Help with Kickdown / limp mode on w203 c320

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dasachmo

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2015
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79
Car
c320 w203
Hi guys.

Need a little help with the car!

I have a 55 plate w203 c320 cdi. The car drives fine apart but ive noticed that when the engine is cold, it sometimes struggles to find the next gear up. The car jerks a few times and only finds the gear when i ease off the accelerator.
This also happens when i try and use kickdown. If i dont ease off it goes into limp mode and i cant drive over 40mph and it sounds as if the turbo turns off? as in the car sounds low and dull.

If i drive slower- and keep the revs below 3000, it drives perfectly fine. I can put my foot down on the accelerator almost 3/4 of the way and it will be fine too... its just when i floor it and/or use kickdown.

Im thinking of giving it to mercedes to check with STAR but not sure if theres a simple soloution to it. could it be the MAF?
 
Hi Dasachmo,

Your car will have 7 speed auto, I think.

If so, it's probably the conductor plate in the gearbox.

Once the car has gone into limp home mode try stopping, switching the engine off and removing the key, then restarting. You should find that it's no longer in limp home mode, but you need to avoid full throttle kickdown.

Star should confirm the problem but the above helped me use the car(Same modeol as yours) before getting a fix.
 
Thanks Aybracers

Youre right, its the 7 speed auto and stopping, turning the car off and on again fixes the limp mode.

Dare i ask how much a fix would cost?
 
If the turbo turns off then I expect an engine issue not gearbox.

But if the gear changes are bad you may have a gearbox issue on top.

Get to an independent, not a dealer. It will save you ££.
 
If the turbo turns off then I expect an engine issue not gearbox.

But if the gear changes are bad you may have a gearbox issue on top.

Get to an independent, not a dealer. It will save you ££.

I agree. A good specialist always seems to diagnose problems better than a dealer in my previous experience and won't charge extortionate money for labour and parts
 
Thanks guys
The changes are fine normally its just when i use kickdown or high revs
I just called mercedes parts who priced it up at 340 + vat for the part! (but he called it the electrical plate for the gearbox)
Anyone know any indies around essex / ilford area in east london
 
Someone posted up a link for an electroplate supplier recently for the 5G... around the much more reasonable 80 quid mark.

Near me there is PC Mercentre and another (whose name I forget). I've not used either.
I would travel to WG in Harrow, from what I read on both forums.

I have a similar performance issue to yours.
When it's fixed, I'll tell you what I did.
 
Last edited:
Someone posted up a link for an electroplate supplier recently for the 5G... around the much more reasonable 80 quid mark.

Near me there is PC Mercentre and another (whose name I forget). I've not used either.
I would travel to WG in Harrow, from what I read on both forums.

I have a similar performance issue to yours.
When it's fixed, I'll tell you what I did.

cheers mate, helps much appriciated. It drives fine because i do quite a bit of motorway driving and as long as i dont floor it, it comfortably accelerates up to 70 - plus or minus another 30mph :D

just the kickdown and thinking of part ex it for a newer c350 but want to get it fixed first if its reasonable to

please do let me know how you did yours because harrows not too far and dont mind travelling that way if its better.

i read they need to reprogram gear ratios too afterwards?
 
It was the TPS, as gleaned from info on here.
No more EPC warning now... and proper acceleration.

For others searching: This was an EPC dash error without an engine cut out event, just hesitation and low power.
 
How did they fix it then?
I don't have any warning lights on my dash.
Did u go to wg?
 
2 completely different cars with completely different engines, this is why I hate forums sometimes, one guy thinks he has had the same problem so it must be the same part.
 

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