1995 S320 intermittent reverse - do I need trans rebuild?

[dvdguy]

I live on the east coast, and a good friend of mine lives in Oakland, CA.

He has a 1995 S320 that will not go into reverse once it's warmed up.

I've been visiting CA often, and I am considering fixing his car so that I would be able to use it instead of always renting an econobox.

Do you think this car will need a transmission rebuild? Do you know an indy shop near Oakland who could do the job for a reasonable price? What does it cost to fix a problem like that these days?

thanks!

[97 SL320]

Is it a 4 or 5 speed auto trans?

I researched this when looking at a SL 4 speed with weak reverse. ( 5 sp is going to be different as it is electronic control )

On the 4 sp, supposedly there is a small spring in the valve body that collapses causing reverse pressure to drop. If you catch it early enough, no damage is done to the clutches.

The clutch pack for reverse is the first pack that you come across the front pump is pulled. It would be possible to replace the reverse pack as a "repair " if the rest of the trans is in good shape.

[Peter Guenther]

The bottom line is the trans needs to come out

[rayhennig]

Originally Posted by dvdguy

He has a 1995 S320 that will not go into reverse once it's warmed up.

My 722.5 'box, once warmed up, would engage reverse 50% of the time. A year ago, I had box and torque converter (DON'T forget to drain the TC) fluid and filter changed by an MB specialist. MB filter and MB D3 fluid were used.

This was a high price and, in fairness to them, they advised me to forget about the fluid change once they'd drained the 'box and found bits of debris. I told 'em to go ahead anyway.

A year later, it hasn't failed once to engage reverse. £230 well spent, even if it fails today!

RayH

[MAVA]

Mr. DVD,

The transmission must come out-sadly...

The part cost about 5 bucks.

Overall costs: San Francisco Bay Area hourly labor rates are one of the Nations Highest. You need to drive it to(one-hour East) Stockton or Modesto where it is 1/3 to 1/2 cheaper..

The job is a heck of a job, but one man can do it. I removed mine all by my self, and I'm skinny... Technically you can go in and just replace the oring, and I know someone who did, but I'm overhauling mine starting this week.

If you are interested, I can provide you with the process.

The pictures:

This is the housing for the clutch pack responsible for reverse operation. The hole in the center has an o-ring, and it is the one that fails causing reverse to fail.
The picture with the housing face-down, and teeth facing-up: If you look at the shinny fan marks at the outer bottom of the part. That is the result of this part slamming in the steel clutch pack. The housing is cast aluminum, and still can be used. Your friend gets this roller coaster clicking noise while in reverse. The marks on the casting are the result of the clicking noise.

Let me know if you a want to take a stab at it. I'll send you the data(or tell you where you can get it at).

I'm doing a full rebuild, because it just seems logical. I do not want to go back in, and do something else later.

Best of luck,

Martin

[berryrice]

The dreaded reverse transmission has reared its ugly head again. Here's a recent thread about the reverse going out/slipping/intermittent action.

w126 tranny slipping in reverse

I believe as the transmission fluid warms up, the fluid gets less "sticky" and the bare reverse bands have lost their friction ability (metal to metal contact). Good luck and keep us posted as to what you find out.

[RANDY P]

go here.

Used Mercedes parts,rebuilt mercedes transmissions

EDIT: I didn't see "Oakland"

anyhow that's where a lot of rebuilds come from. reputable.

rjp

[compress ignite]

@
Toll Free: 1-800-372-TRANS (8726)

Phone:
650-348-3990
Fax:
650-348-3019
Email:
mzfinc@pacbell.net

1331 Rollins Road
Burlingame, CA 94010

They're right in your area(Well...Across the Bay)

As soon as you hear him,you'll understand,You've called the right place.

[MAVA]

Here is some food for thought on oil:

How often should the automatic transmission fluid... — Yahoo! Autos

Heat was killing Ford Taurus' Transmissions causing them to fail at 70k to 80k miles. I was a victim of my first Taurus tranny failing, but my second one I got 225k miles just by adding a tranny cooler.

Best of luck,

Martin