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Problem with 7 Speed Gearbox

Brian WH

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Aug 21, 2002
Messages
6,283
Location
East Midlands
Car
JAGUAR XF 3.0D Premium Luxury
During the cold mornings I had noticed that the gearbox at 30mph would give the impression of hunting between the gears. This was disturbing but not too worrying. After talking to a friend with a W211 he, during a visit to his dealer mentioned it. The dealer said that there was a flash update which cured this problem. So I booked the car in yesterday.

My dealer checked my car after letting it go cold and found "No Fault" with it? They reset the gearbox data and returned the car to me, to see how it went. On the way home I got stuck in traffic, and was crawling along at 1100 revs, when I thought someone had rammed me up the back. It was the gearbox changing from first to second. Very disconcerting.:eek: :eek: It also did it again going from first to second and second to third, but not so violently.

I rang the dealer back and took it in again today for a test drive with the Technician who had dealt with it. I drove and showed him how violent the changes were, although they were better than yesterday. He admitted it was not right and said he would make further enquiries on Monday and they would let me know what they were going to do about it.

In discussion with the Technician he said that my Gearbox had already got the latest flash updates, but that he had known of similar problems with the seven speed boxes. They are OK when they work he said.:eek: :eek: The last one with this problem they tried changing the auto change valve but as that didn't work they changed the gearbox.:crazy:

The MB Service Bulletins posted by "Wully" in the favorites section brought up this one for harsh gearshifts on 7 speed boxes.

http://www.alldata.com/tsb/Mercedes-Benz/1152860400000_1153724400000_P-27-60-61E/index.html

Has anyone else experienced problems with their 7 speed boxes???:confused:
 
Brian WH said:
Has anyone else experienced problems with their 7 speed boxes???:confused:
There have indeed been countless problems with the seven speed box. As can be seen from the TSB's the problem spreads right across the Mercedes range.

Good luck getting this issue resolved.

John
 
I am in the same position. First time bck they reset adaption and it was OK for a few days then back to the clunks.

Haven't had time yet to go back in. Seems to hold onto first (second?) and then "dump" into the higher gear with a lurch. Down changes remind me of teaching my wife to drive (no matching of revs to the lower gear). All OK from 4th upwards.
 
How many miles has it done now Brian and when was the car actually made? I'm on about 3.5k and it is as smooth as silk but after reading about this on the US forums the problem you describe seems to have been phased out and only happened on the first load of 7-speed boxes.
 
If they've reset the gearbox maybe you'll have to teach it how to change gear to match your driving style. Why not drive it around town for a few hours and see if it continues to improve.

Of course, there are quite a few good condition W211s around with nice straight six Euro three engines and a wonderful five speed box. You could always trade in style for real substance.:devil: :devil: :devil:
 
DieselE said:
If they've reset the gearbox maybe you'll have to teach it how to change gear to match your driving style. Why not drive it around town for a few hours and see if it continues to improve.

Of course, there are quite a few good condition W211s around with nice straight six Euro three engines and a wonderful five speed box. You could always trade in style for real substance.:devil: :devil: :devil:


It is getting slightly better after a few days, but in my opinion is still not right mate.:(

W211 didn't you have trouble with yours lately MATE?????:D :D

Marcus said:
How many miles has it done now Brian and when was the car actually made? I'm on about 3.5k and it is as smooth as silk but after reading about this on the US forums the problem you describe seems to have been phased out and only happened on the first load of 7-speed boxes.

Done 3750 miles now and as it has the latest software so I assume it is not that old. Been in a showroom but cannot be more than 6 months old now at the most, bought in September.
 
There is an issue that 7 speed boxes can be notchy especially when changing down to first.
 
Without wishing to rain on your parade, I've had a similar problem with the 5 speed box. Broadly speaking, after a change of ATF, the gearbox had been reset. As a result I had exactly what you describe. About 200 miles later it had gone - once the gearbox had adjusted to my driving style.

