7G-tronic problem - Help

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todorpavlov_

New Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2011
Messages
2
Car
E 280 CDI
Hi

Help, I recently bought Mercedes E class 280 CDI, 2006, 160 000 km on the clock. I love the car, but I'm having problems with the 7G - tronic gearbox

Here is the problem :mad:

Changing gears up - Upshift

Sometimes the car has uncomfortable up-shifting (jerk, push) when the car changes from 1st to 2nd; 2nd to 3rd; and 3rd to 4th. This does not happen always but approximately in 50% of the gear changes. Changing gears forward from 4th to 5th; 5th to 6th; 6th to 7th is very smooth. The engine running temperature does not influence the gears change.

Changing gears down - Downshift

When changing gears from 2nd to1st (e.g the car is going to a complete stop), with the engine and the gear box not warn enough (e.g. morning cold start) it jerks, pushes a little bit stronger. After engine reaches the nominal working temperature of 90 C there isn’t any more uncomfortable downshifting 2nd to 1st gear changes, however the uncomfortable up-shifting (jerk, push) is there.

I have been trying to solve that for more than a month without any luck. A couple of times I went to Mercedes Benz Dealer and they did the following, but still no improvement:

  • Changed the gearbox oil and the filter.
  • Updated the latest version of the software of the gear box.
  • Erased the adaptations of the gearbox
  • Cleared the gearbox adaptations and let the gearbox to build its own adaptation values;
  • Tried to readapt gearbox by using Mercedes Star Diagnosis;
Would you please advice what should be done next and what could be causing that uncomfortable shift?


Thanks you in advance for your support and cooperation.
 
If it has been re-adapted properly using Star and is still not good then the gearbox valvebody could be faulty.
Fairly common problem :thumb:
 
Hi Justin, The fault you have is common in the early 7G boxes, I have a 2006 280 CLK and lived through the drama. MB Dealers are aware of the issue and how to fix it. IMHO, the car will never be silky smooth or responsive like the old 4 & 5 speed boxes, but at least you can get rid of the "kicks up the backside" when coming to a stop. I understand from other posts, later 7G owners have not experienced this (lucky) and I have also driven a 2010 CDI with 7G and I would have to say it is a pleasure to drive. Responsive and smooth.
Go to a reputable dealer and get them to road test with you, to experience your problem. They should then put it on the STAR machine and get the fault codes. Mine was done under warranty and it came down to some adjustments only. Good luck
Ingin
 
Hi Justin, The fault you have is common in the early 7G boxes, I have a 2006 280 CLK and lived through the drama. MB Dealers are aware of the issue and how to fix it. IMHO, the car will never be silky smooth or responsive like the old 4 & 5 speed boxes, but at least you can get rid of the "kicks up the backside" when coming to a stop. I understand from other posts, later 7G owners have not experienced this (lucky) and I have also driven a 2010 CDI with 7G and I would have to say it is a pleasure to drive. Responsive and smooth.
Go to a reputable dealer and get them to road test with you, to experience your problem. They should then put it on the STAR machine and get the fault codes. Mine was done under warranty and it came down to some adjustments only. Good luck
Ingin


I won't go into detail mate, but there are problems with new cars with 7G gearboxes/torque converters. Different to the early valve body issues :doh:
 
Hi Justin, The fault you have is common in the early 7G boxes, I have a 2006 280 CLK and lived through the drama. MB Dealers are aware of the issue and how to fix it. IMHO, the car will never be silky smooth or responsive like the old 4 & 5 speed boxes, but at least you can get rid of the "kicks up the backside" when coming to a stop. I understand from other posts, later 7G owners have not experienced this (lucky) and I have also driven a 2010 CDI with 7G and I would have to say it is a pleasure to drive. Responsive and smooth.
Go to a reputable dealer and get them to road test with you, to experience your problem. They should then put it on the STAR machine and get the fault codes. Mine was done under warranty and it came down to some adjustments only. Good luck
Ingin
could you describe what the fault is, as my mercedes dealer can't find anything wrong as there are no fault codes, and no software updates as of july 2011 according to them,
 
could you describe what the fault is, as my mercedes dealer can't find anything wrong as there are no fault codes, and no software updates as of july 2011 according to them,

Do you no if they have carried out gearbox adaptions ?as there is a proceedure to adapt the lower gear at set loads
 
Probably the valve body, I too have a similar problem and it's a £1400 fix.... Same symptoms and changes plus mines had the adaption done twice but no change.

Does not help that the car will drive thus way too due to it's learning and may even exacerbate the change from time to time.
 
In my experience guys if the update doesnt cure the symptoms a valve boy is required. The new valve body will need scn coding but adaptations should not be required.
 
hi my mercedes s class with the 722.9 gearbox has finally been diagnosed with faulty valve speed sensors in the valve body. This after two transmission oil changes .
 
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They told me no adaptions or updated software was available but gearbox stuck in gear so have diagnosed my mercedes s class with the 722.9 gearbox having faulty valve speed sensors in the valve body. This after two transmission oil changes .
New part on order. hopefully when replaced with new transmission oil yet again and filters
and adaptions all will be well,fingers crossed.
 
