I Have A Friend Who Yesterday Had A Issue Begin Transmission Issue:

She Had The Motor And Trans Mounts + The Serpentine Belt, Belt Tensioner, And Shifter Bushing Changed. After Picking Up The Ml When It Got To 35 - 40 Mph The Truck Lunges Into And Out Of The Next Gear ( I Would Say 3 Or 4th - 35 /40 Mph ). She Drove Home ( It Will Go Over 40 But Sort Of Have To Give It The Gas To Do So ), But It Will Not Shift Up To I Suppose 4 Or 5 Th. It Ran 60 Mph In 3rd I Would Say Maybe 4th, On The Freeway, Rpm's Were Approx 5500 - 6000.

Basically Seems To Be Holding Back From The Higher Gears Or Up Shifting To Those High Gears. All Happened After The Above Service Done. ( Mbz Dealer Svcd )

Gilly Or Other Moderator, Any Thoughts ? I Did Drive It There Are No Codes And R, 1,2,3, Seem To Be Ok. Top Gears Are Q.

It sounds like the linkage from the selector to the transmission is out of adjustment.

Yes, you can bend the linkage rod, in the trans tunnel if you do not select neutral when jacking up the engine to change the motor mounts. I bet it is bent and restricting travel to the higher gears. I wonder if this was a dealer service or an Indy. Either way, they should be told to fix it free.

Jim in Phoenix

AFTER A LOT TESTING ETC, THE PROBLEM WAS THE TRANSMISSION FILTER HAD SOME WAY OR ANOTHER SHIFTED AND WAS AFFECTING THE PRESSURE AS THE FLUID FLOWED IN THE TRANNY. THE FILTER WAS REPLACED, THE FLUID, AND THE SEAL, ALL IS OK NOW. MECHANIC SAID TESTING SHOWED THE GEAR #'S WERE LOW (MEANING LOTS OF LIFE LEFT ON THEM, HE SAID HIGHER # MEANS MORE WEAR, FLUID WAS CLEAN, ( IT HAD BEEN CHANGED AT 107k ), AND THERE WERE NO METAL FRAGMENTS IN THE SYSTEM, AND THE PAN WAS VERY CLEAN. SO I GUESS THE GOOD THING IS THE TRANNY GOT A GOOD SERVICING ... CHARGE WAS 125.00 FOR ALL ABOVE INCLUDING THE TIME HE PUT INTO RESOLVE THE MATTER. * EXTREMELY GOOD I'D SAY ... THE FLUID ALONE IS 8.00 A QUART AT THE LOCAL MB DEALER. ( BY THE WAY THE WORK WAS DONE BY THE LOCAL MB DEALER FOR THE ABOVE DEAL SINCE THEY KNEW THE ISSUE OCCURED POST THERE CHANGING THE ITEMS IN THE INITIAL POST ABOVE. ... ) GUESS THEY GOT SOME BROWNIE POINTS WITH ME ...

ACTUALLY THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO BE CRISPER, DEFINITELY SMOOTHER, THE NEW MOTOR & TRANNY MOUNTS REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

THE MECHANIC SAID HE RESET THE 'ADAPTIVE SETTINGS' AND DROVE IT FOR A FEW MILES IN A SPORTY WAY. HE STATES THAT IN DOING THIS, THE TRANNY WILL NOW BE SET FOR SPORTER DRIVING MODE AND WILL NOT CHANGE UNLESS THE ADAPTIVE SETTINGS ARE RESET AND THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN IN SOME OTHER MANNER.

