Auto box queries

[Obi]

i have just bought a 2002 E320CDi estate and i have a couple of questions the gearbox is quite a bit different to the 2005 c200k i had before in that it doesn't seem to have a lock up clutch when you take your foot off the throttle the revs seem to drop sometimes to tickover depending which gear you are in and how fast you are going then when you accelerate it revs back up to where it was before decelerating (i think that makes sense) the c200 used to hold the revs in each gear wether accelerating or decelerating i was
wondering if this was normal with it being an older car. the other question is the suspension is very noisy over uneven surfaces are there any known issues with bushes or mountings it may have sports suspension as it sits quite low, thanks

 

[television]

These should all be the same 722.6 boxes, several things can make them appear to have different characteristics.

There is no real lock up on these boxes, just momentary when in a lower gear or top.

It is normal for the revs to drop with your foot off at any speed unless locked into a lower gear . The older 722.3,4,5 boxes kept the engine rpm at the road speed.

Roll bar bushes can cause the rattles and clonks,cheap and easy to do

 

[teabag]

Hi Obi,

The gearbox characteristics you mention seem to be common to most big engined autos nowadays, I think they are designed this way as a fuel saving device (it stops you reving the nuts off the engine unnecessarily and the engine will pick up again with plenty of torque from low revs).
If you need engine braking, when descending a hill for example, you are meant to use the "Tiptronic" feature to knock the box down a gear or two.

I've recently changed all of the original shock absorbers on my 135,000 miles E320CDi Avantgarde saloon to KYB GasAdjustable at a cost of £320 for a full set from http://www.raceinspired.com; these were fitted by my local indie for £100. They have made a massive difference to the ride quality and handling of the car although there are still one or two knocks on very ubeven ground which I think may be coming from the front lower balljoints.
If your car is an Avantgarde it will probably have the suspension lowered by aproximately 20mm, so if the shocks are worn it will bottom out without much encouragement; new shocks will raise the ride height by about 15-20mm.

Hope this helps

 

[brandwooddixon]

Roll bar bushes can cause the rattles and clonks,cheap and easy to do

Another pointer for front end noises - lower wishbone ball joint. These are under tension and can be difficult to detect with visual inspection alone (MB use a C shaped tool to measure the length to detect failure). E class seem to be heavy abusers of these ball joints especialy if lots of town driving/manouvering is performed.

 

[Obi]

thanks for the information and advice its much appreciated as i don't know a massive amount about these cars. it has a few niggles such as the interior light doesn't come on when the tailgate is open i can't see a switch, also the rear wiper doesn't work but the washer does, could they be connected? the headlamp washers don't work either i presume they will be seized, i would like to have a go at fixing these myself i used to be a bit of a diy mechanic in the olden days when you only needed a test light and crimp on connectors to fix electrical problems. If anybody has any pointers i would be eternally grateful
cheers andrew

 

[television]

OBi Start a separate thread please on your fault list, its easy to find that way