Kiwi (not lost) in France, for now with W163

[Kiwi_Benz]

Hello all, I have been looking through the forum and thought I should join! I'm a Kiwi currently in France but I live in Indonesia, and while we are in France we need a vehicle to tow a horse float. So, ML270 seemed a good idea! It has a strange fault we just noticed on our first long trip - engine surges (by about 200rpm) at around 2500prm and 120kmh (70mph?). Very annoying... some posts i found on here suggest Transmission flush. Will give it back to the dealer and suggest that!

 

[umblecumbuz]

Wouldn't have expected transmission to get the engine to surge as you described.
How many miles has the car done? Do you have a service record?

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome

 

[V6Matty]

At a guess TC lock up clutch slipping, not a well known fault but not unknown. That said a gearbox fluid change is certainly a good start also have them do the transfer box at the same time as it often gets overlooked

 

[Kiwi_Benz]

Wouldn't have expected transmission to get the engine to surge as you described.
How many miles has the car done? Do you have a service record?

246000km, service record is scratchy at best, the book stops at about 120000 with no mention of change of trans fluid. Saw the (a) fix in this thread: https://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/index.php?threads/m270-cdi-110k-surging-misfire-at-70mph.65472/

 

[LostKiwi]

Hi and welcome.
Fluid change and filter is definitely a good idea but it could easily be TC lockup failing.
In Star you can disable the TC lockup for a single start for diagnosis but that's not going to help much if you don't have Star whilst this lockdown continues.

Where in France are you?

PS - I'm only lost because after 30 years living in the UK I've not figured out how to get home yet!

 

[A.J.]

Hi Kiwi_Benz and welcome to the forum

 

[Srdl]

Hi and welcome to the forum

 

[John Laidlaw]

Welcome

 

[davemercedes]

Hello and welcome

 

[Kiwi_Benz]

Hi and welcome.
Fluid change and filter is definitely a good idea but it could easily be TC lockup failing.
In Star you can disable the TC lockup for a single start for diagnosis but that's not going to help much if you don't have Star whilst this lockdown continues.

Where in France are you?

PS - I'm only lost because after 30 years living in the UK I've not figured out how to get home yet!

I may not be lost but I am confused! In the last 10 years I have lived in 6 different countries!

TC seems like a possibility for sure, I am in the south east near Narbonne but will back in Toulouse on Monday to see a mechanic so hopefully my wife can translate the problem to him and he will be ok taking advice!

 

[LostKiwi]

Spent two weeks a couple of years back near Narbonne. Really enjoyed it. Narbonne is quite pretty - especially by the Cathedral and down by the river.
We got caught in a torrential storm while eating at a restaurant by the Cathedral. Wouldn't have been so bad if we hadn't been in the courtyard under sun umbrellas! The restaurant was called Ave Domitus from memory.
Managed to finish our meal but it was interesting!

 

[Kiwi_Benz]

Spent two weeks a couple of years back near Narbonne. Really enjoyed it. Narbonne is quite pretty - especially by the Cathedral and down by the river.
We got caught in a torrential storm while eating at a restaurant by the Cathedral. Wouldn't have been so bad if we hadn't been in the courtyard under sun umbrellas! The restaurant was called Ave Domitus from memory.
Managed to finish our meal but it was interesting!

Yes it is pretty, especially at Christmas.

Well, we went to the mechanic and he is very French. As I have very limited French I was ignored whenntryinh to explain the problem. He connected his diagnostic system to the OBD and promptly cleared all the codes, by accident. I will be back in Toulouse in 2 weeks so he will have a look at it then. I miss having my own garage and my tools - all left behind in NZ a few years ago!

 

[Jim2]

Hello, and Welcome Kiwi_Benz !!!

 

[Wagen]

Hi and welcome to the forum.