GLK250 limp mode, no torque, no rev over 3000 rpm

[thomasclaw]

Hi there,

Just bought a 2011 GLK250 like 2 weeks ago with 169,000 kms. A few days ago this issue came up in the city, I started to have minimal torque, car doesn't revving over 3000rpm, shifting became very very poor meaning that it shifts around 2800-3000 to 2200, engine sounds different. I thought it might be a transmission problem, so I did the reset and it went away and car gone normally. Then 2 days later it came again with engine lights on, so I reset the transmission and it went away engine light stayed. Then the next day engine light went away.
I went to an independent Mercedes professional for normal service, he said it can be anything, but at that time there was no engine light so he reset the throttle way (by thinking the dust stops it opening/closing properly), also changed engine oil, filter, fuel filter, air filter, except the transmission oil and the filter, then it was fine for 2 days. The issue is keeping coming back today I had it twice, it happens only in city driving, when driving on highway it's going perfectly.
I read a lot about similar issues, but it could be anything from air intake, through sensors to transmission problems. Any idea or solutions or super common problems?

 

[Larkone]

If an engine light has come on there will be a code that has triggered that - you need to find out what the code is so you can start identify the issue as it stops any expensive guesswork.

 

[thomasclaw]

If an engine light has come on there will be a code that has triggered that - you need to find out what the code is so you can start identify the issue as it stops any expensive guesswork.

The problem is it sometimes keeps there even when it's back, but sometimes goes away very quickly. As far as I know if the error code goes away it couldn't be retrieved or read historically, it can be read during the time it's lighting.
Anyway I am bringing it to the mechanic on Monday to fix it.
I know that there is no simple fix to these kind of problems, but I wonder if anyone knows some tipical scenarios when it was fixed and they had similar symptoms.

 

[mioba]

As above. Code read is a must. A good mechanic would know this. Unfortunately good mechanics are few and far between and the rest are happy to do run of the mill spannering.

 

[mioba]

It will show as a historic code

 

[mioba]

As a side when was your gearbox last serviced. I like to do mine every 35k.

 

[thomasclaw]

As a side when was your gearbox last serviced. I like to do mine every 35k.

In the service history gearbox oil and the filter were changed 9000kms ago, but it was not done in the Mercedes service, but 3rd party garage, so who knows what really happened there . I plan to do gearbox oil and filter change next week. Is it possible these symptoms can occur due to the necessity of gearbox oil change?

 

[mioba]

Make sure you get the parts from MB (sump gasket, filter and oil). You have the knowledge to measure the level ?

 

[ajlsl600]

The problem is it sometimes keeps there even when it's back, but sometimes goes away very quickly. As far as I know if the error code goes away it couldn't be retrieved or read historically, it can be read during the time it's lighting.
Anyway I am bringing it to the mechanic on Monday to fix it.
I know that there is no simple fix to these kind of problems, but I wonder if anyone knows some tipical scenarios when it was fixed and they had similar symptoms.

If you have eng man light on code will be there, if code goes by itself, ie prob goes, then code shud be historic. Get them read. Noted, deleted, see what comes back. I hav suspisuon trans speed sensor but cud well be wrong.