W203 Automatic - Stays in first gear

[cis5a1]

Over the past few months on about 4 occassions after starting the car from cold the automatic gearbox stays in first gear - will not change up?

However, when I stop and restart the car, it runs OK and changes gear OK.

1) Is this a common problem.

2) Any thoughts on the reason this could be - faulty electric relay, whatever.

Any tips most welcome.

 

[colechelle]

check your battery voltage, i see the same with the 210s this time of year, start car, put a undervoltage suppy fault in the gearbox ecu, drive up the road, ups the voltage in the battery, cures fault, poss need a new battery!!!

 

[Bolide]

Some Mercedes will hold first up to about 3200 rpm when started from cold. It helps warm up the cat. Next time it happens, try revving it above 3500 rpm to see if it shifts then

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[television]

You can buy a cheap volt meter for £5 If the voltage is below 12.0v before you start then as Colechelle a starting blip and battery getting bad


And as Bolide they do hold on to the first 2 gears to warm up the CAT when its cold

 

[BlackC55]

You may have a problem with one of the speed sensors in the box. Need the fault codes read first.

 

[cis5a1]

Automatic Now stuck in low gear

C Class W203 CDI Saloon Automatic 2002 42000 miles. Thank you everyone for replies thus far. I was all set up to buy a new battery.
As at Tuesday 25th November 2008 the problem is no longer intermittent. As I had to drive home about 17 miles in a low gear. Stopping and restarting did not clear the malfunction.
Switched on the Speed Limiter switch and the instrument display reads
"SPEEDTRONIC/CR, CTRL VISIT WORKSHOP! "

Any tips before I go?

Kind regards,

Martin

 

[Ellsy Tanners]

It sounds like a low oil level or a speed sensor fault. Take off the undertrays and inspect for oil leaks, if none present then a diagnostic check is require to read the fault codes.

There is a good chance the electrical connection is leaking oil.

 

[cis5a1]

check your battery voltage, i see the same with the 210s this time of year, start car, put a undervoltage suppy fault in the gearbox ecu, drive up the road, ups the voltage in the battery, cures fault, poss need a new battery!!!

Thank you - you are 100% correct. I will add the story later but the bottom line I believe the battery was never topped up with distilled water?

Martin

 

[colechelle]

Looking forward to the story!!! end of the day we all like to see a result!!!

 

[cis5a1]

Speedtronic, Cruise Control, Low Autogearbox, Battery

Mercedes and the Battery (Water Level) – Speedtronic, Cruise Control, Stuck in Low Gear, etc.
The car a 2002 W203 C Class 220CDI Saloon Automatic Gearbox. During the winter of 2007/2008 on about 4 or 5 occasions I would drive off in the car only to find the cars automatic gearbox would not change up. However, on stopping and turn off the ignition and restarting the car functions as normal. I mentioned this to a Mercedes mechanic before I had my last service (3rd) – said see how it goes!

Moving on to October 2008, the car was left for about 10days in a car park, on my return – yes, you guessed, the auto box would not change up until I stopped and restarted. Then it was OK.

In search of a solution I posted a “New Thread” on the mercedesclub.org.uk Forums and had a very quick response (thank you) most suggesting “Get a New Battery”. So I decided I would get one the next time I have a day off work 26th Nov – after all the car works OK if I stop and restart.

During a two week period I had to stop and restart the car about 6 to 8 times all was well. However, on the 25th November 2008 the trick of stopping and restarting did not do the trick, so I had to drive home about 15 /17 miles in a low gear at about 25+ mph. The same evening I had a look at the battery, which is hidden under air filter housing, after unclipping the housing I could see the battery was the top-up type with 6 screw-in plastic plugs. I removed all 6 plugs, looked into each cell, but could NOT see any water/acid?
I then decided to top up each cell (filtered rain water) to a level of about 1/8” over the plates (I use to do in a former life as an Electrical Technician). What was surprising is I used about 750ml (may be 1litre) of water to get the level just over the battery electro plates. THIS WOULD EXPLAIN THE BATTERY PROBLEMS.

The following day the car was connected to a portable MB Star Diagnostic computer system. The Diagnostic computer screen had most of the cars electrical system marked with a CROSS (X) i.e. shut down/ not working. The MB Technician ran the program about 3 times and managed to clear all the errors – now each electrical system now showing a TICK, and HEY PRESTO the car was now in back to normal, no faults on the display and the Speed Limiter working without any errors and changing gears correctly.

The MB technician said the battery was OK and did not need changing (perhaps because it now had water in it), but I still went and purchased a new battery – sealed type with a 3year warranty (from Beds Battery)

My conclusion: Albeit the car has been serviced 3 times (now 42000 miles) by a MB main dealer, or approved MB agent. I believe as the battery top surface is not visible a normal MB technician may assume the battery is of the sealed type and does not require any water adding to the cells. The car was just 5 years old when the problem started and may have never had any water adding in 5years??
As regards the MB in-car computer system, it seems there is a limit to the number of MALFUNCTIONS it records (every time a the car has a MALFUNCTION – i.e. faulty bulb etc, or perhaps a lots of MALFUNCTIONS being caused by a voltage spike dips whilst starting) at a certain number the onboard computer system shutdown the car into Limp Home Mode – a low automatic gear.


