🚨 2004 Mercedes-Benz S320 CDI W220: Emergency Neutral
The W220 S-Class uses a traditional floor-mounted console shifter with electronic shift interlock controlled by the brake light switch.
✓ 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 the parking brake is firmly applied.
- Turn the ignition key to position 1 (accessories) if battery power is available.
- Locate the shift lock override cover on the left side of the shifter base—it's a small rectangular cap approximately 15mm x 10mm.
- Use a small flat-blade screwdriver or similar tool to carefully pry off the override cover.
- Insert the screwdriver or ignition key into the override slot and press down firmly while simultaneously pulling the shifter toward you out of Park.
- Move the shifter to Neutral.
- If needed for towing, you may leave the shifter in Neutral with ignition off, but the steering wheel will lock unless you can maintain accessory power.
Shift-lock override location
Small rectangular override slot on the left side of the shifter base, covered by a removable plastic cap.
With zero electrical power
With completely dead battery, you cannot turn the ignition key to position 1 and the steering wheel will remain locked. You can still access the shift lock override slot—press down in the slot while moving the shifter to Neutral. The vehicle can then be rolled, but steering will be locked. For flatbed loading, this is acceptable; for towing on wheels, jump-start the battery first to unlock steering, or manually unlock the steering column per emergency procedures (requires removing lower column covers and accessing the lock cylinder mechanism—consult factory service manual for this advanced procedure).