Transmission w124 E420 + Girlfriend = Problems
 

In a nutshell.

I bought a 1994 E420 W124 for my girlfriend.

53K with an aftermarket warranty for $12,000

I schedule her oil changes. Also this woman is a raving luntic when she is carless- you would think I cut off her right arm when her car is in the shop- automatically she will latch onto anyones car she can.

She knows she is not allowed to drive my E500 1994 but insists on it. (currenly she drives her ex-husbands car)

So at around 59,000 miles the A/c goes. After a long battle with the warranty company all is covered except for freon and tax...you would think she was gravely wronged by the way she acted.

At 60K miles her car is due for a service. A transmission service. I tell her its an $800 service at the dealership. She refuses to pay that- saying she can't afford it right now (I say better to put it on a credit card and pay it off over time- she says "no").

I say- pay a little now or a lot more later. She says....I'll do it later.

A few more oil changes and we notice oil leaking from the gear box.

Her gear box is replaced covered by warranty. (except for $100) She doesn't get an alignment at that time. Then she gets new snow tires...stilll no alignment.

Then at 80K miles her transmission starts slipping. She sends it into the the dealership and they can't reproduce the problem. It leaves her stranded a few times. She send sit into the dealer and they can't reproduce the symptoms.

The symptoms:
When she pulls up to a stop sign and then tries to go again the engine just revs. No gear engagement. If she then downshifts into 1st or 2nd gear the car engages and moves but still won't shift into 3 or 4.

IF she gets home and lets it sit it behaves for a few hundred miles more.

Recently there has been a grinding sound and a "oil like smell" coming from the car. Stil this is also intermittent. I've been in the car with her and experienced these problems.

I looked in the search function and thought perhaps her old ATF turned into varnish and is clogging her brake booster cable or her vaccuum modulator. Or perhaps those "plastic fingers" in the valve itself.

We took the car to a mechanic and had the old ATF flushed 5 times, dropped the pan and had it cleaned out + new transmission filter. It drove fine for about 300 miles...and again the same problems.

Any ideas?

Hopefully she will learn from this lesson - that if you don't do the required maintence you will almost always shorten the life of the car and end up with a huge repair bill.

Ideally I would like to be able to tell the dealership what diagnostic proceedure to try to pinpoint the problem.

that trans prob sounds EXACTLY the same as I had on my CL420 (1996/7)

turned out the main input shaft had spat out half its teeth (photo below)

needed a full 'box re-build at 1200 quid (15-1800 bucks?)

Re: Transmission w124 E420 + Girlfriend = Problems
 

Well, I wonder who should actually be learning the lesson? While I don't know the details of your situation, your description makes it seem this car was the wrong choice for this woman - was it HER choice? Anyway, maybe you should convince her to try something a bit lower maintenance, which should appeal at this point.

Steve

1): Never buy a car for someone other than your spouse or your mother.

2): Replace transmission, sell car, keep the money, and let HER buy a cheap Toyota or something. She's gonna drive the crap out of anything she doesn't own, beat it to death, and blame you. If she throws a fit, throw her out. If she can't afford a car, she can walk or beg -- you don't owe her fancy transportation. Don't pay for maintenance on her cars either -- sounds like she drives foot to the floor until it won't move, then abuses someone about it.

Sorry to be blunt, but unless you are willing to put up with this kinda stuff forever, that's the only way to avoid the problem.

If you MUST keep the girlfriend, you two are gonna have to have a serious talk about responsibility -- sounds an awful lot like she's using you for "lifestyle enhancement" without being required to return much on her part...... You really shouldn't be supporting someone you AREN'T married to in the style to which she would like to become accustomed! Bad mojo.

Peter

It's time to dump the girlfriend and sell the E420.

Transmission
 

Your car needs either a new transmission, or a complete rebuild. Approximate cost = $2500

According to your description of your girlfriend, she needs a maintenance free car like a Toyota or a Honda. (Mercedes will run forever as long as it's given the proper preventative maintenance)

Good luck,

jrmd01@yahoo.com

Sell the girlfriend, use the money to repair the car and then sell it too.

Hondas were made for housewives
 

guydewdney,

Many thanks- I hope this can cut down on diagnostic charges. For Now Clair Mercedes of Westwood,MA has only taken the car out for (2) 10 minute drives- shoulld I tell them to drop the pan…or would you still not be able to see any damage?
\
sbourg, I tend to agree with you at this point. This car was a sort of experiment to see if she could maintain a nice car. Her previous Dodge caravan was so thrashed that it had almost no working interior controls- useless headlights, and was filthy- to the point of being infested with maggots several times (Sad but true). I never once saw her clean the interior of that car and it was a 1995. After that she leased a Saab at an unbeatable $199 a month. for 3 years. The car got dents that she did not remove until she returned it to the dealer- and I was the only person who ever made any attempt to clean her car.


