87 300se big transmission problem
 

I am considering buying (or maybe being given) a broken down 300se from a relative who doesnt know what to do with it.

Heres the situation:

The car will drive and shift ok for first 15 min of operation, then when coming to a stop the engine will die. It can be restarted in park, but as soon as it goes into gear it dies again. After completly cooling down it will run fine again for about 15 min, then same problem over again. It seems like the trans is getting to a certian point and something happens and it bogs down the engine so much it cant run. Almost like lockup TC staying locked.

Any ideas??
(note: i have worked on a couple trans in the past, just no MB ones)
Paul

Sound like a lockup converter to me. Since it takes some time before the problem occures I would try to electrically disconnect the lockup converter solinoid (I am assuming MB uses a lockup converter solonoid, I have only worked on American automatics). This way it will never engage in the first place. If the car runs for hours then the lockup coverter is engaging and getting stuck possibly due to the expansion of a piston as the tranny heats up.

I had a Ford Taurus AXODE transmission with a forward clutch piston that was warped and would seize in place (neutral after warm up and coming down from OD). The problem was that when you came to a stop and went to start in first gear again you needed the forward clutch to get going. If I could have gotten the car into overdrive without going to 1st, 2nd, 3rd. I could have just drove home, but I had to wait a couple of hours for it to cool down before I could drive it home and overhaul the trans.

In your case you may just have to replace the torque converter.

Good Luck
John Roncallo

The 722.3 4 and 5 transmissions do not have a clutch in the TC. And if the transmission was totally seized, like lockup; because of the TC fluid coupling effect, the engine will still run at an idle. The only connection between the engine and transmission is hydraulic,( fluid) transmission oil. The car has an engine problem.

hmm, so engine problem. I am going off of what I had seen in on a 2 min look at the car and a bunch of explaining from the relative getting rid of it, who likely doesnt know much about it. I have never owned an MB before, I am familiar with german cars though, I have a 95 740il, 71 914, and an 87 5000cstq right now. What sort of fuel injection system does MB run, does it have idle stabilization circuit? I may have to look further into this car, wonder what would make it run ok at idle cold but not warm.... any ideas?

soudns like fuel injection system problem more than tranny. I heard that old MB torque converters almost never fail.(dont know about new TC) Tranny friction plates do but not TCs. If you just idle for 15min will engine die? 15 minutes after warm up engine should reach normal operation temperature. Looks like once system reaches normal operational temp. and goes into closed loop to maintain mixture it doesnt work right and with load(drive or R ) it can't maintain right mixture or there is big vacum leak. That is my thought
Vic

You need to start with the basics. Check the distributor cap and rotor, spark plugs, coil wire. From there, check the fuel system and fuel pump relay. Also, check for vacuum leaks.

Look at the neutral saftey switch for problems there as well.

hmm, I am familiar with CIS since my audi has it, I take it its probably not too vastly different from CIS-E. I havnt realy had much time to look over this car yet since its not mine as of right now. I'll post back after i take a better look.

Thanks,
Paul

Your car has the Bosch KE-Jetronic system. It is a CIS system. here's a decent description