I need transmission HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! W140

[benzsu]

I need to find answers for my problem, my transmission shift and runs fine in city traffic but once on the highway I smell a burning odor from the car. Oh yeah one thing I forgot to tell you. This only happens when I'm at 60mph then I step on the gas hard, I feel the tranmission down shift to 4 or 3 gear and at this piont the car is at 100mph. I always smell an odor when the car travels past 100mph. I know I should not be driving at this speed but on the S500 it is very easy to do when you are not looking at the speedometer. 100 in a Tercel is dangerous but in a Mercedes it feel normal. OK, so when I gas the car hard (more like flooring the car) past 100mph I smell the burning clutch smell.

Is there anyway to repair without replacing a trancsmission? Is it just my tranmission fluid needs changing. I have only driven the car like this a few time just to see how fast It would go. The minute I smell the burning I stop. I do not have this problem in my E420 which has 10K less than my S500. Other then high speed driving, I do not smell anything from the car. What should I do to take good care of my car.

[superlite17]

I don't really have the answer to your questions but it would help if you would post the car milage and transmission service history, fluid changes.
Paul
______
98 E300

[benzsu]

I have 90K on 97 S500 don't know the history of the car since it was a used purchase. The car has no hard shifting problem, runs smooth, transmission just smells at 100mph when forced to do it. Have not changed fluids since 2004 when first bought it. Only put 6K a year, driving weekends mostly. E420 is the daily commuter. I just hope the smell is from the fluids overheating and not anything mechanical. I never drive over 100mph, but in this car or any V8 Mercedes, it is very easy to make such mistake.

[rdanz]

Have you checked the fluid level? and was it overfilled?

[benzsu]

fluids ok, I'm talking about a burning smell when driven hard. Like burnt clutch smell.. I was told automatics have friction plates, I just hope these parts are OK and not damaged.

[smk_texas]

Hi,
Did you check to see if you have fluid leaks at the bottom after you came back from your 100mph drive ??? I overfilled my transmission in my 400e two years back and I had a similar porblem. The fluid would leak only at high speeds from the pan and when it hit the exhaust pipes I got the burnt smell. I pulled over and looked underneath and only then I realised what was going on. I siphoned off some fluid and then no more smell.

smk_texas
98 S420 51K

[benzsu]

tranny fluids on exhaust has a different smell. same problem with my old 300E. after i chaged fluid it was a little better. I hope thats all I need.

[duxthe1]

Is it possible that you are smelling your brakes getting hot? Overheated brakes and burnt clutches have a similar smell.

[trueog]

Try something like Lucas Trans Conidtionor..its simple, buy the bottle and add. I was having rough shifting problems with my car and slipping and it have been fine since I added Lucas last year...it took about two weeks to cure it self after the product was added. I wonder if it'll help with your problems....just a suggestion.

[Hatterasguy]

Have you pullled the dipstick and check the fluid? 1997 might be the first year of the 5sp sealed for life trans. If thats the case and the fluid is original good luck...

I think you should bring it to a shop that knows W140's well or the dealer and have them take a look.

[C32AMG]

If you think the transmission is slipping, burnt smell; does the engine sound
like it is over revving, does the tach run in the red. Does the engine feel
Sluggish, lack of power, you could have the beginning of a failing catalytic
Converter.

[trueog]

Originally Posted by C32AMG

If you think the transmission is slipping, burnt smell; does the engine sound
like it is over revving, does the tach run in the red. Does the engine feel
Sluggish, lack of power, you could have the beginning of a failing catalytic
Converter.

You're right about this comment......tottally forgot about this myself.

[benzsu]

Its not the fluids on the exhaust smell, and it is not the catalyst converter smell. I know what those odor smells like. catalyst fail has rotten egg smell and tranny fluids over heat has a different kind of burning smell. My car smell like burnt clutch, a very strong odor. I think the tranny slips a little seems like, but the car will still accelerate with speed. So I assume the slipping is not servre. Once again the odor comes on when, say you're going at 60mph and you want to pass someone so you floor the gas till you see 100mph on the speedo. At this time I start smelling the burning smell like burning clutch. If I ease on the gas at 60mph till I hit 130mph the odor is very slight. I can maintain speeds at 110mph without any odor. So the smell comes on with sudden acceleration. I will check the color of the fluids just to make sure. I have a 1997 S500 with 5 speed. the tranny should be a sealed one. supposely maintanence free. There is no odor at any time other than fast acceleration high insanely high speed which should be normal for these autobahn cars.

[trueog]

If its not the Cat...or a leak onto the pipes...I hope you don't have the same problem as my wife's Jetta. The Jetta would be totally fine, until you hit the free way and drove around 120Km/h....after about 5-10 minutes at a higher speed, it would start to smell like a mechanic shop floor inside, it was also stuttering like the transmission is slipping... after changing the spark plugs, spark plug wires, cap and rotor the stuttering stopped, but the slipping feel and smell continued..... Turns out a mixture of coolant and oil was landing on the hot mani...and burning up and the smell would enter into the car....Turned out to be a head gasket leak, and apparently a crack in the block(VW said)...the car is also a 97....havn't fixed it yet, been in the garage for 6 months now....VW told me its going to be atleast $2000 in total for the repairs.....all this at 115 000 KM.

Originally Posted by benzsu

Its not the fluids on the exhaust smell, and it is not the catalyst converter smell. I know what those odor smells like. catalyst fail has rotten egg smell and tranny fluids over heat has a different kind of burning smell. My car smell like burnt clutch, a very strong odor. I think the tranny slips a little seems like, but the car will still accelerate with speed. So I assume the slipping is not servre. Once again the odor comes on when, say you're going at 60mph and you want to pass someone so you floor the gas till you see 100mph on the speedo. At this time I start smelling the burning smell like burning clutch. If I ease on the gas at 60mph till I hit 130mph the odor is very slight. I can maintain speeds at 110mph without any odor. So the smell comes on with sudden acceleration. I will check the color of the fluids just to make sure. I have a 1997 S500 with 5 speed. the tranny should be a sealed one. supposely maintanence free. There is no odor at any time other than fast acceleration high insanely high speed which should be normal for these autobahn cars.

[benzsu]

sorry about your jetta. My car has no leak all fluids are normal. I guess I'll have to avoid any high speed driving.