help! C43 gearbox

[timk]

Help - this morning my C43 got into drive but went a few metres only before an almighty thump thump thump and jerked to a halt. None of the gears work and in drive the revs rise and then it jolts forward eventually. It's undriveable and I'm based in Birmingham - anyone know where I should send it when the RAC get here!?

 

[nick mercedes]

Help - this morning my C43 got into drive but went a few metres only before an almighty thump thump thump and jerked to a halt. None of the gears work and in drive the revs rise and then it jolts forward eventually. It's undriveable and I'm based in Birmingham - anyone know where I should send it when the RAC get here!?

Give these guys a call:

Howard Williams Mercedes Specialist

 

[Gridlock]

Commiserations mate, the old C43 lottery...

Mine's already had one (before I bought it), from memory the receipt is somewhere around £1300.

 

[timk]

Give these guys a call:

Howard Williams Mercedes Specialist

I used WDM for a gearbox service about 4 weeks ago so I've just called them and it's going in there once the RAC get here. Hoping it's not terminal
My concern is that it should go to a gearbox specialist as opposed to just a Merc specialist but I'm assuming WDM will have some kind of clue what to do with it

 

[Adam230K]

Sorry to hear about this but it sounds like your gearbox has kicked the bucket. Get it rebuilt and take the hit, and at least that way you have some warranty and piece of mind after the rebuild.

 

[timk]

Sorry to hear about this but it sounds like your gearbox has kicked the bucket. Get it rebuilt and take the hit, and at least that way you have some warranty and piece of mind after the rebuild.

Right before xmas

Enough to make a grown man cry. A gearbox should last more than 110k miles - Merc ownership is growing less appealing by the day

 

[Gridlock]

If it helps, mine's rusty as well as being on its second gearbox

Mercedes couldn't give 2 ****s, they pocketed the 52K purchase price, 3 years' lease and 10 years' servicing costs quite happily and the car has served its purpose as far as they're concerned.

I'd like to think they would want to keep their flagships on the road (not to mention consider the lifetime value of me as a customer) but they won't even sell me wings at trade..


(/rant)

 

[Will]

C43s seem to have quite a reputation of eating gearboxes.

I guess though it's part and parcel of owning a high-performance model, and that's one of the reasons why they're so cheap.

Still, I guess the rebuild cost will be a fraction of what these cars lost in depreciation when they were new.

Sorry to hear about the problem - rotton timing etc.

What was the history re: the fluid change 4 weeks ago? Was there any signs of abnormality before the service?

Will

 

[Gridlock]

Apparently the oil seeps past the filter, gets into the ECU and breaks it - does anyone have any knowledge of the truth about why C43 boxes are prone to failure?

Are they prone to failure on the donor model (A CL500, I believe?)

 

[Will]

Apparently the oil seeps past the filter, gets into the ECU and breaks it - does anyone have any knowledge of the truth about why C43 boxes are prone to failure?

Are they prone to failure on the donor model (A CL500, I believe?)

I think the oil seepage issue you're thinking of is where the pilot bushing lets oil into the gearbox harness, which is then drawn up and into the gearbox ECU located in the passenger footwell. This isn't a specific 'C43' issue, it seems common to most of those 722.6 boxes.

I think the C43 box just isn't strong enough for the job, and are probably driven more 'enthusiastically' over their lifetimes by various owners perhaps than the other V8 cars (eg SL/CL/S-class etc)

I did read somewhere on the 'net where there was some more detailed speculation as to why/how the C43 boxes seem to let go a bit too often though. I'll see if I can find it.

Will

 

[Gridlock]

Mine failed 2 weeks after the previous owner to me got it, which suggests either a psychic seller, very poor timing or the possibility the "adaptive" side of it is involved?

timk, any thoughts at all on yours? Did you thrash it before you parked up? Any jerky changes recently? Whining? Paranoia rampant here...

I seem to recall that when the oil gets into the ECU the most common consequence is going straight from 5th to 2nd on the motorway...

If anyone spots a CLK55 or W203 C55 going for a reasonable price, drop me a line

 

[jonm]

try transmission technology, just south of knowle on the warwick road.

