Lost Drive today. W211 E270cdi

lieutenant gruber

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2004/186k miles and FSH. I've had it for c8k miles without any issues.

Driving gently today the transmission shifted through a couple of gears (as normal) and then, what felt like a jerky shift, lost drive completely at about 40mph. The engine revs dropped to tickover. While coasting, I manually shifted from D to N and back again a few times but it would not reengage Drive. I pulled over, put it into R which engaged fine and then back into D, and it engaged Drive as if nothing was wrong.

Is this a common thing that I don't need to worry about or a known sign of major transmission failure to come??
 

Flyinspanner

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Check ATF level, engine running. Autobox in Park. Check fluid looks nice clear cherry red.
Smells 'sweet'.

You may need to buy a g-box dipstick, as MB don't fit them, about £7 on eBay.

If your fluid is dark/smells burnt..... then get it changed and new filter.

Hope it's that simple
 

Wighty

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image.jpeg As above , also if the ATF cap in the engine bay has a black tab in the middle rather than a red one then Your car has never had an ATF and filter change . The recommended service interval is in the region of every 40k miles .
 
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lieutenant gruber

lieutenant gruber

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Thanks guys. Ill have a look tomorrow to see if I can dip it. Fingers crossed.

How much Trans fluid does it take?
 
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lieutenant gruber

lieutenant gruber

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Hi guys. No, I wasnt going to check the level of ATF, I was hoping that a previous owner had fitted a dipstick. However, I now know the after market/£7 ebay one mentioned is a long service tool item.
I did have a quick look today and it had red tab on the cap: it broke off as soon as I touched it, honest mister!

I'll order a dip stick tonight and dip it asap. In case it is low or needs changing, what type and spec of fluid does it need?
 
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lieutenant gruber

lieutenant gruber

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It did it again today: same time into the journey (4 miles ish) and pretty much the same place on the road, as in turning down hill coasting and it just seems to miss or drop back out of drive as it trys to change up. No Drive at all and it wont click back into drive no matter how many times i try to shift it from N to D. The only way it will engage D again is when I pull over to a stand still, put it in R and then into D, and all seems okay after that. The gear change does seem a little is a little jurky from time to time though.

I havent ordered a dop stick yet. Are they all the same on ebay/will any one of them do?
 
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lieutenant gruber

lieutenant gruber

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Any one will do.
Arh! getting the picture now: all the aftermarket dip sticks are measured and marked in mm form the tip. The trick being to know what level/depth of fliud/oil is optimum for your particular engine or gear box. Would that be rigth?
 

Arudge

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Arh! getting the picture now: all the aftermarket dip sticks are measured and marked in mm form the tip. The trick being to know what level/depth of fliud/oil is optimum for your particular engine or gear box. Would that be rigth?
That's the one!! If you but a dipstick for a 722.6 then the levels should be marked on the tip. Roughly 20mm when cold and 80mm when hot.

I can't temember the full procedure from memory but the level is measured with engine running in park.

I'm your situation is expect not to any level on the dipstick at all, it does sound like your way too low on ATF and the pump is cavitating.
 

Arudge

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Officially ATF level is measured hot, that's when STAR tells you it's up to temp. A good 1/2 hour drive usually does the trick if you don't have access to STAR.

In saying that, I've always set mine cold at 20mm off the bottom of the dipstick and never had a problem
 
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lieutenant gruber

lieutenant gruber

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UPDATE. STOP PRESS.
I rang Glynn Dunford, a local MB trained Indie man in Ulverston this morning because I have a 600 mile drive over the next 2 days and I felt uneasy about driving without knowing the fluid level in the auto box. He warned me that he wouldn't have time to take a proper look today but would check the ATF level for me, so I popped it down to him.
Glynn is 22 miles away so the car would be well up to temperature by the time I arrived. On the way there it dropped out of drive at exactly the same place as before: that is 3 times now.
Anyway, long story short, Glynn tested the ATF level and the ATF fluid barely left a mark on the bottom of the dip stick. 1lt of fluid later and I was back on the road.

So it looks like the problem was low AFT after all. Fingers crossed. Thanks again Gylnn. Top man. It's also booked in for a fluid and filter change and new seals when I get back after my journey.
 

om613

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Low level could be caused by a leaking pilot bush. He can check that for you.
 
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lieutenant gruber

lieutenant gruber

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Low level could be caused by a leaking pilot bush. He can check that for you.
I think that is the bush/seal he mentioned as the likely cause of the low fluid. He is planning to change it when he does the fluid and filter change. He seems to know what he is doing. :)
 

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