for the heads up on what to grab, I was there wishing I had asked ahead of time what to grab. Prices are pretty good there, EZL was gone already but cluster was there with 322k on the clock and a piece of electrical tape over the CEL haha. what is the E-GAS and where is it? Fan clutch is a good idea, I plan on going back this Saturday. Any other things you recommend grabbing let me know! I forget to check if it had metal cam oiler tubes which I need, will check this time.

 

[gsxr]

There's a long list of stuff to look for if you find the car is still mostly intact. I forgot the MAF, add that to the list. Maybe the ETA if it's a late datecode (and ASR), otherwise forget it. E-GAS is one of the four main computer modules in the CAN box, passenger side below the windshield. It's unlikely the car has ASR but you might get lucky. If it does not have ASR, you can't use the T/LLR module or ABS module, so don't buy those. Metal cam tubes would probably only be there if it's a 1992 model. You'll need all the tools to pull the valve covers if you want those.

If you want to bother with parts to re-sell, the valve body is worth looking at (5.0L owners buy these), but it's messy to remove, and a gamble if the ATF is not clean and red. Exhaust crossover pipe is NLA., worth checking if it's clean and rust-free. If the car has ASR the axle halfshafts are nice spares (difficult to remove though). Exhaust bracket at rear of the transmission is NLA. If the fan clutch is OE, you will probably need to remove the radiator to access it, and need something to hold the pulley while removing the center bolt. Rear view mirror is another good spare if it's in nice shape.

 

[anderzen]

I'll take a peak at the things you mentioned! Thx! I was also thinking about snagging the valve body, is it interchangeable with the 94' E420 trans?

 

[gsxr]

I'll take a peak at the things you mentioned! Thx! I was also thinking about snagging the valve body, is it interchangeable with the 94' E420 trans?

Yup, the valvebody from the 400E will also work on the E420. Would be a good idea to verify the trans number before taking it apart, and look for the p/n inked on the VB (if visible). In rare cases, I've found non-stock transmissions and/or VB's on junkyard cars.

 

[anderzen]

Good tip! I'll report back with what I snag and list anything I don't need that others might.

 

[anderzen]

Welp… feel like I hit the lotto today!
-Metal cam oiler tubes
-400E valve body
-Non ASR cluster (will be for sale, very good condition)