Rebuilt transmissions are actually a lot cheaper than I would have expected. I am afraid the electronic issues or whatever I damaged in changing the conductor plate are beyond my skill to disgnose and beyond my budget to pay someone else to do though. Its too bad because I would like to keep it, but I am kinda stuck. I am not really smart enough to disgnose anything myself or find electrical problems, but things that I already know what needs to be done before I start (brakes, clutch, timing belt, om617 valve adjustment, etc) I can do with no problem. I did set the fluid level correctly and drive it again, and it goes into limp mode after a few minutes. The only thing I have left to try cleaning the plug to the transmission computer (I would be surprised if it has fluid in in because it wasn't leaking where in comes out of the transmission), but after than I am afraid I have to give up if it still doesn't work.

Did you ever check the TCU in the coffin box to see if there was any ATF in it?

Not yet, as of now that's last on my list of things to try before listing the car for sale, although I do not believe that the plug has leaked enough in the past for that to be an issue. I will still check though.

True, but you do see them with Freightliner and Western Star, Thomas Built Bus, and there's the Sprinter (all Daimler brands).

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Sterling was the heavy duty division of Ford. After DC bought the line, they discontinued Ford products and substituted Freightliner. Sterling has since been discontinued as a brand.

DC brought MB branded trucks into the US in the 70's but stopped doing so after the USA purchase of Freightliner in the 80's.

The lack of visibly MB branded trucks has more to do with USA based heavy duty truck buyers than the perceptions of a guy in a S class.

World wide, DC has a large portfolio of country specific truck brand names so the lack of MB branded trucks in the US isn't an anomaly.

DTNA bought several brands including Sterling, had to make a choice where to cut when the economy went soft, Sterling was an under-performing name at that time so it went away.

Daimler had also made the mistake of buying Chrysler Corp., ... fortunately they were able to dump Chrysler without too much pain, and IMO Fiat is a better match for Chrysler anyway.

Mercedes Benz USA is very sensitive about their image in North America, and their car mix stays well equipped to keep that image. The trucks aren't as much of an issue, even as the Freightliner and Western Star trucks are seeing more and more global truck content, because North America drives conventional trucks, and most of the world drives cabover. Inside the skin there are a lot of shared components, but the form is recognizably different.

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff