x reg E320 cdi elegance auto gearbox problem

[stephen.thomas]

Hi,
I have an X reg E320 cdi elegance 4 door saloon - auto diesel - 3226cc. I have a problem with the auto gearbox.
From a cold start - it will travel approx 8 miles - then go out of gear - but still shows drive on the panel. If I stop and start the car - it will drive again - but then go out of gear after several hundred yards. The car has to be left to go completely cold before it will drive again - but the same thing happens again.
Anyone any ideas why this is happening?
Regards,
Steve

 

[Silver_Star]

First port of call would be to check the ATF level.

 

[stephen.thomas]

Hi, dan,
Thanks for your input - oil levels fine and actually replaced. What did the rest of the message mean?
............Another silver Benz!

Wise men don't need advice; fools won't take it

Steve

 

[jberks]

Hi, dan,
Thanks for your input - oil levels fine and actually replaced. What did the rest of the message mean?
............Another silver Benz!

Wise men don't need advice; fools won't take it

Steve

Thats his signature - some of us list previous cars we've experience of, others, words of wisdom.

Your gearbox issue could be a number of things - but the one constant is that it's probably not a DIY thing. I'd find a decent local indie to look it over. Put it on star and see what that shows up.

 

[stephen.thomas]

Thanks, JBerks for your reply. This car has been analysed by a star machine - but came up with too many faults!
I bought it at an auction. When I got it home - by transporter - it had the problem with the gears. I spent £600 having the gear selector module replaced - which enabled all the gears to be selected properly - but didn't stop it coming out of gear after about 8/9 or 10 miles travel - i.e. when the gearbox warmed up.
I am a pensioner and can't afford anymore excessive labour costs on this car. I could easily cut my losses and just put it back through an auction - but I would hate this - just passing the problems to someone else!
I suppose i'm looking for a miracle! I'm looking for for an merc enthuiast that is talented to work on it as a labour of love and has access to a star machine. I would sell it at a considerable loss or come to an agreement on a labour cost to fix it - however long it takes!
I just want to see it brought back to its former glory. The diesel engine has only done approx 98K - so there is plenty of life in it yet - and polished up - it looks a beaut!
You might think I am an idiot in this dog eat dog world - I should pass the problem onto some other person - someone who has worked hard for their money. Well, think what you like! I don't want to rip people off. I want someone out there to help to get this car back on the road - making other drivers look at it as it passes by - at a shining silvery knight of the road!

Steve

 

[Bogart]

Ever sort your geabox problem out?

 

[stephen.thomas]

Hi, Bogart,

No, its not sorted - the reason is that I can't afford to give it to someone who would charge over £50 an hour to find the problem - it could cost a fortune!

If someone came along and agreed a fixed amount of money to do the job and was confident of fixing it - I would go for it. But, I can't get that guarantee. This is a shame as it would be a lovely car.

Regards,

Steve

 

[Cole@MBS]

That sounds like a speed sensor going down on the electric plate, where are you in the world Steve, i would like to see this one??

 

[Xtractorfan]

Did you have the faults cancelled that were showing up. would suggest that you check the ecu for oil contamination, 'tho this will normally put the autobox into limp mode, but oil contamination will show up as a selector module fault.. worth a try..and cheap to fix

 

[stephen.thomas]

Thanks to both SAM - UNIT and xtractorfan for their replies!

regards,

Steve

 

[stephen.thomas]

Hi, Everyone,
I am not a happy person! I tried to find someone to fix the problem with this car - but there seems to be no one out there! Although I have spent over £700 trying to fix it, I failed! Apparantly, amongst you readers there is no one capable. I would of gladly come to an arrangement of say, another £500 labour plus parts extra for someone to put this silver Knight of the road back where it deserves to be - ON THE ROAD!
It would have meant - and it already has - a big loss to me - but I hate the fact that I have had to put it back through an auction for someone else to try and sort it out.
I feel terribly sad that someone has bought this car and will have problems with it.

steve

 

[Alex Crow]

sorry steve, we cannot fix it for you over the internet.

if you had been able to give us the fault codes you would have had a better response.

to suggest that "amongst you readers there is no one capable" is poor motivation.

