722.6 automatic trans

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the 722.6 is said to be a tough transmission. so far it has been, until!

car is 2000 w202 c230 Sport Kompressor with 130-140k miles. new Maf and O2's.

after reading many post.. about k1 springs, faulty shift lever linkage module etc etc etc... I have more symptoms then just being stuck in 1st\2nd gear. note: car is always in Drive and in Sport mode aka 1st gear start.

I will have to update this post when I can drive the car again to see if its 1st or 2nd gear it starts off in, and stays in.


1st- 10% of the time, transmission works fine, shifting thru all gears, on a cold start up.

2nd- 90% of the time on a cold start it is stuck in 1st\2nd gear.

3rd- when I put the key in ignition and try to take it out of park, it hesitates like its locked in park. 5 years ago I did spill a drink in the shifter and it locked into Park. I pulled that lever as hard as I could to put it in Drive. I think I semi broke that lock, but non the less, 5 min later after turning the car off\on it worked fine ever since! but now, if memory serves me right, I am able to shift the car from neutral to drive, or park to drive w\o pressing on the brakes.

4th- when the trans is stuck in 1st or 2nd gear, it makes a whining noise. sounds faint. the whine noise will not be there when it shifts normal. only when its stuck in 1st or 2nd.

5th- Many months ago, one of the first symptoms of my failing transmission was on a cold start, at the first red light I would come to, when light turns green, I accelerate, but car starts off in 2nd gear, then jambs itself into 1st gear harshly at 5-7mph, then 2nd,3rd,4th,5th shift was all normal. and would be fine for the rest of the day. happened almost daily on cold start.

6th- many months ago, just one random morning, I started my car and it was all fine for about 30min of driving until I was stuck in 4rd gear! I pulled over and turned car off\on and it was fine, then I was stuck in 2nd gear and could not go faster then 45mph. I heard that same whining noise coming from transmission, next day and months, it ran perfect!

7th- I replaced trans oil, filter, seal and the Electronic plastic plug\port & seal that is common to leak from. car was fine until!!!!!!

8th- I was being dumb with my daily driver in the rain with ESP off, breaking the rears loose and getting side ways on the curves. it was all good until the next day, trans started getting stuck in 1st\2nd gear with the whining sounds.

another little random note. I think, when the car randomly will drive and shift through all gears fine, putting the shift lever from Park to Drive will not hesitate. but after a few test runs, the car will always revert into being stuck in low 1st or 2nd gear.

thanks for any helpful ideas!