I got the car running....Well, shifting to be more precise. In a pm I had from Mb Doc..He mentioned that I would have to reset the adaptation in the transmission and that always stuck in my mind. I did the gas pedal thing, but I still didn't get shifting. I poked around in the carsoft and experimented with live logging of the EGS and ultimately found that there was no shifting. After getting some shifts in the beginning, I got no shifts... I found in the carsoft EGS adaptation reset and MSM adaptation reset. I did both, and after a few minutes of disappointment, and wondering if I would need a tow truck to get home, (the transmission wouldn't engage...) I got gears....It popped into drive and I was able to observe shifting (eventually) through the whole range in both directions. I went back to the garage that initially was helpful, and boy did they change their tune, they called me the trouble maker...Don't know why they decided I was trouble, but they did prove to be right. while driving with the hood unlatched....(I thought it was at least on one latch to accommodate the diagnostic cord to the 38 pin connector), the hood few open and got bent up pretty good. Now I have to get that fixed. I am pissed at myself, for not making sure the hood was secure and for letting these gas station guys rattle me..but I am also happy that the car is no longer a piece of neglected junk, but is back on the road to good health.

I am still getting some inconsistent shifting, though. As I move the shifter through all the drive gates manually, I am not seeing any reading in carsoft for 1st or 2nd gear. That makes me think the previous owner spilled a big gulp down the shifter and I may need to remove that. When I first start the car, it sometimes does not go into drive. Also when first getting going some times it doesn't shift, and I start to worry that I am back to square 1, and then it shifts. After that, the shifting is very smooth and silent. Either the valve body is "warming up..", or that is part of relearning adaptation. Not sure which, but I do have another valve body I can swap in, but either way things are looking up for this project.

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99 E3204matic wagon
99 CLK 430