the fact that you bought it at an auction tells us all something...

this thread has had plenty of views, and you can be sure that if anyone was certain of the cause they would have posted a reply. but then you did have replies didn't you? sam unit suggested the rpm sensors in the gearbox, xtractorfan suggested oil in the loom/ecu, but although you said thanks, you seem to have disregarded these well informed suggestions? you are asking for someone to guarantee a fixed price repair, can you be surprised there are no takers? sam unit said he would love to have a look at this one, and you have lots of (so far unspecified) fault codes, so it might be simple, but you have failed to engage further in this process, and then post the rather petuant reply above?

where are you located? if any where near me i will give you 1 hour for free, no strings attatched, because i am like that

 

[stephen.thomas]

Hi, alex,
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I did buy the car from an auction - I can't see a problem with that? It was transported from the auction to our place - but wouldn't go into the gears properly. So, I had it transported 35 miles to a local garage and had Mercedes chaps come out several times to try and diagnose the problems - but they seemed to be too many faults. I then took it to another mercedes specialist - who replaced the gear selector module - which cost £500.
I took it out for a drive and got about 8 - 10 miles before it went out of gear - another tow home from the AA! I was never given the fault list - but the specialist I took it to said that there were too many.
The car was now out of the garage and back at our place. I had spent, probably, over £800 up to now on it - with it still jumping out of gear when the gearbox warmed up.
I was trying to find out if anyone out there had had the same problem - so that I could have been confident of a repair - but people I spoke to thought it could be this or that - which would meant a long lengthy investigation - at over £50 an hour - something I could not afford.
Other problems were the airbag light came up - this was diagnosed as sensors in the passenger seat? - another costly job. Also, the kick down wouldn't work and it wouldn't rev above 4000 revs.
I did reply to Sam unit - sending him an email. He was based in southampton - we are in Manchester - unfortunately, too far away to transport the car. The same goes for your very kind offer - but you are too far away.
I got to talk to a lot of mechanics and they were all giving me the same basic reply - that it wasn't an exact science in trying to analyse what exactly the answer to this problem was - it would be very costly - something I couldn't afford. But, at least I have made an improvement in the gear selection - lets hope the next owner can find a mercedes specialist that has seen the problem before and fix it.
Thanks to all those people who gave their suggestions - they were all taken away and discussed.

Steve

 

[Alex Crow]

i just spoke to steve on the phone; let the record show that he was just a little frustrated and bewildered - a nice chap with a problem car.

i wonder how many times this one had been through the auction??

 

[rpe2]

I am guessing, but sounds a bit like the electroplate.

As I say, just a guess.

 

[brandwooddixon]

Hi, Everyone,
I am not a happy person! I tried to find someone to fix the problem with this car - but there seems to be no one out there!

Did you ever reply to SAM/UNIT's question on your location?

What's your location Steve?

Maybe we can put you in touch with someone more capable.

If you've got your STAR printout then that can help in giving people a bit more information on the cause, whether on here or when talking to a garage.

 

[Richard Moakes]

i just spoke to steve on the phone; let the record show that he was just a little frustrated and bewildered - a nice chap with a problem car.

i wonder how many times this one had been through the auction??

A sad tale, and a shame he wasn't closer to Alex or Colin, as I suspect it would have been sorted, or declared beyond economic repair without bankrupting Steve with module swapping etc.

Auctions are for the brave or those with tools, time and patience. Sadly people like Steve are rare, most people feel no guilt at 'moving on' a problem car via an auction or ebay etc.

 

[coolhans]

You might think I am an idiot in this dog eat dog world - I should pass the problem onto some other person - someone who has worked hard for their money. Well, think what you like! I don't want to rip people off. I want someone out there to help to get this car back on the road - making other drivers look at it as it passes by - at a shining silvery knight of the road!
Steve

I would just like to say it is refreshing to see someone with your attitude. I hope that you find someone who can fix it for you.

 

[stephen.thomas]

Hi, everyone,

Thanks for all your inputs. Sadly, the car has now moved on to someone else. Maybe, the new owner might join this forum and ask for help. If they do, I know that you will all offer good advice and hopefully, and finally, sort it out - and put it where it deserves to be - on the road!

Steve