W210 E320 CDI Avantgarde - Gearbox Problem

[bhavinp]

Evening Fellow MB fans,

I have a strange issue for which I am not able to find any help. Therefore I thought I would post this to see if anyone out there has seen or heard of this kind of issue.

I have a 2001 W210 E320 CDI with an Auto box. Recently, as I was driving along at about 40ish, the revs suddenly jumped but the car wasn't going any faster.

I stopped for a set of lights and it refused to move, so I switched it off and back on again. It seemed to be ok for another mile after which it did the same thing. Now the strange thing was that I could hear a strange buzzing/whizzing type of noise. The kind when you didn't earth your amplifier properly in an after market ice install. Also, I could see an E in the gear selector window on the dash. It would move intI drive but not allow me to select gears by moving the stick left and right +/-

After lots of stop starting I got it home and managed to check the fuses and do some googling when I finally came across the TCU filling up with oil, so I took out the TCU, drained it and put it back. I also managed to get the o-rings resealed so that more oil wouldn't find it's way back up.

The car ran ok for another 500 miles or so before doing the same thing again. Only difference being that it now refuses to move at all. The E is back on the dash and it won't move back or forward.

Help please... :-(

 

[Dieselman]

That noise normally indicates the Torque converter or gearbox input shaft bearing is going south.

 

[bhavinp]

How can you tell for sure which component it is? Or do I need to plug it in to a Merc Diags tool?

 

[Dieselman]

The only real way is to strip it down, but taking the gearbox sump off and looking for bits of metal may be a good indication of a mechanical problem.

 

[bhavinp]

Right. Looks like it's a weekend of stripping then. Poor thing is old and has done about 140k.
The space inside is amazing which is why I am loathed to sell it or scrap it.

If it is the input shaft bearing, is that a new gearbox or is it a part replacement? Torque converter is replaceable on it's own too right?

 

[Dieselman]

Anything can be repaired with enough effort.

 

[bhavinp]

This is very true.

Thanks for the advice. Will let you know how I get on.

 

[MR-AUTOMATIC]

Replace the electrical plug on the transmission its held in with a 7mm bolt & check your oil level the oil is coming out the plug & going up the loom & into the TCU the noise could be the pump because the transmission is very low on oil

 

[bhavinp]

How can I tell which model of transmission I have please?

722.?

 

[MR-AUTOMATIC]

What kind of bolts holds the sump pan on 30 torx or 13mm bolts the number is stamped into the case on the nearside of the transmission