Went to the local "reputable tranny shop". I'd previously described the problem over the phone and he told me that I'd have to bring it in to look at it. Well about $100.00 later I brought it in and left it there and about two hours later I got "the call" but he told me that "he could not tell me what was wrong until he tore it down". I tried to get a top cost and he could not give me one but warned me about buying out of state trannys. I wondered why I even brought it in if he could not give me some idea of the problem after having seen it. I went to get it an it was still up in the air up on the lift. Told him I wasn't going to repair it and retrieved it. I don't understand why I had to bring it in and let him look at it if he was going to have to tear it down to give me some idea of cost.....A used tranny with core is $850.00 but this is a "converted 1996" to fit the 1995 E320 (not sure what that means) and another $550 to $600 to put it in. Just an update on the "ticking lifter" --- I took the car through the local emissions test (the gas had been in the tank since November 2007) and the tester remarked how clean the test was (11 ppm when the max was 210 ppm). I really am impressed with the quality of German engines.... the trannys are another thing. Anyone have experience with the sunvalley dismantlers?

What you have is a very durable transmission - can be 200-300k miles with reasonable driving and regular maintenance. The .3s are really the last of the durable transmissions - those that what came after it were downright frail by comparison. But it's an automatic - if you want long transmission life you get a stick.

Well now that depends entirely on your driving style...LOL. I've had clutches last 18k miles back when I was younger...