SEQ automatic? what is this

[taffyboyo]

Hi what is a seq automatic? and ehat is the diffrence from a normal automatic?
are they a better Box?
Thanks
Terry

 

[television]

Its a clutchless manual change,,I would avoid it if this post is anything to go by

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=43058

 

[colechelle]

Couldnt agree more!!!!

 

[television]

Couldnt agree more!!!!

I wonder why and thank you cole,,I now have 2 silver blinkers

 

[colechelle]

I wonder why and thank you cole,,I now have 2 silver blinkers

Welcome young man!!!

 

[taffyboyo]

thanks television,
so its not an automatic then you still have to change gear by hand?
only i am looking at a c270 cdi tomorrow that has this type of box.
Terry

 

[psmart]

I would avoid the automatic if my experience is anything to go on!!!! Scan this forum and you will be horrified about how many automatic failures occur and the cost to repair. I own an ML270 (same engine as what your looking at), automatic box blew up at 86k (owned from new), many others seem to have similar issues.

Given the choice between a Merc automatic box (fluid transfer) and a Merc sequentronic automatic box (manual box with fully automated gear change), Id go for the Sequentronic time after time after time! You want better economy, better acceleration and better top end, the sequentronic is for you. Lower CO2 emissions, go for the sequentronic (ie lower tax VED).

I have both, drive both regularly, and the Sequentronic is my personal choice.

Not many people have sequentronic boxes, so they arent as well known as the fluid automatic boxes.

 

[psmart]

Just to add if your going out for a test drive:-

You can put the box into 'A' fully automatic, and the changes will be a little better than most people on a manual box, but you can make it smoother, especially from 1st to 2nd by blipping the accelerator. In manual mode, you choose the gear by knocking the lever up/down. There is no clutch this car, manual just means you choose the gear like tiptronic.

A key item is the brake, always press the brake before going from N to Drive or N to Reverse or Drive to Reverse. If you dont, the car will not select gear and will throw up a warning telling you to press the brake.

If you push the car hard in manual mode it will automatically change up if you hit the red-line for too long and if engine revs drop below a preset level (approx 1000rpm) it will downshift, even if you are manually changing gears.

Give it a good test and dont be afraid of pushing it and changing gears. A lot of people cant get their head around a manual gearbox being changed by computer and they criticise the smoothness of gear changes. If you drive in a manual as a passenger, you notice how non-smooth gear changes are and its wierd being the driver and feeling these changes. As mentioned, you can increase the smoothness of changes to almost undetectable by blipping the accelerator.

Decide what is most important to you:-
1. Economy, acceleration, lowest VED, cheapest to maintain/fix and you can put up changing gear yourself - go for the Manual
2. Economy, acceleration, lowest VED, need automatic changes - go for sequentronic
3. Smoothness and possibly easier to re-sell - go for automatic (fluid transfer) box.

In terms of costs between 2 & 3, difficult to say. Certainly there is more automatic gearboxes and it should equate to more people being able to work on them/understand them, thus potentially cheaper repairs, but there are a lot of other Sequentronic boxes, Smart ForTwo/ForFour etc, so there is experience out there.

 

[taffyboyo]

mmmmm .
so some say stay away!! and others say they are the best!!!
so which is it guy's??
Terry

 

[television]

mmmmm .
so some say stay away!! and others say they are the best!!!
so which is it guy's??
Terry

Well we have so few cars on here with it,,that makes it hard to answer, and we have only had this 1 car with a fault,,so its down to you

 

[psmart]

Well we have so few cars on here with it,,that makes it hard to answer, and we have only had this 1 car with a fault,,so its down to you

Best advise agreed, go out and test one, it all depends on your driving style and what you are expecting from the Merc.

 

[stumpy]

Well we have so few cars on here with it,,that makes it hard to answer, and we have only had this 1 car with a fault,,so its down to you

We have one on the Smart and just recently it has started playing up a bit. Going from first to reverse is a bit hit and miss sometimes (even with brake pressed hard) It had a new gearbox under warranty about a year ago for a similar fault, and the car has a few months left on its 3 year warranty so we are not too worried at this stage. Other experience I've had with this box is on the vans and on one occasion auto went completely and only gears 1,2,3 would engage manually. A switch on and off cured that though.

In theory this gearbox is better in that the clutch should last longer than with a human in charge, but I do think there are many other bits and bobs that can go wrong. On the SMG (BMW) version there are many software updates due to slipping clutches, as well as failing bonnet switches and other related stuff.

On the Smart the changes are fairly smooth, but on anything with some power thay can be jerky and give you and your passengers 'nodding dog' syndrome.

Best thing is to go and try it, but I prefer the full Auto or full Manual.

 

[taffyboyo]

Thanks guy's
I think i will go with what i have driven before a fully Auto box I like these so i don't think i will change, never had a MB though looking forward to getting mine.
Thanks again
Terry

 

[television]

Thanks guy's
I think i will go with what i have driven before a fully Auto box I like these so i don't think i will change, never had a MB though looking forward to getting mine.
Thanks again
Terry

What ever terry,, they are very nice cars to drive and a little bit better than anything else out there,, let us know what you get please