Her E420 ends up being a dirty tea mug container most of the time with scattered papers, kids half eaten lollipops and candy tossed in the seat map pockets. I am the only person who washes her car, and Rarely does she give me the opportunity to do so. As a result the car sat covered with salt most of the winter and her car (Originally the car is from from Mild Atlanta) now has first signs of rust on the trunk lid.

I still do love the car and think it is a great driving car and a real bargain given the mileage and condition of the interior. I do warn her that she will end up driving a Honda.

Leasing though more expensive is likely her best option- but she will never get another leasing deal for a decent European car at $199 a month.

I should add though that I merely flew to Atlanta and purchased the car for her- but she paid for it. I did make sure it had a warranty and when that came close to expiring we purchased an aftermarket warranty so she would not get hit with huge unexpected expenses.

Another of my ex-girlfriends had a Toyota Celica…I must have spent $200 a month on massage to correct my back after riding in that car. Honda seats also destroy my back.

I drove the car to Boston from Atlanta- and other than a ridiculous speeding ticket I thought the drive was great. I certain would buy another1994-1995 E420 in the future.

I have to spend a good deal of time with her in her car (likes to take me out on errands) so I picked the E420 because the ride was comfortable and even quieter interior noise levels than my E500. I've always really liked the E420 /400E w124 model. I also was hoping the car would be bomb proof enough for her- and that because the car was a mercedes she might take more of an effort to keep it clean…and compared to the other roving dumpsters she drove, she does take more care of this car.

Sometimes it takes 2-3 cars before people learn to maintain them- and The car to her now is an extension of her appearance - that to her is a new concept. I got her 2 beautiful Fox Fur hats for her wardrobe ( remarkable deal marked down from $300 to gasp! 9.99) I said to her that the hats go great with the car....its a long psychological road to the concept of car care being akin to putting on make up for women. She has to incorporate car maintaince into her "make up" routine. I've explained- filthy rims are like unpolished shoes....it took a bit but she understands that now.

You can see why I don't want her driving my E500.

Tranny problems like that are usually internal, you can't see anything by dropping the pan except metal shavings from clutch damage.

If the woman is a car pig, I'd keep my hands (and my pocketbook) a long way away from her car. No point, she's no more going to learn to take care of her cars that pigs are going to start flying.

Best bet on the tranny is to replace with a rebuilt one and send the current one back as a core -- it's very likely it has internal damage of some sort and will require a complete rebuild anyway.

Peter

Yeah, but is she hot?
 

She'd better be extremely hot for you to have to put up with all of that maintenence. The girl, that is.

Its your money but you will loose a lot of it on her and her car. High maintanence women are more expensive than high maintanence cars.
Mark

I would be real reluctant to get involved with a woman that thought like this:eek::(.

My wife does not drive my 126 without me in it and the kids are not allowed to eat/drink in it. She does not want to drive the 300D's:). On the other hand the CRV looks like a rolling trash can on the inside. She does keep the exterior shined up:) though.

I'm onboard with some of the others - get a new girlfriend! She sound like a RPITA! Or at least tell us some redeeming qualities to help the rest of us better undestand why you'd be w/someone like this!

Sounds as if she has NO appreciation for what she dirves - thus IMHO does not deserve to dirve such a fine car. What she needs/deserves is BASIC transportation. Actually being that she does not understand maintanace, she should be relegated to PUBLIC transportation!

I agree - girlfriends like that should take the bus.

That's why I drive a Mercedes but date the female equivalent of a Toyota. Just as reliable (maybe more-?), and no expensive habits.

I drive a Mercedes but am married to a Ferrari -

LOL - Now, THAT can get expensive, I'll bet!

Some girls are just hard on the hardware......


..........and some guys just love it......;)

A Ferrari?? I had couple of those---girlfriends I mean
 

OF course the dealer just wants to charge us $200 for a 24 minute drive diagnostic (Read- they let the guys drive the car to get lunch twice).

Any particular reccommendations to give the dealer so they might find that a gear in the tranny is shot?

As for the girlfriend. I did trade in for a low mileage Maserati at one point- but it was always a huge drama. In the end I returned to this one. What is she? I guess a pre-owned Lexus GS 300- needs minor body work- fitted with aftermarket larger headlights, with 44,000 miles no rust and three kids in the back seat. Always starts- no surprises, and never leaves me stranded, theft isn't as bad as an exotic and somehow it seems to get through anything New England Weather can throw at it. Also I don't have to worry about dings as this one is "mommy hardened".

But She thinks I want a Maybach or lots of shiny low mileage free loaners from dealers (Local Boston Colleges). I probably have been on too many test drives.

