S211 transmission woes

Rez

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2017 S213 e220d Premium Plus
:mad:

Three weeks ago my previous car a Saab 9-5 blew it's turbo oil seals, sucked the sump dry and wrecked the big end... Time for a replacement!

Enter stage left a vgc 2004 S211 320CDi with 138k on the clock. After 6 happy days of ownership the 5 speed transmission has failed. Driving along the transmission will without warning slip letting the revs rise. Stopping the car and attempting to drive away sees the revs restricted to under 1000 rpm. Stopping the car for more than a few minutes seems to reset the transmission enough to get going again for about 100m and then it goes again.

The car was recovered to a German car specialist who have replaced the Electroplate and ATF and some other assorted seals. Cost just over £900 and the car was "tested" and found working, so I collected it last night as they were closing up.

Less than 2.5 miles later I'm stranded on the slip road to a very busy dual carriageway with EXACTLY the same problem! :shock:

Oh and to further compound issues the warranty company are refusing to pay as they claim the electroplate is classified as electricals and therefore not covered... Bunch of shisters! :mad:

AND... I need to now hire a replacement to take the family on holiday this morning... Perfect!

The garage assures me there is no glycol present in the ATF as there's no milkiness of the ATF to indicate cross contamination.

The car is currently being recovered back to the Indy for sorting... You chaps have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Rez
 

mattuk

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c320/2001/3.2 v6
Bad luck

Ufff hard to say. You need to find new indy which can read memory codes.

Ps how did they know that electroplate needs replace? Something wrong for me as they charged you £900. It is the cost near of tranny rebuild. Very very expensive garage.
 

mej

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S124 1994 OM606, ditto OM605, ditto M111, W126, S211, W169
Due to MB's accountants 'sealed for life - no maintenance' regime for the transmission at the time your carwas built these boxes seem to fail due to the wearing out of the friction material. That policy was later changed. I believe it became a one-off at 36000 miles oil & filter change. I do mine every 36k as one did in the 'old days' of fine engineering. I bought my S211 knowing the likelihood of box problems, and used Lowes of Barnsley to rebuild mine. Transmission only specialists and they did a good job. Suggest you seek a similar transmission only shop rather than a general garage, even a MB specialist. I am sure that many garages sub contract complex transmission work to specialists anyway.
 
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R

Rez

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Thanks for the replies chaps.

Codes were read by RAC and the indy. Both indicated slipping (hence the self protect mode I guess) but also that there was a signal fault in the gearbox... hence the Electroplate being replaced...

£300 ish labour, £300 ish for the electroplate, £90 to re-seat a loose injector (Iwondered why I kept smelling diesel fumes!), ATF and assorted little bits came to just over £900 with VAT.

Garage not open till Monday (it appears), and car is in the recovery firms compound till then.

Meanwhile I need to get the family away on holiday! :rolleyes:

Cheers!

Rez
 

Pathfinder

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CLC 220 CDi Sport Diesel Year 2008
I would be seeking a new box and torque converter from a breakers yard as it would be a hell of a lot cheaper.. Dronsfields?
 

television

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They have charged way too much for that job and the electro plate would not cause loss of drive
 

rpe2

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....
 
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mej

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S124 1994 OM606, ditto OM605, ditto M111, W126, S211, W169
Trouble with a used box is it's.......used. How to know it has more than a few miles in it (or none)? The new breed are much more delicate than the old 722.3s and .4s. My transmission rebuild - see above - was under £2k, and still spot on nearly 50k miles later.
 

y13pmc

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had electro plate done on mine also did not cure the problem ,i had gear box rebuilt it was totally gone s&d transmissions doncaster told me the electro plate did not need replacing but did need a new valve seat torque was only six months old so did not need replacing
total cost of total refurb was 1200 pounds pete
 


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