I Am Really Hurt Now
 

My sister took the coupe today to go shopping and ended up calling me from her cell phone telling me that the car was in rough shape. Here is what she described to me as to what happened:

The temperature went up to approximately 100°.
The car started smoking.
Car started to move in jerking motion with tires screetching.
Car wouldn't drive forward.
Bad smell inside the car (possibly coolant smell that has been there since the flush).

I called a tow truck and had the car sent home on the flat bed and was honestly too discusted to even look at he car. I called my mechanic and over the phone he feels like the transmission may be the problem.

Does anyone have any comments or ideas as to what could have possibly happened?

Lino,
Sorry to hear that. Did you just change U seal and flush coolant on you CE???

That sucks.

Which coupe?
Where was the smoke?
Would it go in reverse?

Yes I did.

My silver 300CE.
Not sure where the smoke was from. I'll ask tomorrow.
I went in reverse perfectly. That was one thing she mentioned.

The car arrived home on the flat bed and the only thing I did was push the button on the alarm to lock the car. I just didn't feel like dealing with it. I'll look at it tomorrow morning.

Parking brake on or frozen caliper? Smoking was hopefully from the rotor(s) not the engine. Temp climb hopefully from the drag. Screeching tire(s) hopefully from brake. Moves in reverse not forward hopefully because lower gear ratio in reverse overcomes drag from stuck brakes? It could be.

Exactly .
;)

jba excellent diagnosis
 

makes excellent sense given the circumstances (unfamiliar driver, etc).

Check the coolant first -- if it was really low, the temp guage may not have been reading correctly.

However, overheating the engine doesn't make the tranny work funny, nor will it cause the brakes to drag, tires to screech, etc.

I'll bet she left the parking brake on, personnaly, second choice is a stuck caliper. Hot brakes stink.

Peter

If thats what happened it may be hidden blessing? :rolleyes:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=106226

Your current brakes meet the German standards for Autobahn driving, which, if you've not had the pleasure, is just about all out full throttle in heavy traffic with 100 mph differential speed between lanes.....

You don't need improvements, the stock ones are more than adequate for North America.

If they don't knock your head on the dashboard in emergency stops, they need work.

Peter

psfred

I think you've confused this thread with the one going on in the Performance Paddock " re.: Bigger Brakes. ;)

I just got in the car this morning put the car in reverse and backed up out of the driveway with ease. When I went to drive forward, the car did not want to move. I checked the emergency brake and it "seemed" to engage and release with no problems. There seems to be something that is preventing the car from going forward. When I took my foot off the brake, the car didn't move. I had to step on the accelerator to move it. It felt like the I had to push the car to get it to move as opposed to letting in roll. Why would it go in reverse easily, but not forward though?

I just got off the phone with my mechanic and he feels like the transmission is gone. He hasn't seen the car yet though. He is going to come to my house after work today and check it out.

I have my Zerex in hand and was about to get the flush and more or less do what you did to your cooling system, but stopped when I read your 'something smells' post. I'm waiting on the outcome of this before proceeding. Keep us 'posted' eh?

Transmission oil ok?
 

Hi linno
I am sorry to hear about your problem. Did you check the transmission oil? I stranded with my car because the hose from the tranny to the cooler broke. The car started to smoke a lot (burnt transmission oil), the transmission started to slip, and finally the car did not move anymore. A new hose and a refill cured the problem. However the "jerking" moving of your car would not quite fit the problem. Regards, Bruno

Lino:

Have you tried putting the vehicle and neutral and pushing it manually forward and backwards? I'm mostly in agreement with jbaj007's observation of a locked caliper or emergency brake. Symptons sound just like it.

Ron

I will let you know for sure. Is Baystar Motors (Saint John) far away from you? I love the "SPY HUNTER" service they offer:

http://www.tristar.mercedes-benz.ca/index.cfm?id=1145

I just went and checked the oil now and it is low. Below the minimum on the dipstick. To make sure I checked it correctly, here is what I did:

I turned on the car and shifted the transmission through all the gears and checked the oil while the car was still running. I checked it 3 times and no fluid on the dipstick.

I just went and pushed the car back and it rolls back in neutral with no problem, but when I pushed the car forward it only went about 3/4 of a tire rotation and froze and I could slightly hear a screetching sound.

That's how I would check it as well. The oil level is dependent on the temperature: with cold oil it may at the "min" mark. I would add some however if it is way below minimum and see what happens. I would refer to your user's manual to doublecheck. Regards, Bruno

I'm about 2 hours away, unfortunately. I asked about the mobile service thing, requires pre-scheduling and the usual dealer $$ rates apply, so I haven't had to or wanted to use it so far. We had a great Mercedes trained mechanic here in Fredericton, and a great friend of mine over the years, but he just retired, so I work alone with the help of this forum mostly.

I just got off the phone with this incredibly nice gentleman by the name of Jurgen (I hope I spelled it correctly) who answered the phone when I called this company:

http://www.jie.com/Mercedes/mercedes_benz_transmissions.htm

I asked him for the price of a transmission and his response was: "What's wrong with your car." So I explained the situation and he suggested to get underneath the car on the right side and to remove the second cover from the front (Aluminum). There is supposed to be something called a B2 Servo (Piston Brake Band 2). If a spring or parts fall out when I remove the cover, then I will need the B2 Servo. The part number is 107 270 04 32.

