Transmission warranty - advice sought - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Mal · #1 02-18-2008, 11:58 AM

I sent my transmission to a mb transmission specialist. I paid twice what many shops charge for a trans rebuild but slightly less than the dealer. With it I received a two year warranty.

Transmission is removed by a local shop, put on a pallet and shipped off to the mb trans specialist. I pay the shop for this removal.

I get it back its reinstalled. Within a month it begins to slip. I call they say sure send it in.

Question: the local shop of course wants to charge me to take it out and reinstall.

Should I pay for the removal of the trans or should I tell MB specialist shop you should pay b/c your rebuild didnt hold?

ILUVMILS · #2 02-18-2008, 12:09 PM

Before you do anything, you need to find out what's wrong with the transmission. Just because it's slipping doesn't mean it needs to be removed!!!

Mal · #3 02-18-2008, 01:07 PM

Ok Im not sure I follow. You think it might be the installation? I thought a slipping trans meant the trans was defective. What else could it be? How do you determine this without removal?

I mean I called the mb specialist and said it was slipping and his response was ":sigh: ok send it in...." Made no mention of any other possibility.

The shop which installed it was a regular transmission shop.

POS · #4 02-18-2008, 01:10 PM

I wouldn't pay for a thing; I'd fight first.

Mal · #5 02-18-2008, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by POS

I wouldn't pay for a thing; I'd fight first.

Well its more about demanding them to pay. Im wondering if its appropriate to tell them to pay.

Let me clarify.

Trans rebuilt and its in my car.

Transmission is now slipping after recent rebuild.

I have to pay local shop X $500 to take it out and put on pallettes to send to out of state MB Trans shop. I have warranty with MB trans shop. I have no warranty with local shop X.

So should I tell out of state MB trans shop "hey you guys have to pay local shop X to take out trans from my car to ship to you"

Peter Guenther · #6 02-18-2008, 04:42 PM

I am sorry for you, MB does not rebuild transmissions any more, they sell MB rebuilts to the dealer network. Had you gone that way, the dealer would have to eat the R&R, but the warranty on many items no longer covers the shipping and R&R. What does your warranty say?
http://4mercedes.com/index.htm

Mal · #7 02-18-2008, 04:51 PM

Warranty is not written except for on their website which I printed. And it just says

.... ok looked again and under warranties they have this disclaimer:

"Company shall not be responsible for exemplarily, punitive or consequential damages or laber charges."

so that answers my question I guess. I mean it seems like it would be in good business to pay for the costs associated with your mistake/bad rebuild... I havent asked. I wanted to get a position before I did.

C32AMG · #8 02-18-2008, 08:14 PM

[QUOTE=Mal;1767302]Ok Im not sure I follow. You think it might be the installation? I thought a slipping trans meant the trans was defective. What else could it be? How do you determine this without removal?

I mean I called the mb specialist and said it was slipping and his response was ":sigh: ok send it in...." Made no mention of any other possibility.

The shop which installed it was a regular transmission shop.[/Q

Just because the transmission “Slips” does not mean it’s always an internal problem, could be low on fluid, valve body, B2 or B1 piston and more. Why would they, MB transmission specialist, what it back. Why can’t they try to diagnose the “slip” with the transmission in the car. MB transmission specialist, their NOT.

Mal · #9 02-18-2008, 08:32 PM

[QUOTE=C32AMG;1767606]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mal

Ok Im not sure I follow. You think it might be the installation? I thought a slipping trans meant the trans was defective. What else could it be? How do you determine this without removal?

I mean I called the mb specialist and said it was slipping and his response was ":sigh: ok send it in...." Made no mention of any other possibility.

The shop which installed it was a regular transmission shop.[/Q

Just because the transmission “Slips” does not mean it’s always an internal problem, could be low on fluid, valve body, B2 or B1 piston and more. Why would they, MB transmission specialist, what it back. Why can’t they try to diagnose the “slip” with the transmission in the car. MB transmission specialist, their NOT.

C32 I dont think your reading all the posts. The local shop is not a specialist and I dont want them to do anything except remove the transmission and send it to the specialist.

The specialist is four states away. So they cant drive it. Given the fact that the transmission was just rebuilt and re-installed and then in less than a month the trans begins to slip, doesnt that make it very likely that its the trans?
Its not fluid level so is trans "valve body, b2 or b1 piston" covered under a rebuild warranty? I mean are those things considered part of the transmission?

C32AMG · #10 02-18-2008, 09:18 PM

[QUOTE=Mal;1767617]

Quote:

Originally Posted by C32AMG

C32 I dont think your reading all the posts. The local shop is not a specialist and I dont want them to do anything except remove the transmission and send it to the specialist.