Re: Transmission w124 E420 + Girlfriend = Problems
 

WTF is that! This b*tch seems to me like one of the people who just doesn't car about anything and leeches off other people. I can just image you both getting married, she becomes a fat slob, then a divorces you. The same thing happens with you as the ex-husband and shes driving the E500 that will get infested with maggots while you have to pay her alimony while whe gets another boyfriend.

Re: Re: Transmission w124 E420 + Girlfriend = Problems
 

Do I sense some bitterness here? :( Perhaps too close to reality?

There are some things that require training...car maintenance for instance.

Took years to get my wife to understand this when we were dating. Her cars weren't maggot-infested, but I would call them "large metal purses"!

Her car doesn't look like that anymore, but only because I tend to all of the vehicles' care and maintenance weekly.

And I still find sticky residue on wood consoles, Altoids and fries in the nooks and crannies, and all sorts of assorted clothing accessories, jewelry in the ashtray, papers in the rear canopy area, etc. etc...and this is the SL!

I've tried to give her firm suggestions to the alternatives, but it's no use. :rolleyes:

Different priorities I guess...because there are clothes that I walk out of the house wearing that she screams are "unacceptable"! ;)

Re: Re: Re: Transmission w124 E420 + Girlfriend = Problems
 

I guess I listen to Tom Leykis too much:D

Well some people are just sloppy and she is one of them- though she professes to be organized.

Ever watch Queer Eye for the straight guy? They go into sloppy peoples homes and fix them. Shelves and closets are almost always the things they attack

Shes personally very clean and is all around a nice woman- she's just a slob and feels threatened without her "protective car encasing her". I suppose most women are afraid of being raped in urban areas and are too nervous to take the subway.

Ironically if she was a fat ugly girl, she likely wouldn't be afraid of public transportation.

The dealership couldn't reproduce the problem so we get the car back today.

The only advice they have is drive it until you get stuck.


I'm not going to be in the car when the tranny drops.

It's actually a cry for help from the car itself. It no longer wishes to be filled with kids who have sticky hands, and its transmission shudders at the thought that maggots might thrive somewhere within the car.
Cars have feelings too.... I think hers is depressed because it feels abused, "dirty", and neglected, and is probably thinking of suicide - starting with the transmission - after all, its the fastest way to get her out of the car.

I feel bad for the car. I really do.

new sounds
 

Now the car makes a grinding sound in park and neutral along with a sound that sounds like you kept turning the key even after car has started.

It screams from the neglect.

Please help this little innocent e420.

Re: new sounds
 

That could be the solinoid getting stuck.

Yeah I can't spell;)

Take the car to an independent mechanic, there is something wrong with the transmission or ring gear if it makes noises like that. Could be a bad starter or bad ring gear, or both.

Benz starters have overrunning clutches, so if the solenoid is stuck the engine won't drag the starter motor, but that clutch will make terrible noises if the starter gear is touching the ring gear while the engine is running.

This car is sorta young for this kind of trouble, though.

Peter

Dump the woman and the car.

Can you imagine living with that (woman) for the remainder of your days? Very unpleasant.

Oh boy, you got one of THOSE?!?
 

I remember when I first met my current GF- looked at her car ('94 mazda protege) and just shook my head- hadn't been waxed in looked like years (this was in '96). I kinda gave her a hard time about it, being that her house was absolutely spotless. I eventually kinda took the poor thing under my wing, cleaned it up, serviced it, showed her HOW to check the oil. That gave her some initiative and she does better, but not to my standard. I'm curious just how bad that poor merc would end up if you didn't do anything to it. I know that I just wouldn't be paying for the car and the services. If that was the case, I'd buy her a Honda and let her beat the crap out if that thing. It seems to me that she just puts gas in it and drives it and nuts up when it poops out from the neglect. I see your efforts as noble, but you could REALLY be setting yourself up for some stressful condiions down the road. I couldn't have a woman that was that bad on a car, because I KNOW where THAT kind of stuff heads.....divorce court. Oh, and by the way, she still has the Protege, 140K and still going. I'm in Germany now, we'll see how long before she blows it up or gets scared of the mileage and wants to trade it in on that cool Subaru Outback she keeps talking about.

Get the girlfriend rebuilt! Put in a new ECU. It'll cost you less in the long run than putting in a rebuilt tranny. hehe

Uh, what's cool about a Subaru Outback? :confused:

sounds to me like it is time for a new tranny. a good independant should be able to rebuild it for less than $2000. My mechanic charged me $1400 to do mine.

My GF refuses to drive my car...

She drives a honda, but she keeps it clean and maintains it very well. oil and filter every 2000 miles, interior always clean, car washed at minimum once a week. She managed to get 70k miles out of the original tires!

I found a keeper, sooner or later I'll get her into a benz of her own. She drove my car once and didn't like the heavy steering. She lived in germany for 5 years and drove on the autobahn, and she knows how to drive.

It's hard to find a good one, but when you do keep it.

