🚨 2020 Mercedes-Benz A220 W177: Emergency Neutral
The 2020 A220 (W177) uses an electronic center console-mounted shift lever with shift-by-wire technology and electric park brake.
✓ Expert-verified by Chris Hackleman & Jeff Moore — master technicians, 20+ years each.
⚠️ Chock the wheels first — neutral means the car can roll. Set the parking brake while you work, never stand downhill of the vehicle, and try a 12-volt jump before any override: power fixes most stuck-in-park problems instantly.
The procedure
- Ensure the vehicle is on level ground and wheel chocks are in place
- If battery has any charge, turn ignition on by pressing START/STOP button without pressing brake pedal (accessory mode)
- Press and hold the brake pedal firmly
- Press the shift lever button and move lever to Neutral position
- If shifter is completely unresponsive due to dead battery, proceed to manual override procedure
- Release electric parking brake if possible (requires some battery power), or manually release if necessary
Shift-lock override location
The shift lock override is accessed via a small rectangular cover/cap in the center console, typically located directly adjacent to the shifter base on the right side. Pry off the cap with a small flathead screwdriver or trim tool to reveal the override slot. Insert a key or small screwdriver into the slot and press down while moving the shifter to Neutral.
With zero electrical power
With a completely dead battery, the electronic shifter may be locked. Access the shift lock override slot near the shifter base (remove the small cover cap). You will need to jump-start the vehicle or connect a battery maintainer to at least partially power the system to release the electric parking brake and enable transmission electronics. Without any power, the vehicle cannot safely be moved as the electric parking brake remains engaged and transmission may not mechanically release into Neutral.