S211 E500 gearbox issue

[Simonium]

I am hoping someone here can offer some help. I have an extremely temperamental S211 E500, which we love (well my wife loves and I currently tolerate). I wanted a V8 as a last hurrah before we are doomed to drive milk floats, and was advised a S211 E500 because the engine and gearbox are very durable and reliable, and because only an E class estate is big enough (well a Volvo 240 would have been better in that regard, but they're daft money).

It has been beset with issues after picking it up - most of which we have cured, and some of which we have not. It has a seemingly capacity for developing new faults - it has done exactly that today. I have set aside money for service, rectification, and maintenance both usual and extraordinary, but it's finding new ways of eating through that!

2) Gearbox issues - this is a replacement gearbox from a main dealer, not recently but not fifteen years ago, either. The car won't change gear on start up once driving, but if switched off, and then back on, will do so, most of the time after one restart, but will occasionally need two. There is sometimes also a huge clunk when going engaging Reverse and another when engaging Drive - this is when it's cold and won't do it again that day. A whine, which also goes away when the car is warmed up. No oil leak noted either from oil draining on to the ground, or when the car was in for it's waxoyling last month.

As you can imagine I have spent enough on this car now that I ain't going to concede defeat, and my wife is even more determined than I am, but believe me I have thought those thoughts!

I apologise for the dissertation, but I am hoping someone might have some suggestions that I can put to the specialist when I book it in next. Also apologies for cutting and pasting but I was told to post in specific areas rather than a single post that covers all the issues - I ain't going to type it all again.

Thanks in advance!

Simon

 

[00slk]

One of my S211's had similar problems and it tuned out to be the conductor plate in the transmission.
I fitted a new one which did the trick.
When was the transmission last Serviced?

 

[Simonium]

One of my S211's had similar problems and it tuned out to be the conductor plate in the transmission.
I fitted a new one which did the trick.
When was the transmission last Serviced?

It had an gearbox oil change in June, just after I bought it - did oil & filter, spark plugs, brake fluid, front discs and pads, four tyres, track rod ends etc etc.

It's a replacement gearbox too, from a main dealer, but not recently.

 

[00slk]

I tried a service on mine but it didn't sort the issue. Once again AMF Automotive

 

[S500 Pete]

I am hoping someone here can offer some help. I have an extremely temperamental S211 E500, which we love (well my wife loves and I currently tolerate). I wanted a V8 as a last hurrah before we are doomed to drive milk floats, and was advised a S211 E500 because the engine and gearbox are very durable and reliable, and because only an E class estate is big enough (well a Volvo 240 would have been better in that regard, but they're daft money).

It has been beset with issues after picking it up - most of which we have cured, and some of which we have not. It has a seemingly capacity for developing new faults - it has done exactly that today. I have set aside money for service, rectification, and maintenance both usual and extraordinary, but it's finding new ways of eating through that!

2) Gearbox issues - this is a replacement gearbox from a main dealer, not recently but not fifteen years ago, either. The car won't change gear on start up once driving, but if switched off, and then back on, will do so, most of the time after one restart, but will occasionally need two. There is sometimes also a huge clunk when going engaging Reverse and another when engaging Drive - this is when it's cold and won't do it again that day. A whine, which also goes away when the car is warmed up. No oil leak noted either from oil draining on to the ground, or when the car was in for it's waxoyling last month.

As you can imagine I have spent enough on this car now that I ain't going to concede defeat, and my wife is even more determined than I am, but believe me I have thought those thoughts!

I apologise for the dissertation, but I am hoping someone might have some suggestions that I can put to the specialist when I book it in next. Also apologies for cutting and pasting but I was told to post in specific areas rather than a single post that covers all the issues - I ain't going to type it all again.

Thanks in advance!

Simon

I had problems with my E500 S211 gearbox. Started as not selecting reverse easily and gradually got worse. A diagnostic with an OBD reader gave a code which was for a gearbox conductor plate part which eventually required a new conductor plate which was over a grand with the labour and because it was a security coded part had to be married to the car by a link to Germany. Only saving grace was that it was due for a gearbox oil and filter change anyway so that was in the price for the conductor plate.

 

[Simonium]

I took it to the nearest specialist today, about the suspension issue, and he checked for fault codes in the gearbox while I was there. Nothing found, but it's booked in for Monday. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for the advice too, much appreciated. I have messaged AMF as well.

 

[Wighty]

I took it to the nearest specialist today, about the suspension issue, and he checked for fault codes in the gearbox while I was there. Nothing found, but it's booked in for Monday. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for the advice too, much appreciated. I have messaged AMF as well.

You know AMF is in Kent buddy ?

 

[AnthonyUK]

I had similar issues recently which appears to have been from the Valeo faulty radiators leaking coolant into the gearbox.
I don't know if your model was affected though which may have been the reason behind the replacement gearbox?
I tried the lower cost option of a conductor plate which was slightly better for a month before it totally lost drive.
One sign is that you get a humming and or droning when pulling lightly in top at an engine RPM of between 1500 and 2500RPM.

I decided to have a complete gearbox overhaul and so far it is perfect.
Cost will be in the region of £2k but I saved a little as the conductor plate had already been replaced.
If the rest of the car is decent then I would recommend it as these M112/113 engines are bulletproof if looked after (balance shaft issues aside in the 320 V6).

 

[LostKiwi]

I had similar issues recently which appears to have been from the Valeo faulty radiators leaking coolant into the gearbox.
I don't know if your model was affected though which may have been the reason behind the replacement gearbox?
I tried the lower cost option of a conductor plate which was slightly better for a month before it totally lost drive.
One sign is that you get a humming and or droning when pulling lightly in top at an engine RPM of between 1500 and 2500RPM.

I decided to have a complete gearbox overhaul and so far it is perfect.
Cost will be in the region of £2k but I saved a little as the conductor plate had already been replaced.
If the rest of the car is decent then I would recommend it as these M112/113 engines are bulletproof if looked after (balance shaft issues aside in the 320 V6).

The M112/113 engines do not have balance shaft issues in any variant. The M272/273 engines are the ones with balance shaft issues.

 

[alexanderfoti]

Usually when it happens at startup, its due to a bad battery that causes a big voltage dip at startup. This is why restarting after a few mins sorts it out.

I would probably look at that before the conductor plate.

 

[brandwooddixon]

Usually when it happens at startup, its due to a bad battery that causes a big voltage dip at startup. This is why restarting after a few mins sorts it out.

I would probably look at that before the conductor plate.

Good advice.
So many apparently expensive issues are caused by low battery voltage on start-up preventing the complex systems on our cars from talking to each other or performing their self test routines properly.
I guess that a quick check would be to have another car attached as if you were going to jump start yours, start yours as normal, then detach them. The other car will help carry the electrical load on start-up and if all is well then just change the battery. If its over 5 years old or has been fully discharged at some point it would be suspect anyway.

 

[Simonium]

I put a new battery in the car about a month ago - put in a Varta as ECP were doing fifty percent off - even then it was £250! The specialist did suggest a battery issue, so as it is going in to have a the suspension anomaly looked at tomorrow, I will drop the car down tonight so he gets to experience the massive clunk when selecting a gear for himself. I don't mind spending money on the car because it is a five-year stop gap until the electric infrastructure has advanced.

At the moment the suspension issue is more pressing because it doesn't drive properly. The turn off and on trick I can tolerate for now because it does sort itself out, although sometimes there is a whine coming from the transmission. The gearbox was replaced a Mercedes main dealer in 2013, about 71,000 miles ago, if that information helps.

Thanks again for everyone chipping in, it is useful to know of other options.