** ANYONE WITH KNOWLEDGE ON THIS PLEASE POST, AS I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS. BY THE WAY THE VEHICLE IS A 98 ML 320 WITH 141,000 MILES. **

* HIS ( THE MB TECH ) COMMENTS WERE ALSO THAT MB GOT AHEAD OF THEMSELVES IN CLAIMING THE TRANNYS TO BE LIFETIME. HIS WIFE HAS
ONE ( ML '03 ), AND THE CHANGES HER FLUID AT 30k. AND RECOMMENDED THIS TO ME IRREGUARDLESS OF WHAT I HEAR.. IF THE FLUID STAYS CLEAN YOU ARE ELIMINATING A MAJOR CAUSE OF TRANS ISSUES. * HE MENTIONED A CUSTOMER WITH A 98 ML THE SERVICES WITH 290+K ON THE ORIG TRANNY < OIL CHANGES 30 - 50 k REGUARLY )

HE ALSO MENTIONED THERE IS A O-RING SEAL THAT SHOULD BE CHANGED OUT ( SOME WHERE ON THE TRANS CONTROL UNIT ) IT TENDS TO GET BRITTLE AND LEAK. IF IT DOES HE STATES IT COULD / WILL PASS OIL INTO THE CONTROL UNIT ( AS WELL AS LEAK OUT TRANNY FLUID ONTO THE GROUND ) AND CAUSE A SERIOUS UN-NECESSARY TRIGGER TO A TRANS PROBLEM. .. * SAID THEY WERE A SERVICE BULLETIN ITEM, SO MAY BE A FREE B ....

So what you had a filter restricting flow. If thats the case you'd better start saving your money the trans is probably on it's way out. And yes i would service any trans at 30K miles lifetime fill or not.

Concerning The Loose Filter: The Vehicle Was DriveN About 5 Miles Before Being Returned To The Dealer, And Would Shift To 3rd But No Higher. So Speed Was Held Down Around 50 Mph.

So Will Have To Assume Since Shift Up To 3rd Was Ok, Pressure Sent & HELD It There. Further If Synthetic Mbz Fluid Is Supposed To Be So Good, It Has Been Put To The Test. .. No Shavings ( Metal ), Gears Tested Good, Clutches Good, Pressure All Good, Codes Reset All
Good, And The Best Point Is It Now Runs Way Better Than Before Since The Adaptive Codes Were Reset. Though The Adverage ( City/ Hwy )mileage Has Dropped From About 18.5 - 19.5 Mpg, To Now About 17.5 - 18.5.

Though With The More Peppy Trans Shifting I Am Testing It Out A Lot. ( Quick Accels, From 65 To 90, From 20 To 50 Etc. )

THANKS FOR THE ASSISTANCE GUYS.

hahnvroon,
could you provide more info on the issue of the leaking o ring which could leak tranny fluid, and the related TSB if there is one. I'm concerned because I have a 99 clk320 which I believe uses the same tranny. thanks.

__________________
87 300e (white/black; amg body kit)
88 300ce (red/cream; amg body kit)
93 300ce cabrio (white/blue/blue top)
93 300ce cabrio (black/grey/black top)
98 ml 320 (totaled @ 137,000 miles)
99 clk320 (black/grey/black top)

Just Talked To The Tech Who Serviced The Transmission Mentioned In My Original Post Above.

He Said The O-ring Is Associated To The: 'transmission Electrical Plug Connector' Apparently Keeps The Atf From The Electrical Components Signaling The Tranny What To Do. Stated There Are Lots Of These That Get Brittle And Leak. Further He Stated He Sees It Even On Newer Vehicles When They Sit A Lot ( Little Use ).

As Mentioned He Had Said There Was A Service Bulletin Concerning This So It Could Be A Free Service. Either Way, What Could A O-ring Cost, To Relpace. .. Vs A Tranny Issue From Such A Petty Thing. It Is Accessable Fairly Easily Per The Tech.

Hope This Helps.

thanks; the e plug, as I believe it is called, is a known leak.

__________________
87 300e (white/black; amg body kit)
88 300ce (red/cream; amg body kit)
93 300ce cabrio (white/blue/blue top)
93 300ce cabrio (black/grey/black top)
98 ml 320 (totaled @ 137,000 miles)
99 clk320 (black/grey/black top)