Auto gearbox problem

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daze

New Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2011
Messages
26
Car
2004 S320 cdi, 2002 c220 cdi elegance
Evening,

I have spent hours trailing through forums trying to find the same gearbox problem as mine but i can't

Mine is 2004 W220 320 cdi and happens usually when cold, it seems to grab second gear sometimes with enough force to move you in your seat, I have a 3 mile stop start journey to the motorway and it does it every time I'm going slow enough to drop down gears, once I'm off the motorway at the other end the gears are relatively smooth.
Also recently as I roll down the hill from my house to the main road it has started to shudder and grab a gear as though it is slipping from the clutch being down to being in gear quickly.
It had the gearbox fluid changed by Mercedes at 100,000 miles (now done 154k) the level has been checked and the electrical connector is dry .
 
New gearbox oil changed required there. 54k is a lot of miles between changes
 
ATF change and code read required
 
Really ?? Would that cure the judder and the gear changes ?
 
Yep
On my w220 cdi oil change cured exactly same sympthoms
 
Cool ! I will give it a go thank you
 
Ok Gearbox oil and filter changed and hey presto !! exactly the same :( bangs going into 2nd when cold but perfect when hot !
 
Mine is exactly the same,oil changed and lucas gearbox stuff supposed to cure snatching added . Hopefully someone can suggest an inexpensive cure
 
I'm now driving it in "C" rather than "S" so I will find out in the morning whether pulling away in 2nd will make me enjoy driving it again because its getting to the point where I will be getting rid !
 
Daze,
Yous is the same as the G/boxe in a C32, mine had the 1st - 2nd shunt, in mine it was the solenoid for the "Torque Converter", this is situated on top of the Valve body & sits into the Electro plate,changing that should stop it, it is not jerking as goes into 2nd gear, it isjerking because the Soleniod is sticking/failing...BUT....You mention - "it has started to shudder and grab a gear".
This is not usual when a solenoid is going , no slow changes & shudder ata ll, if anything the opposite ,so it might be The sleeves in the Valve chest.

The Overlap control sleeves wear & can have scoring on this can cause judder & slow gear changing, some here instantly say TC, but this is worth checking 1st. I would buy a Sonnax overlap valve sleeve kit, the new kit has 'O' rings on that stop the ATfluid going around the sleeve & causing a pressure drop hence the slow change,judder & slip, while its out & a new conductor plate,pilot bush etc, & remember ,cleaner than a plastic surgeons table,
good luck.

Automatic Choice LTD. They are agents for Sonnax, Farrington Gurney & a branch in UK in Essex ?
https://www.automaticchoice.com/
Hope this brings Happy Daze....sorry:D
Good Luck.
 
Hi French, thanks for the info, the shudder only happens when i pull out of my drive and roll down the hill, its as though it is in too higher gear and the revs are too low.
The grabbing a gear is the jerking bit it just feels like it doesn't know which gear it should be in ?
I have checked it with Launch and no fault codes are present for the gearbox or engine ??
Not so Happy Daze lol
 
"...the shudder only happens when i pull out of my drive and roll down the hill, its as though it is in too higher gear and the revs are too low."

Why I mentioned the Overlap kit is because if the ATF & Filter have not been changed on a regular basis then the Overlap valves van get scored & the fluid seeps around the valves rather than into the valve which is(can be) the cause for a "slow(shuddery) change, on the older models this was caused by the long spring that goes across the Valve chest that used to snap about 3/4s of the spring length, which in turn forced its way into the longer length of spring ,causing the spring length to be less & causing a slow(shuddery) change. they upgraded the springs & the Valve Overlap problem showed up, it was probably there as well before ...Just a guess here Daze, as I obviously have not driven your car, but to me I would check out the Torque converter solenoid, while you do that you may as well replace the Pilot Bush, Electro plate ( a must imo) ATF Fluid & filter & ofcourse the T/C/Solenoid.

Last thing...take it to a Autobox specialist NOT a MB dealer or Indy...probably get shot for that but thats my opinion.
 
So really I have to weigh up weather its worth spending the best part of a grand on a car that's only worth 2 grand ?? sounds like its scrap time to me :(
 
The C32 has different programming controlling the gearbox than standard.
It locks the tc sooner to get the power down to the wheels.
This gave a jolt just after setting off. Sort of a kick up the backside feel. Mine did it and it is a thing they all did.
The replacement solenoid to sort this problem was £35 when I bought mine and was relatively easy to change for a reasonably able mechanic.
Don't write off your car just yet, as it is sometimes better the devil you know and spending the money will give you many more miles of pleasure.
 

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