Don't your shifting problems sound EXACTLY like the problems described in the TSB? They do to me!

Do you have a good relationship with your dealer? I know a few folks that have had the ETC updated on MB Canada's tab even though the car was out of warranty. Even a cost-sharing arrangement would be preferable to picking up the whole tab. I think that the ETC replacement was about $1100 of my warranty bill. It was about $5000 for the new tranny, $1100 for the ETC, $1600 for the converter, and "sundry" bits brought it to about $8000.

Talking to local techs, MB Canada won't authorize ANY warranty repairs on any 97-99 model year 722.6 trannies. They immediately replace all the bits. While it's more expensive, they upgrade the tranny, ETC and converter.

My indie had a rival shop replace some trannies without updating the ETC, and the new box would be wrecked by the old ETC. He had some disgruntled customers come to his shop, and he replaced everything (cars WELL out of warranty...) and problem solved. However, he has had good success treating patients with shifting problems by replacing the ETC on it's own.

Once sorted out, it seems that the 722.6xx is a deadly tranny, but thank you Mercedes for experimenting on the first three years of owners.

__________________
John Shellenberg
1998 C230 "Black Betty" 240K

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