2003 ML270 Gear slips when changing up 3rd to 4th

Axcontrols

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
234
Reaction score
57
Your Mercedes
53 ML 270CDI, 2017 GLA200d
ML270 CDI has 70,000 on the clock.

I've not had it long but I notice that when cruising along gently at around 40MPH and it changes up 3rd to 4th the engine revs for a moment before it engages 4th - almost as if a clutch is slipping for a moment.

If I'm driving harder - accelerating - then there's no slip at all - it just happens when cruising along gently at around 40mph

We read the faults out of the computer but there's nothing in there ? How extreme would the slippage need to be before the speed sensors/computer picked it up ?
 
OP
A

Axcontrols

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
234
Reaction score
57
Your Mercedes
53 ML 270CDI, 2017 GLA200d
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #2
Maybe somebody will know the answer if I give a little more information.

I've not had the car long and I kind of feel that it slips a lot when changing up 3rd to 4th.

Suddenly it went into emergency/limp home mode (stuck in second gear) I stopped, switched off - start up again and just carried on as normal (all gears available but still the slip in 3>4.

A friend of mine has a computer to read out the codes so we did that - foolishly I didn't write them down - There were a couple but some were probably old - Anyway, we cleared the faults out of the memory expecting any current faults to re-occur after a few days.

Thing is, although it still slips we just can't get any faults to re-appear in the computer ?

Any ideas ?
 

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
I will look it up later in the day to see if anything is listed on this
 

kebo57

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
894
Reaction score
3
Location
Lanc's
Your Mercedes
ml270
Maybe somebody will know the answer if I give a little more information.

I've not had the car long and I kind of feel that it slips a lot when changing up 3rd to 4th.

Any ideas ?

Hi the usual advice would be to check the oil level in the box our even change the gear box oil & filter. I have had limp mode and it was the speed sensors in the box £300.00 all in icl oil filter plug seal

Kevin
 
OP
A

Axcontrols

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
234
Reaction score
57
Your Mercedes
53 ML 270CDI, 2017 GLA200d
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #5
Just checked the oil level - it's over full - I suspect the previous owner also noticed the slippage and decided to chuck some more fluid in there and without a dipstick he's over filled it.
 

kebo57

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
894
Reaction score
3
Location
Lanc's
Your Mercedes
ml270
Just checked the oil level - it's over full - I suspect the previous owner also noticed the slippage and decided to chuck some more fluid in there and without a dipstick he's over filled it.
OK then so its over filled thats with the engine running in park our neutral and by how (much might) be your problem

Kevin
 

kebo57

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
894
Reaction score
3
Location
Lanc's
Your Mercedes
ml270
Just checked the oil level - it's over full - I suspect the previous owner also noticed the slippage and decided to chuck some more fluid in there and without a dipstick he's over filled it.
OK then so its over filled thats with the engine running in park our neutral and by (how much) might be your problem

Kevin
 
OP
A

Axcontrols

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
234
Reaction score
57
Your Mercedes
53 ML 270CDI, 2017 GLA200d
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #8
Up over the top of the flat bit on the stick.
 

Mark A

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2006
Messages
1,272
Reaction score
344
Location
Aberdeen
Your Mercedes
58 ML-320CDI.
Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, but is it definately a dipstick for the autobox ?? These cars only came with an engine oil dipstick - did you purchase or make an ATF one ??
 

kebo57

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
894
Reaction score
3
Location
Lanc's
Your Mercedes
ml270
Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, but is it definately a dipstick for the autobox ?? These cars only came with an engine oil dipstick - did you purchase or make an ATF one ??

Hi yes I have a dip stick which has a part no that I bought from MB

Kevin
 

Mark A

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2006
Messages
1,272
Reaction score
344
Location
Aberdeen
Your Mercedes
58 ML-320CDI.
No worries, just checking as I have seen people in the past saying that the level was OK and it was actually the engine oil level they were checking.
 

kebo57

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
894
Reaction score
3
Location
Lanc's
Your Mercedes
ml270
Up over the top of the flat bit on the stick.
Some say that the level is critical I have run with about 1/2 litre plus which would probably be about 1/2" + on the dip stick with no problems but its correct now
How extreme would the slippage need to be before the speed sensors/computer picked it up? I don’t know this but there is a fault code (drive train slipping)
there is a form of slipping in these box's, their not like other box's that I have had if you accelerate (not enough to kick down) the rev's could increase immediately about 400 rph which might feel like its slipping depending what you are comparing it to.

Kevin
 
OP
A

Axcontrols

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
234
Reaction score
57
Your Mercedes
53 ML 270CDI, 2017 GLA200d
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #13
In my case it's as if the change from 3rd to 4th is very slow.

Select 'D' - move off and accelerate gently - it goes up through the gears 1,2,3 smoothly as expected and at around 35 to 40 it comes out of 3rd - engine revs up by about 500 to 800 RPM and then a second later it engages 4th and the revs come back down again.

What does this sound like - hard to explain - If it was a manual it would sound as I've dipped the clutch without taking my foot off the gas.
 
Last edited:

television

Always remembered RIP
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
164,073
Reaction score
367
Age
89
Location
Daventry
Your Mercedes
2002 SL500, 216 CL500, all fully loaded
This is an odd fault,,,its not listed and hardly ever comes up
 

kebo57

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
894
Reaction score
3
Location
Lanc's
Your Mercedes
ml270
Hi I know what you mean now that's not normal but I don't know what the problem is
there is a link but nothing relation to 3rd to 4th gear change

Would be a good idea to change the oil & filter

Kevin

PS my ml is in dock so I will ask about this tomoz
 

kebo57

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
894
Reaction score
3
Location
Lanc's
Your Mercedes
ml270
Yes, please do - much appreciated.

Hi I spoke about you problem, it could be a few thing all were complicated though went something like this, it seems that the ecu moniters the time that it takes to change gear if it is taking to long then it could be possible to adjust thing parameters etc to get the box to change gear in the correct time, now you giong to say why isn't there a faut code for the out of peramiter gear change. he told me a lot of thing that it could be you need to speak to him I will PM his phone number to you.
He is in the prosses of starting up on his own so is number will become available to all soon.
I said that you could be at the other end of the country
so you need to edit your location in (I wish I had a pound for evertime I'd typed that

Kevin
 
OP
A

Axcontrols

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
Messages
234
Reaction score
57
Your Mercedes
53 ML 270CDI, 2017 GLA200d
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #18
Thanks kebo - let me turn the question round.

The clutch-pack in an autobox is a replaceable item - they does wear and need replacing - what are the symptoms of such wear ?
 

MB TECH WARRINGTON

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Messages
572
Reaction score
0
i have seen this problem many times on the autobox, always on the ml it seems, flaring from 3rd to 4th

The valve body would be a good place to start.

Although local autobox specialists to ourselves overhauled the transmission for this fault,,,,,

I personally would try a valve body first
 

kebo57

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
894
Reaction score
3
Location
Lanc's
Your Mercedes
ml270
Thanks kebo - let me turn the question round.

The clutch-pack in an autobox is a replaceable item - they does wear and need replacing - what are the symptoms of such wear ?

Hi I,m no expert with auto box's, clutch-pack would be a box out and total rebuild £2000.00 approx. I would phone "the man" you have is number there might be a way round a re-build.

Kevin
 


ALL MBO Club members qualify for 15% discount on second hand parts.Please see MBO Members’ Area for discount codewww.dronsfields.com
Top Bottom