 

[buccal]

Mine failed 2 weeks after the previous owner to me got it, which suggests either a psychic seller, very poor timing or the possibility the "adaptive" side of it is involved?

Its amazing how psychic some sellers can be

 

[timk]

WDM have phoned and want to send it to VMTP in Cannock (gearbox specialists) anyone used these guys??

Howard Williams quoting £1500 plus vat before seeing it..

 

[andy27168]

Hi,
Sorry to hear the news regarding your gearbox, mine is now on 145,000 miles still original box and converter, with no real issues at the moment (fingers crossed).
I have read that the gearbox in a C43 fails more often because of the bespoke AMG software within the transmission ECU, and talking to a MB tech, when he replaced a gearbox at a main dealer (few years ago now) they would replace the transmission ECU as well as he seemed to think they were paired.
Theres no real reason for these boxes to fail any more than any other 722.6 gearbox, do please bear in mind the C43 722.6 gearbox (specific pt. no.) was only ever fitted in a C43, though the later tiptronic C43's "I think" had a CLK/E55 gearbox.
There does seem to be some confusion on various Internet sites that the C43 gearbox was the same unit as a similar aged SL500, but this is not the case.
Depending on the prognosis of your gearbox, have you thought about fitting a later Tip box? though it would involve a cluster replacement (for displaying the tip gears) a new gear selector, and a couple of linkages and Looms though if you got the gearbox from a CLK55, you could get all the parts from the doner car.

 

[Gridlock]

The C43 box is a CL500 unit with AMG software and slightly uprated internals, isn't it?

 

[timk]

Hi,
Sorry to hear the news regarding your gearbox, mine is now on 145,000 miles still original box and converter, with no real issues at the moment (fingers crossed).
I have read that the gearbox in a C43 fails more often because of the bespoke AMG software within the transmission ECU, and talking to a MB tech, when he replaced a gearbox at a main dealer (few years ago now) they would replace the transmission ECU as well as he seemed to think they were paired.
Theres no real reason for these boxes to fail any more than any other 722.6 gearbox, do please bear in mind the C43 722.6 gearbox (specific pt. no.) was only ever fitted in a C43, though the later tiptronic C43's "I think" had a CLK/E55 gearbox.
There does seem to be some confusion on various Internet sites that the C43 gearbox was the same unit as a similar aged SL500, but this is not the case.
Depending on the prognosis of your gearbox, have you thought about fitting a later Tip box? though it would involve a cluster replacement (for displaying the tip gears) a new gear selector, and a couple of linkages and Looms though if you got the gearbox from a CLK55, you could get all the parts from the doner car.

The prob with that is that currently I only have the one car and I need it back on the road - the quickest option is to go for a rebuild and I've been quoted i.r.o £1500 plus vat by a few separate outfits in Brum. At the moment its being trailered to VMTP in Cannock who do all the gearbox work for WDM cars. They have said they'll replace the torque converter, and the gearset if it's mashed along with the other internals. If the gear set is not mashed then they'll do a 'soft' rebuild which will come in at slightly less - about £1300. Have to wait for it to be stripped down basically, but I hope it doesn;t also need an ECU as that will probably tip me over the edge!!

 

[timk]

C43s seem to have quite a reputation of eating gearboxes.

I guess though it's part and parcel of owning a high-performance model, and that's one of the reasons why they're so cheap.

Still, I guess the rebuild cost will be a fraction of what these cars lost in depreciation when they were new.

Sorry to hear about the problem - rotton timing etc.

What was the history re: the fluid change 4 weeks ago? Was there any signs of abnormality before the service?

Will

Fluid change 4 weeks back, I told WDM at that point that occasionally it thumped when coming back on the power (gently) after slowing for a roundabout. Otherwise it shifted very smoothly. The onset of problems was very sudden and very terminal it seems. I just hope that it works as it should once I get it back - it ruddy well should at the price

 

[BTB 500]

the quickest option is to go for a rebuild

Are you sure? We had the auto box done on our Audi and it took 4 weeks (which they told us up front)!

 

[timk]

Are you sure? We had the auto box done on our Audi and it took 4 weeks (which they told us up front)!

everywhere I have spoken to is quoting 3 days to rebuild it. We'll see I guess