E320 CDI Auto gearbox lost all drive

[morzov]

My 2005 E320 CDI has lost all drive - happened on the M5 but managed to coast down slip road. Basically car just revs and no drive in any gear.

Have been having the surging issue but funnily enough over the last week this had disappeared and the car was going fine.

RAC attended (incidentally they were brilliant - arrived in 20 mins and towed me home) and when he arrived the car had some drive but it soon went . The mechanic said he thought there was a lack of pressure in the system?

A few months back I had the ATF changed and then also got a gearbox dipstick and have been monitoring the level as the fluid change didn't resolve the surging when cold.The levels semmed Ok.

I've just checked the level now that I've got back home and cold it is covering all the indicator part of the dipstick which doesn't seem right.

Didn't want to put the car into a garage as the diagnosis could be that a new gearbox is needed and I don't think that is worth doing.

Incidentally when the car had done 78,000 (its done 141,000 now) a similar thing happened on the M1 and we took the car to Mercedes Milton Keynes.

They fixed it but reading through the invoice now all they did was change the ATF and something called the "pilot bushing on the electrohydraulic control unit". There also seems to be a reference to the fluid level being too low.

Has anyone any ideas what this might be or had a similar experience?

Talk about timing but we traded in my other car today (subaru legacy - and I know it's a good one) and I have the option to buy it back at same price if my Merc is going to be off the road for sometime or it is uneconomical to repair.

 

[bob6600]

The pilot bush is the electrical connector on the gearbox, about £20 from MB. ATF should be checked at the correct temp.

You need to see what codes it has logged to avoid guessing

 

[morzov]

The pilot bush is the electrical connector on the gearbox, about £20 from MB. ATF should be checked at the correct temp.

You need to see what codes it has logged to avoid guessing

Thanks. Car not driveable so limited in diagnostic options and obviously I can't get the ATF up to the necessary 80 deg C without driving it.So my only choice at present is to try to measure the cold level obviously with the engine running.

But given that a very similar problem previously appeared to be due to a leak it could well be the problem this time.

And now that I've looked at the MB invoice again they did replace the pilot bushing.

Question is though, if the gearbox was leaking would this be obvious or do the undertrays make that very difficult to determine?

 

[bob6600]

Dipstick has 2 levels - 25 degC (lower) and 80 degC. Although it should be checked hot, it should still give an indication if it is leaking. Undertrays should catch most of it but you can take them off and have a look.

Who are you hoping will diagnose it? MB or an indie? They will probably have to get it recovered to them anyway, so let them diagnose it too. If you are anywhere in the WMids you are welcome to borrow my diagnostics.

 

[morzov]

Thanks bob -appreciate the offer of diagnostics but I'm near Bristol.

Have just run the engine and measured temp down gearbox dipstick to 25 degC or as near as dammit.

Put dipstick in and again the whole length of the plastic measuring area is covered which would suggest that the level is way too high.

Bit puzzled by this as when I previously measured it at both temps 25 and 80 it was about OK and certainly not this high. Not sure what would cause raised level.

I am going to have to go to garage I think but bit reluctant because once there if they say new gearbox needed then I'm snookered and would have to retrieve, meaning two tow trips down and no better off!

 

[brucemillar]

Are you measuring in Neutral with engine running and firstly having cycled the gear leaver through all gears?

If ATF is pushing up the dip stick tube? You may have a blocked breather.

FYI. Do be careful not to run yourself over in your own car when checking ATF. The car may engage a gear if faulty. Use handbrake and some blocks. Or better still get wife in car with foot on brake. Best done when you have NOT had an argument.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

 

[airportstar]

I had similar issues on my 2003 E320cdi. My toque converter finally failed at 250k.
For the TC and Gearbox refurbed

 

[morzov]

Are you measuring in Neutral with engine running and firstly having cycled the gear leaver through all gears?

If ATF is pushing up the dip stick tube? You may have a blocked breather.

FYI. Do be careful not to run yourself over in your own car when checking ATF. The car may engage a gear if faulty. Use handbrake and some blocks. Or better still get wife in car with foot on brake. Best done when you have NOT had an argument.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK

Thanks that made me chuckle. I once had an air cooled 911 and she ran into it in the drive! The guy at the insurance company couldn't stop laughing because I was the insured on both cars.

I will retry in that mode you suggest but the car only momentarily selects gear if started from cold. After that even if you cycle through the gearbox nothing happens.

 

[morzov]

I had similar issues on my 2003 E320cdi. My toque converter finally failed at 250k.
For the TC and Gearbox refurbed

Where you going to say how much?

 

[brucemillar]

Thanks that made me chuckle. I once had an air cooled 911 and she ran into it in the drive! The guy at the insurance company couldn't stop laughing because I was the insured on both cars. I will retry in that mode you suggest but the car only momentarily selects gear if started from cold. After that even if you cycle through the gearbox nothing happens.

Ok smile here. Cycling through gears will ensure that the ATF is pumped through the box and at the correct level. It will not stop an angry wife.

Sent from my iPhone using MBClub UK