Gearbox Power Loss

[chuff]

Hi all,

Had a search through previous threads, but no specific advice, so hence the post....

I have a 1994 E280 Estate. Auto, 94k miles on the clock.
The gearbox has always been a bit sluggish engaging either forward or reverse gears from neutral, especially when the 'box was cold.

Last week I left it with a valet parking company at the airport. It was fine when leaving it, and in the mile/mile-and-a-half they drove it, they appear to have blown the gearbox.

There is no forward drive at all. No mild 'thump' as the box engages. There is some (very little) reverse drive, with a MUCH milder 'thump' than usual.

Plenty of transmission fluid in the box, and it was serviced less than 8k miles ago.

Any easy answers to this, or am I looking at a rebuild?

Thanks in advance,

Andrew

 

[eric242340]

Hi all,

Had a search through previous threads, but no specific advice, so hence the post....

I have a 1994 E280 Estate. Auto, 94k miles on the clock.
The gearbox has always been a bit sluggish engaging either forward or reverse gears from neutral, especially when the 'box was cold.

Last week I left it with a valet parking company at the airport. It was fine when leaving it, and in the mile/mile-and-a-half they drove it, they appear to have blown the gearbox.

There is no forward drive at all. No mild 'thump' as the box engages. There is some (very little) reverse drive, with a MUCH milder 'thump' than usual.

Plenty of transmission fluid in the box, and it was serviced less than 8k miles ago.

Any easy answers to this, or am I looking at a rebuild?

Thanks in advance,

Andrew

A few things to check here. First you have to check the vacuum box to ensure the vacuum pip is connected, if its come adrift then you will have the problems you describe. This pipe runs from the manifold to the left hand side of the box. If you look at the car from the front its on the right hand side of the gbox. But you have to lift the car to check this. Lucky you recently changed the oil because it should still be red in colour. Take out the dipstick and look at the colour of the oil and smell it, is it red? does it smell burnt? is it brown? If the vacuum box is not connected there will not be enough oil pressure to get drive, but maybe enough for a small reverse. However if the oil is brown and smells burnt then the forward clutches have gone leaving only the reverse clutches intact.

 

[eric242340]

Ps, you say the oil was changed recently? What is the oil level now? An oil leak could cause severe transmission damage. Its worth a look also.

 

[television]

A few things to check here. First you have to check the vacuum box to ensure the vacuum pip is connected, if its come adrift then you will have the problems you describe. This pipe runs from the manifold to the left hand side of the box. If you look at the car from the front its on the right hand side of the gbox. But you have to lift the car to check this. Lucky you recently changed the oil because it should still be red in colour. Take out the dipstick and look at the colour of the oil and smell it, is it red? does it smell burnt? is it brown? If the vacuum box is not connected there will not be enough oil pressure to get drive, but maybe enough for a small reverse. However if the oil is brown and smells burnt then the forward clutches have gone leaving only the reverse clutches intact.

Here we go again, tell us eric, as all of the other cars manage to run around with lumpy transmission changes when the vacuum pipe is off or defective why should this one lose drive through a vacuum fault??????????????????

 

[eric242340]

Here we go again, tell us eric, as all of the other cars manage to run around with lumpy transmission changes when the vacuum pipe is off or defective why should this one lose drive through a vacuum fault??????????????????

Hi Malcolm, cranky as ever, nice to see you havent lost your touch

 

[television]

Hi Malcolm, cranky as ever, nice to see you havent lost your touch

Evasion eric is your saviour, why do you post such things.

 

[chuff]

Thanks all. Looks like I'm going to be underneath my car for a while.
Much obliged for all the help.

 

[eric242340]

Evasion eric is your saviour, why do you post such things.

Malcom, I fix em day in day out, and never a complaint. Ps. I dont fix telivisions.:wink:

 

[television]

Malcom, I fix em day in day out, and never a complaint. Ps. I dont fix telivisions.:wink:

Well spotted that I do fix TVs, cant think how you would know that, but it has been spotted before.

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=17799

 

[Hibbo]

A few things to check here. First you have to check the vacuum box to ensure the vacuum pip is connected, if its come adrift then you will have the problems you describe.

Absolutely 100% perfectly incorrect.

If the vac pipe has come adrift, the box thinks you are on full throttle all of the time and the gears really bang in.