SMART SHIFT DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES

Problem/Symptom:

Transmission shifts to neutral while driving. (SM) on transmission display

Vehicle will not start at times.
At least five or more occurrences of ISO 108 logged in transmission TCU.

Systems Effected:

Transmission shifts to neutral while driving. Situation created by faulty shift lever or
defective OEM wiring.
Transmission logs active fault code and will not go into gear due to faulty shift lever or
defective OEM wiring.
Engine may not start at times due to faulty shift lever or defective OEM wiring.

Description: Diagnostic Information:

Possible shift lever issues attributed to hardware and wiring:
1. Defective paddle: (Reference Service Bulletin 26-23 Freightliner SmartShift
Troubleshooting) for detailed diagnostics of the shift lever.

2. Shift lever harness routing in steering column: (See pictures below) These picture
depict wiring that is pulled too tight, no strain relief on harness running from shift
lever connector, and harness not secured to prevent stress when steering column is
moved.

3. Over-size female terminals (p/n 1062-16-0622-Stamped and formed contact) in the

OEM interface connector (J7) OEM side for shift lever. Defective terminals will fail
pull test. (performing continuity test of wiring from shift lever connector to ZMTEC
will determine if issue is pin related: Nothing greater than 0.5 ohms)

Terminals P / R / S

Terminals J1 / J2 / K3

SmartShift Electrical Interface with ZF FreedomLine

Optional OEM Lever

Terminal Descriptions*

Terminals on ZF
FreedomLine OEM
Interface Connector*

Equivalent Smart
Shift Lever
Connector Pins*

Analog SH Lever 1
P
A
Analog SH Lever 2
R
B
Analog SH Lever GND
S
C
* Reference 5-65820 FreedomLine Electrical Schematic

Equivalent
ZMTEC
Connector
Terminals*
J1
J2
K3

4. Grounding issues: Cab, Chassis, transmission: (If vehicle has defective ground
circuits, installing redundant ground or repairing faulty circuits should resolve
issue. Freightliner redundant grounding procedure located on page 4. Redundant
grounding is an additional option offered when purchasing the vehicle. Some
large fleets order this option on all their vehicles.
Corrective Action:
Each item listed above needs to be checked on vehicles that have the reported symptoms. Some
vehicles may have multiple issues.

Freightliner Smart Shift Functionality using TransSoft

Start TransSoft
Click on the Lever Module tab
Verify all switch positions and movement of the lever. (Note: Once switch or lever has
been moved, allow 10 to 15 seconds for the display to update.
Verify voltages with all switch settings and movement.