Ive been lurking around this forum for a month now researching a car I want to buy, so here's my first post. Im looking at buying a E300 diesel with the n/a om606. im not aware if the transmission is the 722.5 or .6 because i havent looked at the car close up. My brother bought the car or a steal with i believe around 260k miles and it only had reverse. The fluid level looked good and did not look or smell burnt. you could drive the car around all day long with a strong reverse. From all i have searched and searched it seems like the most common problem is just the opposite of this. Most guys lose reverse. Where would be a good start to diagnosing this?? I can get the car running and driving (only reverse) for $1000 and it will just be my commuter car for work. For that price and the mechanical and cosmetic condition of the car i cant pass it up. Im also considering a manual swap with everything I have compiled. But to get the car back on the road I would like to diagnose the problem at hand.

Matt

Ok so what im gathering it looks like the B2 band is toast... I rear elsewhere that if the transmission has no cracked pistons and it has a strong reverse then the band is done. Anybody know on average what the cost to rebuild one of these 722.5 transmissions? Ill try to call a local shop tomorrow for curiousity.

Unless the car was converted, it has a 722.435. The 722.5 is only found in the US in the W129 300SL/SL320 and W140 300SE/S320 through '96. The 722.6 is the standard automatic from '97.

Sounds like a B2 piston issue. If you have to drop the tranny, consider a full reseal. A rebuilt tranny from MB was about $2500 last time I heard so that should cap what a rebuild costs. Factor the cost of installation and a torque converter, usually required for the warranty, for a complete price.

Sixto
87 300D

We have pulled the b2 piston and checked all seals and the piston with no signs of cracks or torn seals. My brother bought the car with this issue so I'm looking into buying it for a cheap comfortable commuter car. I'm still trying to find a reputable transmission shop instead of going through the dealer for a rebuild. Because the car has high mileage for the stock transmission. Since the piston and seals looked good is it safe to say the b2 band is burnt up?

"Factory rebuilt" transmissions are done as fast and cheaply as possible and with every possible shortcut; they are priced for the guy who wants to resell a car and be able to claim "rebuilt transmission" in the advertisement. It doesn't matter where you buy the rebuilt transmission, they're like batteries, all made in just a few factories. If you plan to keep the car and want a transmission that will last, a complete rebuild at a reputable shop is the way to go. An additional benefit of rebuilding your transmission is that your serial numbers will still match.

Jeremy

__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970