300E no reverse
 

My 1993 3.2 300E has been great for 121,000 miles. I changed the trans fluid and filter at 110,000 as regular maintenance. Over the past 3 weeks the shift into reverse has been taking longer as the car gets warmer. It's OK when cold. Forward gears are great. I took it to a trusted trans shop today and he said they've got to tear it down and take a look. Any ideas what might have happened?

The trans fluid was probably burnt wasn't it. I've heard that the burnt fluid actually keeps the trans shifting better maybe becasue of it sticking better to keep the clutches from slipping?
Thanks
David

I've heard something along the same line. Mine wasn't burnt though. It didn't smell and there wasn't much sludge either.

I have a similar problem, no reverse at all.

For a while the reverse would not engage or was slow to engage till I blipped the throttle then it would catch. So it seemed to be a pressure issue. Now it is not engaging at all no matter how long I raise the idle. I get a little reverse motion but not enough to move the car on level ground.

The fluid is up to level, clean and all foward gears engage fine.

My friend is a Benz mechanic for a dealer and he says it might, I repeat might be an adjustment on the pressure regulator, but more than likely it is a bad reverse clutch.

He is pulling the pressure regulator adjustment procedure for me. Any merit to that?

Also, if the adjustments don't work can I throw some "Mechanic in a bottle" into it so it will engage a few more times so I can dump the car at a used car lot? Sawdust even?:P

I do not want to replace the tranny, I would rather sell the car. I think I have have had enough of "Riding behind the Star"

I will go back to BMW after this....at least I know those.