Here is a pic of what it looks like:
http://img19.exs.cx/img19/8272/CopyofJ304014314OES.png

On the other hand, I spoke to someone else who is a Mercedes Tech and he says that he thinks it is the band that broke. I'm not sure if he was referring to B1 Band or the B2 Band.

Automatic Transmission B1 Band
http://img19.exs.cx/img19/1745/J303037250OESband1.jpg

Automatic Transmission B2 Band
http://img19.exs.cx/img19/362/J30301...2BANDTRANS.jpg

I just found this:
http://www.europeantransmission.com/Bulletin/merctechlib.htm
http://www.mercedesdismantlers.com/722.3and722.416_transmission_adjustments#722.3%20Series%20and%20722.416%20Transmission%20Adjustments


Update - After many hours of research it seems that there is an abundance of information on this subject. Here are 2 more super links:

http://transmission.articles.mbz.org/b2/
http://business.baylor.edu/Richard_Easley/autofaqs/b2piston.htm

Broken parking brake linkage, the shoes will grab going forward by not in reverse. Drum brakes are "self engergizing" -- when the leading shoe touches the drum, the drag pulls it in.

I'd not expect the parking brake to drag that hard, but if you have a loose shoe, it can bind, etc.

EAsy to check, jack up and pull the rear rotors. Busted parts will be obvious.

Peter

Yeah, if you have a dragging/binding when rolling the car forward in neutral it doesn't sound like a B2 issue (unless you have more than one problem). Please pull rear wheels/rotors and tell us what you see :)

Or just jack the car up & try turning the wheels by hand with the trans in neutral. That would pretty much tell you if it's brakes or trans.

Hope for brakes.

Any resolution yet Lino?

Sorry for taking so long to post a reply on this subject. I have parked the coupe while searching for a new car to buy this week. I need a daily driver and I'm having a heck of a time picking something.There are so many choices. I thought about buying a winter beater, but then decided I'd rather spend any time for repairs dedicated to the coupe instead. So now, I'm looking for a hassle free daily commuter. Looks like Toyota (Lexus) or Honda(Acura) family is winning the vote. Any thoughts on a Toyota Prius?

I will probably have the car repaired within a week or so and will most definitely post my outcome pertaining to this matter.

either lex or acura would do, however keep in mind that only the es300/330 is fwd in lex where as the acuras are mostly fwd up untill the 04 series. something to keep in mind when getting a daily commuter for winter season.
good luck with ur decision.

Until the gasoline sells for $5/gal, the more sensible decision is a Corolla over a Prius. Depending on whether you buy new or used, the breakeven point is 50-100K miles before the 'stated' economy of the Prius starts paying for itself. If you drive in a place that the Prius is allowed in commuter lanes with one person aboard, it might be worth the premium.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

Regarding the Prius, I like the concept, the quality and amount of space inside, but the the difference in the price in Canada comparing to the US is too great. In the US a 2005 Prius can be had for $20,000. In Canada, total cost with Package B is $40,963.00 CAD which is equal to $33,971.17 USD
for the exact same car. You would even have to add $3500 for the Navagation system, not that I want it. I've lost all interest I once had.

Now after driving a variety of cars and looking at the build quality and interior space, pricing and what I'm looking for, I am really leaning towards the Toyota Camry.

Thank You

Off Topic- New Brunswickers
 

Just want to say "Hi" to you fellow NB'ers. I live in Sackville. Just got '76 300D two months ago, and haven't found a mechanic yet. I am 2 hours from Saint John, but also 2 hours from Halifax NS. I am inclined to find a good independant in Halifax- hear there's a guy there named Burt Page who does good work- I'm going to check him out.

transmission problem
 

it sounds like the classic 'B-2 piston failure' problem. Definitely will take an inspection of the B-2 piston. I think that can be doen without removing the tranny from the car. If debris is found in the pan, then transmission removal and inspection will be needed to determin best course of repair. :(

Burt Page was a factory trained tech and set up shop a longtime ago. He does good work, but it is very hard to get an appointment. I called 3 times for an appoinment and they took my telephone number and never called me back. I didn't appreciate that. There is a very good guy and a top notch mechanic in NS who has years of hands-on experience with Mercedes by the name of Marcel. I have his contact information if you want.

Hey thanks- I would appreciate the info on Marcel. I did manage to get an appointment at Euowerks (Burt Page) on Nov. 25, and I am going to be in Halifax all that week on business. I'm going to get him to adjust my valves and timing, and generally check things over for me. Thanks for the scoop!

Dave

Marcell's Automotive
13 Scarfe Court, Dartmouth, NS B3B 1W4
(902) 468-3484

http://img124.exs.cx/img124/1804/getmap.gif

Ask for Marcel when you call and tell Marcel you are from NB so that he knows you are from out of town and he will be give you a convenient appointment for you and by the way, his hourly rate is much cheaper than Eurowerks.

BTW Marcel owns a 300SD

Excellent- thanks!
Dave

I was wondering if you ended up going to Eurowerks for the appointment you had a little while back or did you end up going to Marcell's Auto?