Gentlemen,

Stumped on a 1997 E420. Car has 114 k. Trans had bad flared, delayed shift through all gears, and would sometimes bump into neutral on hard upshift on expressway.

dropped pan, no particles, beautiful orig fluid. Replaced valve body w/MB reman and new conductor plate, replaced fluid in pan and filter. Reset Adaptation. Car now shifts beautifully through all gears BUT....

New problem is delay in engaging reverse or drive from park. Car takes 2-3 seconds to engage either reverse or drive....Fluid level is fine...Any ideas?

No stored codes.

Herbert Phillips
Memphis,Tn

The electronic control module is married to the valve body; it’s a life time commitment. Your TCM is calibrated to the old valve body, they are a SET. You need a new TCM.

I asked the parts dept and they said no new tcm is needed. Are you sure?

If the TCM and valve body are combined incorrectly, the switching operation is always a delayed engagement in to R or D.

Meaning, can I buy one from a salvage yard?

Or does it have to be new?

Any idea of approx cost?

If you found a correctly coded TCM from exactly the same model vehicle, maybe; But the same question still remains; does it have the correct software to match you updated valve body.


Ask if they can reflash the TCM with the latest software to support the updated valve body part number.

Herb, I have attached a picture that lists the compatibility between, TCM, formware version and valvebody. There is a note on the bottom about TCM 017545 0532 being replaced with 0175450632. No idea what that change entails.
For what it is worth, this is what the alldata documentation says about ordering and coding TCM's:

"The TCM's listed herein are to be ordered directly through the Baltimore PDC, via fax, at (410) 850-4238. (Note : Only the TCM can be ordered with this procedure. Do not attempt to include an order for the valve body or any other parts in this fax. Also, it is no longer necessary to use "VIN plus suffix 26" when ordering these control modules.)

Uncoded control modules which can be coded in the dealership via HHT must also be ordered via fax by supplying the part number only.


The following information is required when ordering a version coded TCM:
1 - TCM part number
2 - Customer name
3 - First six digits of model designation from customer's vehicle (e.g. 210.072)

After installation of the version coded TCM, the DTC's must be cleared from the TCM memory via the HHT. DTC's may be stored during the version coding procedure and would keep the vehicle in limp home mode if not erased."

As far s prices go, I was quoted $400 for a used TCM by a place that turned out not to have one. A new one was quoted at $1230 by MB.
Just another thought, could it be that your gear selector switch is repsponding a little slow? There is no reason for this to have started right when you did all this other work, but you never know.
Good Luck,
Ace

Attached Thumbnails

 

Thank you!

The part number for the MB remanufactured valve body and conductor plate is 140-270-06-06-88

I don't have the part # for my TCM yet , but will take a look tommorrow.

Does anyone know if it is possible to update my original TCM via HHT with new firmware?

The dealership doesn't have any experience with this, though they may be willing to try to use their HHT (however it doesn't sound like they are aware of any update software for the existing unit).

my TCM was replaced under Starmark a few months ago, and now the car is out of warranty. I know the valve body has never been done, so when it comes time to do it, if I have to, can I assume the new TCM will work with the new valve body? I do have mild flaring and I feel some work is inevitable at some point in teh not too distant future.

__________________
former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL

MB offers a reman unit (026 545 7232 88) for around $425 wholesale.

The question is , what is the difference between version coded and non coded.

If I buy the reman, can I hook up the HHT to the car and code it to the car?

My dealer isn't aware of this issue, and until I asked them to look up the TCM, they didn't know that I should have replaced it with the valve body.

Will the reman unit simply be "plug and play"?

A local shop ordered a rebuilt TCM from Beckman Technologies. It was about 50% of the dealership for a new one. Car no longer has any delay.

The early TCM's are not compatible with the new valve bodies for the 722.6 transmissions.

The delay in engagement is a clear sign, if you just swapped valve body and conductor plate.

Hope this helps someone else with their problem