No reverse 1995 E320 & a "lifter noise?"
 

I bought a 1995 320 about two years ago and things appeared fine. It would give me a "positive" shift some of the time and occasionally flare going into 3rd or 4th. Well, it suddenly quit moving in forward one day. This lasted a few minutes and then it worked fine for about a week and I discovered that it would not work in reverse. It just revs with no movement. I've read about the reverse clutch pack problems and possible B2 or B3 valve body problems associated with this transmission.
Does anyone have any ideas about what the real problem is or what I should do? I am considering getting a rebuilt from Sun Valley. Anyone with recent experience with them?
Thanks for your help.
Oh, I also have a lifter noise that is starting to manifest itself near the front of the engine. I'm familiar with hydraulic lifters but the ones I've seen as replacement parts seem much shorter than the "good ole US types". Do the lifters usually fail and need to be replaced or could this be something else?

How are your ATF and oil levels?

I changed the filter and ATF after the "no reverse" problem appeared and it still doesn't move in reverse. It still moves forward but I have not driven it much because I'm afraid it may stop moving again.

Just went thru a very similar problem on my '96 E300 and it turned-out to be a fragmented B3 band on my 722.3 tranny. Had to have it completely rebuilt including the torque converter.

Yeah....., I really expect to have to buy and install a rebuilt. Anyone have any suggestions as to who to buy a rebuilt tranny from based on their experience?

I have had GREAT success with a product called RISLONE. I have used it on a '94 E320 I had with the same problem. I have used it on many german engines with Hydraulic lifters with 100% success.

RWOGS: I found that it was much less expensive and less of a hassle to have my own tranny rebuilt by a local shop! I stayed-away from the franchise chains and found a local independent who did a great job at a very reasonable cost!

Rislone
 

WOW, I haven't heard that name for some time. Thanks, I may try that. I want to take it through emissions first, but I may try that afterward. It really does sound like a sticky lifter. Thanks!!:D

I have considered that too and been in contact with a reputable tranny shop but they are only open weekdays and it is hard to schedule when I'm going to drive straight in and have them look at it. Do you have a feeling about a reasonable charge for a local rebuild?

I'd budget between $1800 and $2500 based on where you live. You can save a few hundred dollars if you pull/install the tranny yourself.

sounds like the tranny needs rebuilt
 

same thing happened to me, exactly, no reverse all of a sudden after months of warning in forward gears, a lurching feeling while stopped. Cost me $1400 in New Mexico for a rebuild and they did an excellent job, absolutely excellent, but it took them a whole week...other than that, no problem, and that was 30K miles ago.clutch packs were burnt they said

I used to have the same transmission issue on my W201 and ended to be a clogged filter.

That sound exactly like my experience! I should add that before it completely stopped moving in reverse, it acted like the rear brakes were on...when I gave it gas, it felt like it wanted to move but was locked up.. the rear end even raised slightly.. but I know the brakes were not locked or dragging..after that it just "whirrrred" and did not move.

wow, that's weird. My 124 has a 3 second delay going into reverse, sure sign of future doom, but like all the other ones I've read about in that it's a gradual failure. Yours failed with no warning and no prior delays or slippage? Weird.

My 300sd did that reverse-gear delay from the day I bought it with 128k miles on it, to the day I sold it with 325k miles on it. It also did the hard 1-2 shift.

Both of these things, people start griping about certain death for the transmission, but that's not really true. A lot of cars show those characteristics and never have a problem.

Arrrgggghhh!!
 

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...