Now that may say something about my driving style, but it also says its not a fault.
 
saorbust said:
Without wishing to rain on your parade, I've had a similar problem with the 5 speed box.

Right now I wish I could remember the name to the newspaper magnate who came up with the phrase "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story". :D

To be fair, in my first post I did suggest that driving round to let the gearbox adapt might be a solution.
 
DieselE said:
Right now I wish I could remember the name to the newspaper magnate who came up with the phrase "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story". :D

To be fair, in my first post I did suggest that driving round to let the gearbox adapt might be a solution.

sorry I missed that. But I think you are bang on.
 
after 25,000+ miles mine only very rarely has a noticeable shift from 2nd to 1st. I'm tempted to ask them not to flash it next time in.
 
Well I'm still driving it around and can still feel the changes.:eek:

No contact from my Dealer yet, will ring them tomorrow if I have not heard anything.:crazy:

They are nowhere near as bad as straight after the reset, but still not acceptable---yet.:(
 
Hope you get it sorted Brian, that isn't a cheap car by anyones standards and you require better.

If it were perhaps someone else, I might think that the driver was the type that always feathered the throttle and was used to a car that adapted to the most sedate driver and the gearbox reset had come as a surprise.

However, 1) You have plenty of prior experieince of MB autos, 2) you had this car and the last from new and 3) I know you are not afraid to put your foot down on occassion so know what the harshest of gearbox changes should be like as the gearbox adapts to a sportier stle of driving.


Your description is not of a freshly reset gearbox performing in it's most responsive way, it is of a faulty gearbox in some way.

Stick with it and I hope you find your solution.

Graham
 
As the link on the first post suggests there is a known fault with these box's, personaly the gear change should be faultless on these box's. Evev the old 5spd are pretty good, although i agree they can be a little less refined after the battery has been disconnected, mine actualy took a run to Holland to re-adapt itself, but that said it has 145000 on the clock and is smooth as silk again now, apart from 1st to 2nd when cold when the revs climb a bit higher before changing up (to heat the cats up quicker apparently)
 
Technical report

I read a technical report saying that basically the problem lies with the following:-

The little whirly things -you knows -the round ones with the jaggedy edges- they spins round a lot- and make a bad bad noise-unless you give em very expensive drinkies to keep them happy-----WELLLLLLL-----theres just TOOOO many of em -and sometimes they gets mixed up --and don'ts know what to do next!

Hope you get it sorted out Brian. Sorry couldn't resist. :rolleyes:
 
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Mine's still jerking - up from 1-2 and 2-3 and down from 2-1 - sometimes a clonk to go with it.

Just starting getting a whine from the NS rear at 60mph as well!

AND Comand often "cracks" through the speakers and re-boots a few seconds after loading the phone memory (if its also asked to navigate).

Starting to get a little annoyed here.....as they supposedly fixed all this during two days at Stratford Merc.

Where is a good dealer to actually fix things?????
 
MB Dartford. Never ever not solved a fault for me. Including all types of issues from mechanical to electrical.
 
w124coupe said:
Mine's still jerking - up from 1-2 and 2-3 and down from 2-1 - sometimes a clonk to go with it.

Just starting getting a whine from the NS rear at 60mph as well!

AND Comand often "cracks" through the speakers and re-boots a few seconds after loading the phone memory (if its also asked to navigate).

Starting to get a little annoyed here.....as they supposedly fixed all this during two days at Stratford Merc.

Where is a good dealer to actually fix things?????

I can assure you when you pay this sort of money for a car I WANT IT RIGHT, and so should you mate.

The funny thing is when, as Graham said, you drive it in a spirited manner it goes like an express train and the gearbox is faultless and quiet. The problem is now worse when cold and driven in town like a model citizen at up to 30 'ish mph, or more likely once it gets into 4th gear onwards.:eek:

Anyway they will sort it I can assure you, because they know I will write to their HQ if they don't and their bonuses will suffer.;)
 

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