200 CLK Auto - Transmission problem

[marlboro_lites]

Hello to all, newbie here! My Mum has a 98 'R' 200 CLK which she adores. It has developed a fault though which is spoiling her driving experience as she describes it. She is even thinking of part exchanging it for a Suzuki Swift for crissakes!! I must not allow this to happen, hence my appearance here.........

At pulling off speed/low speed generally, there is a clonk from what appears to be the nearside rear wheel that accompanies the gear change. This also occurs on decceleration, giving the impression that the car is having a slight push up the backside. It doesn't do it all the time, I would say 85% of driving is perfectly normal.

The car has just come back from a Merc specialist in Bridgend (S Wales). The transmission oil was found to be low, it was duly replenished and also an electrical plug (?) so we thought all would be fine and dandy. Unfortunately not, the low speed clonkiness is still present.

Now I am torn between it being an auto box related problem or maybe, as it is clearly audible at nearside rear wheel, whether it is driveshat related (worn CV joint maybe?). I am more inclined to the autobox theory though as a consequence of the apparent inter-relationship between the clonk and the change of gear.

Any advice gratefully appreciated. Thanks very much.

 

[BlackC55]

I suspect the fault is gearbox related not suspension or cv joint. The fault codes need to be read if any are present.

I would say the most likely cause is a faulty valve body.

 

[marlboro_lites]

Thanks very much, I did a search before posting yesterday and read a few reports re faulty valve bodies. What is the solution to this? It looks potentially expensive. Is it more cost effective to get a fully recon auto box? Or can valve body be replaced?

 

[television]

Why not jack the off side of the car, leave it in park and parking brake off.
then rotate the wheel both ways quite hard to see if you can make it clonk, if you can then the box is fine and you have a prop shaft or axle fault, if it does clonk on the test look where the noise is coming from

 

[Will]

What about worn flex discs (on the propshaft couplings)? I know you think it's coming from the N/S/R only, but it's worth ruling out.

Is it worth getting the fluid level double checked?

Will