Hope this helps others - PLEASE CHECK YOUR BATTERY HAS BEEN TOPPED YOURSELF (if not the sealed type).

 

[colechelle]

Nice write up, and good result!!!

 

[cis5a1]

You can buy a cheap volt meter for £5 If the voltage is below 12.0v before you start then as Colechelle a starting blip and battery getting bad


And as Bolide they do hold on to the first 2 gears to warm up the CAT when its cold

Malcolm,

You got this one spot on - my car battery was dying of thirst as no distilled water was added by myself or anyone else from the state it was in.
The 100AH Battery Mercedes Made in South Africa was acting perhaps as a 30AH battery? The voltage as read by a digital meter was 12.32V before adding water.

Many thanks

Martin

 

[cis5a1]

Mercedes and the Battery (Water Level) – Speedtronic, Cruise Control, Stuck in Low Gear, etc.
The car a 2002 W203 C Class 220CDI Saloon Automatic Gearbox. During the winter of 2007/2008 on about 4 or 5 occasions I would drive off in the car only to find the cars automatic gearbox would not change up. However, on stopping and turn off the ignition and restarting the car functions as normal. I mentioned this to a Mercedes mechanic before I had my last service (3rd) – said see how it goes!

Moving on to October 2008, the car was left for about 10days in a car park, on my return – yes, you guessed, the auto box would not change up until I stopped and restarted. Then it was OK.

In search of a solution I posted a “New Thread” on the mercedesclub.org.uk Forums and had a very quick response (thank you) most suggesting “Get a New Battery”. So I decided I would get one the next time I have a day off work 26th Nov – after all the car works OK if I stop and restart.

During a two week period I had to stop and restart the car about 6 to 8 times all was well. However, on the 25th November 2008 the trick of stopping and restarting did not do the trick, so I had to drive home about 15 /17 miles in a low gear at about 25+ mph. The same evening I had a look at the battery, which is hidden under air filter housing, after unclipping the housing I could see the battery was the top-up type with 6 screw-in plastic plugs. I removed all 6 plugs, looked into each cell, but could NOT see any water/acid?
I then decided to top up each cell (filtered rain water) to a level of about 1/8” over the plates (I use to do in a former life as an Electrical Technician). What was surprising is I used about 750ml (may be 1litre) of water to get the level just over the battery electro plates. THIS WOULD EXPLAIN THE BATTERY PROBLEMS.

The following day the car was connected to a portable MB Star Diagnostic computer system. The Diagnostic computer screen had most of the cars electrical system marked with a CROSS (X) i.e. shut down/ not working. The MB Technician ran the program about 3 times and managed to clear all the errors – now each electrical system now showing a TICK, and HEY PRESTO the car was now in back to normal, no faults on the display and the Speed Limiter working without any errors and changing gears correctly.

The MB technician said the battery was OK and did not need changing (perhaps because it now had water in it), but I still went and purchased a new battery – sealed type with a 3year warranty [ I have another story regarding Battery - later].

My conclusion: Albeit the car has been serviced 3 times (now 42000 miles) by a MB main dealer, or approved MB agent. I believe as the battery top surface is not visible a normal MB technician may assume the battery is of the sealed type and does not require any water adding to the cells. The car was just 5 years old when the problem started and may have never had any water adding in 5years??
As regards the MB in-car computer system, it seems there is a limit to the number of MALFUNCTIONS it records (every time a the car has a MALFUNCTION – i.e. faulty bulb etc, or perhaps a lots of MALFUNCTIONS being caused by a voltage spike dips whilst starting) at a certain number the onboard computer system shutdown the car into Limp Home Mode – a low automatic gear.


Hope this helps others - PLEASE CHECK YOUR BATTERY HAS BEEN TOPPED YOURSELF (if not the sealed type).

[Other W203 stories to follow]

 

[Cole@MBS]

Malcolm,

You got this one spot on - my car battery was dying of thirst as no distilled water was added by myself or anyone else from the state it was in.
The 100AH Battery Mercedes Made in South Africa was acting perhaps as a 30AH battery? The voltage as read by a digital meter was 12.32V before adding water.

Many thanks

Martin

Them batterys where under a po32 service recall some years ago, chassis number WDC203???2R
Had a habit of blowing the tops of!!

 

[GeeJayTee]

Hi all, I know this doesnt rectify the problem but I'm getting my C220 executive se auto sticking in 1st or 4th.
What I've found is if I knock gear stick out of drive into neutral and back to drive it works, enough to get home without having to stop anyway.
will have to check battery tomorrow as I only got the car 2 weeks since