The specialist is four states away. So they cant drive it. Given the fact that the transmission was just rebuilt and re-installed and then in less than a month the trans begins to slip, doesnt that make it very likely that its the trans?
Its not fluid level so is trans "valve body, b2 or b1 piston" covered under a rebuild warranty? I mean are those things considered part of the transmission?

Who diagnosed the “SLIP”, how is the rebuilding shop going to diagnose a transmission problem on a bench, unless they have a dyno. They can recommend a logical diagnostic procedure, which can be done by the shop which installed the transmission, to determine if the SLIP is a simple fix or internal, they should pay the diagnostic labor and or shipping.

tvpierce · #11 02-19-2008, 12:10 AM

First off, I'm not diagnosing your tranny... I'm just going with your assumpting that it has an internal problem. Having said that... and with all due respect, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

You went with a mail-order/internet merchant to save money -- and you did save significant money. If all goes well, you win. If not, you end up right where you are now -- SOL. You can't expect to have local service from a company that's 4 states away. You want a local warrantee? Deal with a local merchant -- it's that simple. There's a reason the guys you used are cheaper: they deal in volume, and don't have much overhead. (no multiple shops around in multiple cities with rent/taxes/insurance/etc.) The trannies are shipped to them. They're doing the "gravy" work.

I don't mean to be a jerk, but I don't think I'm telling you anything you don't already know.

Good luck.

jp

Mal · #12 02-19-2008, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvpierce

First off, I'm not diagnosing your tranny... I'm just going with your assumpting that it has an internal problem. Having said that... and with all due respect, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

You went with a mail-order/internet merchant to save money -- and you did save significant money. If all goes well, you win. If not, you end up right where you are now -- SOL. You can't expect to have local service from a company that's 4 states away. You want a local warrantee? Deal with a local merchant -- it's that simple. There's a reason the guys you used are cheaper: they deal in volume, and don't have much overhead. (no multiple shops around in multiple cities with rent/taxes/insurance/etc.) The trannies are shipped to them. They're doing the "gravy" work.

I don't mean to be a jerk, but I don't think I'm telling you anything you don't already know.

Good luck.

jp

:sigh:

Again.

You have to read all the posts.. This wasnt a mail order discount place. Its a place that ONLY fixes mb transmissions. I mean they sell other parts but they are mb specialists.

I didnt save any money. I paid about twice what a local shop would charge and slightly less than the dealer. I sent it to them for the only reason that they could fix it and I trusted them more than 90 percent of the shmos with "transmission" out on the sign mainly b/c they do just mb's.

tvpierce · #13 02-19-2008, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mal

:sigh:

Again.

You have to read all the posts.. This wasnt a mail order discount place. Its a place that ONLY fixes mb transmissions. I mean they sell other parts but they are mb specialists.

I didnt save any money. I paid about twice what a local shop would charge and slightly less than the dealer. I sent it to them for the only reason that they could fix it and I trusted them more than 90 percent of the shmos with "transmission" out on the sign mainly b/c they do just mb's.

I did read all the posts.

Again... you chose to go with the out of town rebuilder over the dealer to save a few bucks. What am I missing? If the decision to send it to this out of town shop wasn't made over money, then what was it? It certainly wasn't convenience.

I'm with you on the other front: I wouldn't trust just any jamoke with an MB transmission. So your only reasonable local choice was the dealer.

Mal · #14 02-19-2008, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tvpierce

I did read all the posts.

Again... you chose to go with the out of town rebuilder over the dealer to save a few bucks. What am I missing? If the decision to send it to this out of town shop wasn't made over money, then what was it? It certainly wasn't convenience.

I'm with you on the other front: I wouldn't trust just any jamoke with an MB transmission. So your only reasonable local choice was the dealer.

You didnt say dealer before you said local service/shop. I didnt save a few bucks. Local shop would have charged less. IM still in same spot either way.

fred1948 · #15 02-19-2008, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ILUVMILS

Before you do anything, you need to find out what's wrong with the transmission. Just because it's slipping doesn't mean it needs to be removed!!!

I agree. I would take it to a transmission shop that is familiar with MB transmissions and have them check it out. Does it slip in all gears or just one?? Are the shifts crisp or do they flair?
I am in the process of rebuilding my transmission (this is my first auto transmission rebuild so I am not an expert) and can tell you that unless a seal or o-ring was damaged during reassembly the problem is probably with the valve body or in the vacuum control system. Was a new torque converter installed with the transmission? If not then if there were metal particles in the fluid they are very difficult to flush from the torque converter. Also, was the transmission oil cooler flushed prior to installing the new transmission (I found a lot of particles in my oil cooler when I flushed it). If there was crud in the oil cooler and/or torque converter then this could very well have caused a problem in the valve body of the transmission.
If you send the transmission back and they find contamination in the fluid they they may not honor the warranty.