W210 320CDi Geabox problem

[RFdesigner]

I've had a look back through past posts and things look promising, probably just needs new ATF but I'd like to run the symptoms past you folks here as I may have got something wrong.

Symptoms:

1. Gearbox has just started going into limp mode, requires car to be stopped engine off into park, left for 30 seconds then restarted to clear.
2. When pulling to a stop at a junction gearbox can fail to select any gear at all, requires turning off engine, into park, leave for 30s to clear.
3. No warning messages of any sort are displayed.

History:

1. 105k miles since new
2. 25k miles since I bought it about this time last year.
3. I did my own last service, so no mobilo warrantee.
4. It's a 2001 model so well out of manufacturers warrantee, and I didn't buy from merc so no signature warrantee
5. The battery is only a year old and the alternator is charging it with 14 volts (measured on a calibrated multimeter) with minimal AC, so it doesn't look like an 'induced' error.

Suspicions:

1. Almost certainly needs new ATF, It was on my list for doing at the next service in about 4k miles.
2. It feels much more like an electronic bug as it has started very very suddenly, coughed once last night and has waved a white flag this morning, on Monday every thing seemed fine.
3. From the electronic side of life I'd expect a warning which I haven't had so not sure about 2.

Have I missed anything, is it worth paying the £99+vat to a dealership so they can look at it?.. I'm thinking full diagnostic download and history.

thanks in advance

Derek

 

[brandwooddixon]

It can be a number of things.

Get it code read. £100 to the dealer or someone with the appropriate equipment is a lot cheaper than a new gearbox (£2000 independeant, £4500 dealer).

It may be that it needs new oil, or topping up, but it is just as likely that due to the age of or lack of oil that more serious damage has occured internally.

Typically the bearings go on the idler shaft first. Debris from this may just block solenoid valves at first or it could disintigrate and destroy the whole box.

Believe me paying the dealers the fee to run a diagnostic is better than hoping that it'll last until a service or that an oil change now will suffice.

I've been there myself.

 

[brandwooddixon]

Oh and I forgot to mention when my gearbox disintegrated the only warning that I had was a couple of hard changes when pulling away from junctions (like someone had run into the back of the car) on the morning that it failed.

 

[rpe2]

I've had a look back through past posts and things look promising, probably just needs new ATF but I'd like to run the symptoms past you folks here as I may have got something wrong.

Symptoms:

1. Gearbox has just started going into limp mode, requires car to be stopped engine off into park, left for 30 seconds then restarted to clear.
2. When pulling to a stop at a junction gearbox can fail to select any gear at all, requires turning off engine, into park, leave for 30s to clear.
3. No warning messages of any sort are displayed.

History:

1. 105k miles since new
2. 25k miles since I bought it about this time last year.
3. I did my own last service, so no mobilo warrantee.
4. It's a 2001 model so well out of manufacturers warrantee, and I didn't buy from merc so no signature warrantee
5. The battery is only a year old and the alternator is charging it with 14 volts (measured on a calibrated multimeter) with minimal AC, so it doesn't look like an 'induced' error.

Suspicions:

1. Almost certainly needs new ATF, It was on my list for doing at the next service in about 4k miles.
2. It feels much more like an electronic bug as it has started very very suddenly, coughed once last night and has waved a white flag this morning, on Monday every thing seemed fine.
3. From the electronic side of life I'd expect a warning which I haven't had so not sure about 2.

Have I missed anything, is it worth paying the £99+vat to a dealership so they can look at it?.. I'm thinking full diagnostic download and history.

thanks in advance

Derek

Go to an independent garage. Where in Hampshire are you located?

Richard

 

[RFdesigner]

<i>Go to an independent garage. Where in Hampshire are you located?

Richard</i>

Romsey

The RAC man who picked the car up to take it to MB gave 'Burseldon Motors' a glowing recommendation, I phoned them and they seem to know what they're talking about. At the moment the car is with MB, I'll see what their diagnostics says as a first call.

They can collect from MB for £50 (they've done this before)

Derek

 

[RFdesigner]

:cry: Looks like the box has pulled itself apart.

MB want about £3k

the indie wants £1.5k and I'm assured it will be a new MB box.

Not a hard choice.

Still at say £2k all in (work so far, hire car etc.) over 100k miles it's no worse than tires.

Derek

 

[MB TECH WARRINGTON]

:cry: Looks like the box has pulled itself apart.

MB want about £3k

the indie wants £1.5k and I'm assured it will be a new MB box.

Not a hard choice.

Still at say £2k all in (work so far, hire car etc.) over 100k miles it's no worse than tires.

Derek

1500 for new genuine mb box sounds cheap to me, reconditioned boxes cost nearly that! id get the tc replaced as it may hold some debris, also get the rad thoroughly flushed out, good luck with fix

 

[Xtractorfan]

From your original post i would have susupected something like oil contamination in the gearbox ecu.. a gearbox that has torn itself apart will create some kinda noise and changes will be hard and clunky and the fact that it cleard on restart and ran ok would suggest that the box itself is ok..I would ask for a second opinion..