PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - C43 -- Disaster

Tump · #5 10-10-2002, 05:04 PM

Hi all!

Thanks for your comments, advice & encouragement. So far the car is great and I've been busy but, eventhough I have not yet re-attacked the ins. co. involved, I believe that the tranny is acting up and that I will have no choice but to chase them with letters and, gasp, the law.

It's wonderful having a Starmark warranty -- I decided to be as picky as I please, so I took the car in and am having the dealer change the brake fluid, fuel filters and coolant as they promised pre-purchase but failed to do. Also, I'm having them change the outside temp. sensor (it reads 10 deg. below actual); replace the sunroof sun-shade (it makes noise when pushed back at speeds over 50); and replace the outside weather seal around the driver's door (it has come loose and creates an annoying low volume whistle in the driver's left ear at speeds over 55 mph).

The tranny complaint is as follows, although this has only happened twice, it worries me:

When driving straight or around a gentle bend at about 40 mph and punching the accelerator for quick and brutal acceleration the tranny didn't down shift one or two gears as it's supposed to but stuck and reved in neutral until I moved the stick back and forth between 4th and 5th gear. So far this has not caused any great problems in 3,000 miles of hard driving, but it does worry me.

Any expert thoughts on this issue would be appreciated. A former C43 owner in this forum thought that this was related to the computer controlled ESP ASR functions of the car and not the tranny itself. I have no idea.

I plan on attacking the ins. co. for a new tranny and an increase in their diminished value payment to me based on further damage not considered in our initial negotiations.

But when this C43 goes, it flies, at 130 its as stable and as smooth as at 80. The brakes on this car are nothing if not phenomenal. Both a modified VW GTI VR6 and a Porche Boxster have been shamed to date; not exactly a fair fight but no one else has challenged me and I will never provoke a contest.