Help needed on ML270 Gearbox

[jpm993]

Hi Guys,

It's been a while since I've been on the site, so I trust that all is well.

My Wife's ML has just started to have an intermittant issue with the gearbox working perfectly well one moment, then feeling a small jolt followed by the car sticking in the safety mode (2nd gear only thing). If she turns the engine off and then re-starts, the problem goes away, but we can almost guarantee that it will come back at some point within the journey. The cars now done 42K miles, had all of its servicing done my MB and is just over 3 years old.

This happened on our 98 ML a number of years ago and MB charged me in the region of £1K to change some kind of sensor in the gearbox. I'm obviously not too keen to pay that kind of money to them again, so any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

Why couldn't this have happend in January when I was still in Warranty!

Cheers

James

 

[davidjpowell]

If you do need work, you may find that MB are open to approaches for goodwill contributions. I had an E class which had done 80K and the fuel pump went 2 months after the end of Warrenty. They reduced the bill from £650 to £56 after a phone call to customer services, even though the last service was at an indie.

I don't know why, but they may have been under the impression that I was thinkinh of chanigng it as it was three years old!

David

 

[television]

As David above it is worth asking, and all to gain with nothing to lose

 

[grober]

Hi Guys,


Why couldn't this have happend in January when I was still in Warranty!

Cheers

James

Well it did START at the beginning of January but you didn't do anything about it at that time don't you remember? Seriously I would have thought Mercedes would look sympathetically on a car that's -just out of warranty/ has a full MB service history. Could be gearbox ECU related http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=46332&highlight=gearbox+ecu

 

[jpm993]

Thanks guys, so I assume that there isn't a common known fault that is easy to remedy and that I should just bite the bullet and visit Mercedes, correct?

 

[television]

At least with a fault code read out you would know what the problem was

You can get this from an indie to find out but you do not have to tell MB that bit

 

[jpm993]

At least with a fault code read out you would know what the problem was

You can get this from an indie to find out but you do not have to tell MB that bit

Agreed.

I'll get it booked in.

Any idea where I can find a good Indie in the North kent, Surrey area?

 

[television]

Take your pick

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=3443

 

[jpm993]

Many thanks!

 

[Mercedes cozy]

Try this.

My ML had a similar problem. I changed the battery as it was low.

Fine after that. Apparently its some sort of low voltage problem.

 

[jpm993]

You know, when my wife first told me it was happening and the manner in which it occurred, I assumed that it might be an electrical fault of some kind. This could well be the answer.

I'll take it to the Independent / Brabus dealer in Rainham, Kent and see what they come up with.

 

[jpm993]

Sorry guys, one more thing. Can I can the battery myself or does a garage need to? Are there any "gotchas"?

 

[jpm993]

OK, so I'm sure that there will be further updates through the day on this, so here's my first:

- Call Mercedes in Tonbridge and told them I have an issue and can I bring the car down
- They inform me that I need to call Roadside Assistance and that they will try and get me going to take me down to them if required
- I informed them that it's outside of the warranty but they said that as long as I have had the car serviced by a Main Dealer (which I have) then then Roadside Assistance continues on the vehicle!! I didn't know that.
- Called RA and they're setting up a visit from one of their team

Fingers crossed that they can do it, without me having to leave the house!

 

[Mercedes cozy]

Sorry guys, one more thing. Can I can the battery myself or does a garage need to? Are there any "gotchas"?

Its a tricky job, I have done it myself and can take up an hour if you don't know what you are doing.

There is a black casing around around the battery, undo a 13mm bolt and then unclip the casing.

Hope this helps

 

[jpm993]

Part 2: Car collected (they didn't even try to look at the problem) and being taken to MB in Tonvridge

 

[jpm993]

Just out of interest, this is the second ML that I've had a gearbox (Emergency Mode) issue. Is this common amongst other ML owners or am I just unlucky?

 

[television]

You are unlucky the MB boxes are very good as far as auto boxes go

 

[jpm993]

Typical!

 

[jpm993]

Appears to be a "sensor in the shift plate" (I think that's what he said) parts will be £150 and he's going off to MB Customer Service to see if he can get some kind of good will gesture on the labour! Fingers crossed.

 

[television]

Thats a good result and not the end of the world, nice one