Hi. I'm new to the forum and also to owning a Mercedes. I hope this post is in the correct place. As the title suggests I am having a bit of an issue with the auto transmission on my 2000 V220 Ambiente 2.2 CDI. The vehicle has 185K on the the clock so fairly high mileage I suppose. The fault is as follows. When the engine is up to temp and been running for a fairly long time the auto box develops a fault. It seems fine when the engine is cold. When the engine is hot and you set off from a stand still and try and accelerate quite aggressively the red transmission warning light comes on and the van seems to go into limp mode. If you switch the ignition off then back on again the fault clears and the van drives fine for a short period. I recently did a 500 mile (mainly motorways) round trip with no issues until I came to a stop and tried the accelerate from stand still. Then the warning light came on again, aarrhhh! I was wandering if the transition fluid was overheating. I've never had a auto before so I'm not very familiar with them. Sorry to swear but I'm from the VW scene and run a few VW both old and new so I'm pretty good when it comes to mechanics just autos are a new thing to me. The other thing worth mentioning is the reversing lights don't seem to be working so not sure if this could be anything to do with it. Sorry for the long winded post but just wanted to cover everything. Thanks in advance.
V220 Auto Transmission Problem
- Thread starter Jakey1
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Marku
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The only time I had that sort of problem was when there was a leak. Only very very slow but it eventually reduced the fluid level. Cause was a stone hitting the cooler. Had been noticed when the Viano had been serviced but it was thought it would keep.
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Transmission fluid temperature is a very important issue. I would guess that you wouldn't experience these problems if it was winter, but in the summer, especially on a hot day, a transmission will get to a very high temperature and will sometimes struggle to cool down.
I had transmission problems on my current 210 but only when the weather was hot. The condition of the fluid can play a big part and after mine was changed a few years ago, the car has behaved perfectly, apart from today - very hot, but only a minor issue which I'm sure is down to temperature. On the 722 box some transmission specialists will fit an independent oil cooler for around £150.
I'd have a go at changing the ATF using an approved brand.
As an aside, IIRC it's not an M-B gearbox on the W638 V Class (because it's FWD).
If you can find out what else the box is used on you might be able to locate some more advice that way. But ATF is a good place to start.
If you can find out what else the box is used on you might be able to locate some more advice that way. But ATF is a good place to start.
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When you check the level, ensure the engine is running at normal operating temperature. Too little fluid is bad. Too much fluid is worse as it will overheat rapidly.
It may well be wise to check there isn't too much fluid in the gearbox before carrying out the change. At least this might give you an insight into why the transmission is misbehaving (although I suspect it's the age/condition of the fluid that's the problem) and also act as a guide if you measure the amount of ATF that comes out when draining.
V12
MB Enthusiast
You're almost correct.
The V220cdi has an outsourced auto.
It's the ZF 4HP20 which I believe is fitted to absolutely loads of stuff, mostly french and italian cars.
The V280 is the one with a VW engine and gearbox which it shares with the Sharan etc.
I suggest searching for advice on ZF 4HP20, i'm sure you'll find loads of useful advice and probably the technicians training docs as well.
I knew it was a common gearbox, couldn't remember what make though.
