V230 (80mph at 5000 revs)

[floyd9t8]

Hi All,
I picked up my V230 on sunday, and it has a couple of niggles, the main one (i think) being the fact that the auto box doesn't seem to be changing gear as expected, driving on the motorway it does 70 around 4000 rpm and 80mph at 5000 rpm, this seems very high. What could be the problem please?

 

[WG M-B]

Is it changing through the whole box? Are you getting five gears?

 

[floyd9t8]

No, doesn't seem like it, it feels (and sounds) like it does from 1 to 2 then sits at 3.
Like i said i only collected it yesterday but it cost me £60 in fuel to get from wolves to portsmouth.

 

[BTB 500]

Hi & welcome.

Your W638 V Class doesn't have an M-B gearbox ... being front wheel drive they bought one in from ZF. From a quick Google it looks like it was the ZF 4HP20 (4-speed), as used in various Peugeot/Citroen/Renault/Alfa/Lancia models.

Not many W638 owners here but fingers crossed someone may be able to help. If not you could search the web using the above gearbox type.

 

[V12]

When was the fluid last changed in the box?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using MBClub UK

 

[sherco450]

Hi All,
I picked up my V230 on sunday, and it has a couple of niggles, the main one (i think) being the fact that the auto box doesn't seem to be changing gear as expected, driving on the motorway it does 70 around 4000 rpm and 80mph at 5000 rpm, this seems very high. What could be the problem please?

l have owned a 2 vito 113 l think you guys know it as v200 200cc smaller engine with a 5 speed manual box it did rev and 60mph 3550 rpm so l think at 80mph it would not be unrealistic to rev at 4500/5000 rpm torque top out on the petrol 4 in the vito at 3600 rpm the rest or the rpm range to 6000 rpm is to keep it from dying ,even more so when loaded up

 

[clk208]

My old man had a nearly new V230 Ambiente auto back in 2000-2001 for a year. I borrowed it numerous times while I was up at uni and given its size it was a fairly rapid machine.

6-up with luggage it would effortlessly cruise at 90mph smoothly and quietly - I'm guessing not much over 3k rpm. Despite the van platform it felt just as refined as the W202 I used to borrow, and pretty much just as quick.

So if yours is doing 5k rpm at 80mph something is definitely amiss.

On a side note ours was silver with grey leather but I remember seeing one around quite often that was black with tan leather and it had an air of "A-team" van about it - definitely a cool looking vehicle at the time

Shame these rust so badly.

 

[Danny DeVito]

Stuck in 3rd gear failsafe. Check that the dash bulb 3rd from the right lights up when ign on. If not change bulb. Thats the gearb