Hi
just mine back from the "stealers".
Car SL 500 2006 (with 5.5 litre motor) 46,000 miles and full MB main dealer service. This is my wife's car and she does not even know where the paddle shifters are on the wheel and i doubt if it ever sees more than 2000 revs on the motor, so it is really gently used and driven. The oil and filter was changed at 37,000 miles in the box as essential, they said after this mileage or 4 years.
Car limped home after fault developed, no gear change in box, drives in third I understand. I stopped and turned off then back to normal until we stopped to shop for an hour then same limp mode again, really weird as lots of revs to move and no go! M.B. Garage collected car with a driver the next day and diagnosed valve block fault.Said they would speak to MB and came back saying that as a "goodwill" gesture as out of warranty 50% of the estimated £1500 bill will be paid. Very rare they said had not had one before! No parts available in the UK so put on special order using their ETA system? No word for a week so called them still on order they will update me regularly. I called again the following week still back order. OK give me the number of MB customer services who said they were sorry but awaiting parts from the supplier. One month later got the car back and all is great now, fingers crossed. Customer services rang to say the garage was on standby to repair the car as a first priority when the bits arrived. Why this long delay I asked well this part is "car specific" and has to made to suit your particular car. Surely its just a flash with some software or firmware, no made for each individual box!
Lots of threads and info on the net about these 7G boxes and some guru in China always says with these type of faults you need a new valve body. On the old 5 speed they were separate and therefore cheaper apparently but sadly not on these units. He was right again with my car.
Note when the car came back after the 37000 miles oil change the box was jerky and not as it was. The car was returned to dealer and they said that they put a bit more oil in! It never seemed as smooth again but memory does play tricks.
Good Luck
Don
 
I am an owner of a W221 S350 Mercedes. A few months ago I had a problem with my 7G Tronic Transmission - after the diagnostics, the mechanics say the problem is with the Control Module Plate and it should be changed with a new one. They asked me some absurd amount of money and I had to wait for two weeks for a new plate.
I made a research in Internet and found a company which offers full repair and programming of this plate with 2 years of guarantee !!! The company name is Softelectronic . They repaired the plate for just 1 day and I am very happy...everything is fine by now. The company is from Bulgaria but as far as I know they repair electronic modules from the whole world
 
Nice one.
I have the bad change from 1 to 2 when cold only.

Every problem with this box varies. I've driven numerous cars equipped with this menace of a transmission, and everyone has been hopeless in some shape or form. Others on here report how great they are, but I am not getting it and I've driven an E500 coupe, my shed, a 59reg CLS350cdi, a C320cdi 2009 204. All had some issues but the C class was the best and my car was warm when I tested it so never got the jolt.

They are just the most appalling heaps of unreliable crap that mercedes blights a decent engine with.
 
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Out of interest (sorry if I am hijacking this thread) but are there similar issues with the latest 7g plus boxes?
 
Too early to tell. The 7g plus uses a different ATF and IIRC maybe a different torque convertor. The set up is supposed to be different with lock up from the TC engaged earlier on so it will be a more direct box. MB have changed the interval of fluid changes on 7gplus to 80k miles from the 60k,km (37.5k miles) so I expect issues with cars in the future as many won't see ATF changes until its too late.

Other posters indicate a lower RPM at 70mph than the normal 7g box (1600 vs 1800) so I expect the final drive to be different, or the top gear to be taller.

6th and 7th were very closely stacked on the 7g box (in my car) so this would be no bad thing and would increase the efficiency of the car.
 
Jerky Gear Changes

I won't go into detail mate, but there are problems with new cars with 7G gearboxes/torque converters. Different to the early valve body issues :doh:

Justin, please can you explain what the issues are with the Torque Convertor as I have had the valve body replaced and still at low speeds gear changes are jerky. The worst jerk is when cold and either slowing and/or coming to a stop there is a really hard jerk on the downshift. Box is a 722.9, 57 plate 320 cdi CLK. it always feels as if the gearbox doesn't know what the engine speed is (crank position sensor has also been replaced) Thank you.
 
I get this same 2nd to 1st gear Jerk on the 2006 W211 7G.

...only when car is cold though. Once warm or peak temp smooth as silk.

Been trying to figure what this is for sometime now.

Software reset by MB
ATF change

..No joy!
 
Engine fault/management light

Hi Everyone, this valve body fault (1/2 gear when cold) I definitely have. I've been reluctant to spend the £1500 approx to fix it obviously. My Clk500 (2005) has just had the yellow engine light come on but hasn't gone into limp mode? In fact it's exactly the same as before, could the value body be causing this or am I just facing another problem? It's getting it's codes read Monday at my merc specialist. Any help suggestions are much appreciated. It's a great car but these things are not without there issues are they! Just had (b) service done 1000 miles ago as well. Great more money, my merc Indy will be putting his kids through college off the back of me!!
 
someone asked earlier, "Is the fault on newer Models" oh yes, most definately, i have a May 2014 GLA and its jolts on downshift from 2 to 1 when coming to a halt (most noticable in stop start traffic Q's).

As with other posts - its worse when cold, slightly less pronounced once its warmed up.

Give me back my old smooth slush box !
 

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