From what it sounds like to me about your GF is that she has no appreciation for the car or any car for that matter. I feel bad for the poor car, sounds like a nice one.

Alon

Heh.
My ex girlfriend drives a 89 325i Convert. (BMW for those non savvy)
Until I met her, the only thing she did was change the oil (I have to give her that).
SInce then, we have:
Repaired Ellipsoid Headlight
Fixed 3rd Brake Light
Fixed Seats
Replaced Trim Parts
Fixed Electric Door Locks (NOT EASY!!!)
Engine Sensor Repairs
New Rear Shocks
Turned Front Disks (warped)
Ran Injector Cleaner
Revved the Car Over 3500RPM For Once
Fixed ABS Sensors
Repaired Front Valence
Cleaned Engine
Repaired Shifter Illumination Lamp (automatic)
Reparied Window Switches
etc...etc...etc

I treat my friends too good sometimes *shug*
Most of this work I did, with her assistance, but I did it myself.
And in the end...they still dump you :rolleyes:

I help a friend of mine keep her 79 rabbit on the road...she is SUPER savvy now :)
Also helping a friend get her 74 Squareback VW on the road
Looking for a Super Beetle curved windshield for another friend for her 74 bug
Help a guy with his El Camino when it has electrical problems
Helped a girl from school with her van (tech support :))
Helped restore a 66 bug for a friend.
I work on a girls 73 Camper bus (brakes, engine work, electrical, suspension, etc)
Worked on a friends toyota pickup
Worked on someons Jeep Cherokee (waterpump, fuel pump)
I work on my own cars (69 bug and 81 300SD)

My mom, "Do your friends appreciate you?"
Me, "Probably not."
Her, "Oh."

So far, in exchange for allllllllll this stuff I have got these things:
-A cake
-Money for the brakes on the campuer bus and some for the jeep (he sold it)
-A slice of pie from shaires a time or two (BMW)
-Some free food from a fast food resturant that the girl with the rabbit works at.
-And the occasional hug...or someone to talk to and not be a hobo in my room all the time (even if it means wrenching on their crap).

I am the versital, all in one, amazing "pocket brandon" as it was once coined.

I do things for people becuase I am nice...I don't really get much back...but maybe I will some day.

Interesting outlook for a 18 year old huh?

:thinking2

same boat?
 

I think we are in the same boat...I have a 1992 500e and just bought the girlfriend a 1995 e420...hahahaha!

How you doin' lately John?

Listen...your GF likes the solid W124 right? Smart woman....so get her into a 300D or TE...kinda hard to get in trouble with something like that wouldn't ya' agree...and less $$$ maint I would suspect. :rolleyes:

No woman should drive a V8 around everyday...that's just crazy in my book. :eek:

i have 2 girls driving benzes on one island... had similar trans problem
 

Long Island

so there!


1990 300sd black
1990 300te persian


the 300te started slipping also, but after I changed the trans filter and flushed many times, it went away. I think the girl may be better than yours, when it comes to taking care of the car.

My wife insisted on buying a Land Rover. I insisted that she keep her Volkswagon so that she would have something to buy when the Rover is in the shop. So far keeping the Volkswagon was the best idea about buying a Rover.

:)

Oh no, don't think anyone else but yourself should drive that absolutely GORGEOUS silver E500!

I've seen your car and you around Newbury a few times. I always have to stop (if driving) or just stand and stare.

BTW, I drive a Black e420 with Evo wheels (not anymore - put the 15s on for winter).

ps, tried Hatch for advice maybe? So far they've done good work with my car...

Solenoid....Ding ding Ding- yer right!
 

Yeah I think you are right because it seems it happens only when I start the car- I think it has more to do with the spring that pops the key back once started. Of course it only does it in Park.

No more tranny problems...................for now.

Has she ever checked her ATF fluid level or asked a gas station guy to look at it ? NO....will she ever....no....

I watched her car mileage go past the 3000 mile mark since her last oil change. That was over 2 months ago.

I bug her every day that she needs to change the oil...or she won't have a car anymore.

Thankfully I thought well enough to put Mobil 1 in her car last oil change. But the filter is likely about to clog.

I do have an idea as to what to do. I think a Deisel is the right choice for her.
Or perhaps a fully electric car (thinking Corbin Sparrow...ha ha ha ha.). She likes the V8 when she needs it- but likely I could switch her into a 300E or perhaps even a diesel and most of the time she would not know the difference.

One good thing though- her + her 3 kids fight each other like crazy screaming in the car all the time.

Thankfully....there is no room for them in my 2 + 2 seating in my E500!

obviosly somebody has BALLS, never let women get between you and your things

also send that hottie to be around me for sometime, i'll screw her good and give what she really wants, she takes it all on poor little
E420 because someone isnt man enough for her, ohhh, i am not joking either