2003 W168 A210 auto - Sudden loss of drive

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CharleyNokia

Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Messages
45
Car
Mercedes A210
Hey guys, been a while since I was last here. The previous post was about the gears holding in 2nd up to 3rd for a couple of seconds before changing up. That problem sorted itself out a few days after I posted. I now have a new problem.


This morning, I was in a rush to get out to meet someone for lunch, so wen to the car, started up, fiddled around a bit with TomTom, adjust mirrors and seat, usually missus drives the Merc, and then put the car into D, and set of slowly as usual. The car is parked in a dual storey car park with coded entry/exit. I park on the 2nd floor. I usually just stick it in D and let it crawl to the half circle down ramp, and slow myself with the brake on it's descent, then turn right to the ground floor and carry on crawling on it's own, not a single press of the accelerator since start up.

About 30ft ahead, along a flat surface, CLUNG, and the car rolls slowly to a halt. NO F or any other lights in the speedo cluster. I put into N, then D, and nothing. R, nothing. P, R, nothing. P, D, nothing. Switch off, restart, D, nothing. Engine, idles normal. I give it a little rev to 1k rpm, no drive.

I have to stick in N, switch off, and push the car into an empty area and call the RAC out.

When the guy gets here. I tell him what happened, and he got in, fired up, R, cos was about 1 ft from the wall in front, and gave it some revs, rev, rev, rev, upto maybe 2k rpm, and the car lurched backwards and he slammed on the brake to stop. Did some gentle revving to back the car out so he could hitch up the tow hitch. He said the gearbox wasn't building up enough pressure at low revs to engage gear. He said it probably needed a gearbox oil change.

He asked if I owned the car long, which I haven't and said the car probably hasn't ever had a gearbox oil change in it's life then.

Is he right about the oil change fixing it? I had the car towed to a Bosch service centre I have just started to use and will call them tomorrow.

Ideas?
 
Right, the garage the A210 was taken to has just called back and said they plugged in their diagnostic machine and came up with gearbox control fault. However, they did say there are NO lights,i.e. F on the dash. They use an auto box specialist in Perivale who they are trying to get hold of and will call back later when they do.
 
I expect the gearbox will have to come out and stripped to find the cause. Sometimes it can just be a valve body issue and that does not need the gearbox to be removed. They are not the most reliable units at all.
 
Right, the garage just gave me an update. They say the little pcb control board where the gear level is is at fault. They have been busy today with other cars, but that is what their computer's are coming up with, but will dig deeper to make more sure tomorrow.

Well, if it IS that control board, at least it'll be cheaper to buy a new one from Merc than trying to fix the gearbox, I hope.

Right, I just gave the Forrera place a bell, and he said if the little board at the bottom of the gear lever was faulty, it would light up the F on the speedo, which it does not though, so he reckons it is NOT that board, but really would need to see the car and plug in HIS diagnostic system to check what the problem was.
 
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Car was taken to Forerra's on Tuesday. Said will look on Wednesday. Got call ftom Des at lunchtime. Bad news. Electronic control unit for gearshift was faulty. 200 quid. 1st gear in gearbox was goosed. 1 grand. Gearbox gear part was 1 month wait to arrive.

Choice of fix, scrap or px against his own car, a 2002 W168 A170 cdi auto. He said autobox on cdi have a diff whereas petrol gearbox doesn't so not prone to breaking 1st gear. Offered me 500 for mine as is against his plus 1300. My mileage is just over 82k. His is 78ish k.

Go for px or get a non A class car for 1300?

The car is for wife to drive to work and boot is big enough to fit pushchair is plus space. Nothing else small carwise can do that. Will have to go up size to Golf/Focus/asyra size but then car too big for wife. She's only 4'10!!
 

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