Hi everyone!!!! Today I became a first time owner of a 2003 C 240 I have 2 problems that i am concerned with. The first is when i start my car I get a clicking sound from the left side of my dash. I know it is related to the A/C cause with every click the air coming out the vents stops and starts stops and starts till the clicking ends. The second problem is I am having some sort of miss when my car goes to change gears. I don't think it is the transmission because sometime the gear that the car chooses to miss on will shift perfectly without the hesitation only a minute or so later. Thanks for any responses in advance and hope i explained this enough for everyone to understand.

Welcome & happy Benzing.

The W203 chassis c-class have had problems with the A/C footwell flap actuation, usually a broken plastic lever..cheap part $12. but 5-6 hrs to install.

As far as "misfires" are concerned, has the engine had new spark plugs? & has the fuel filter been replaced?

__________________
MERCEDES Benz Master Guild Technician (6 TIMES)
ASE Master Technician
Mercedes Benz Star Technician (2 times)
44 years foreign automotive repair
27 Years M.B. Shop foreman (dealer)
MB technical information Specialist (15 years)
190E 2.3 16V ITS SCCA race car (sold)
1986 190E 2.3 16V 2.5 (sold)
Retired Moderator

Okay back to my "miss" I am still getting nowhere in solving it. When my car is changing gears it will shift *bump* and then finish the gear change. It is puzzling the hell out of me. and this only happens between 20-40mph anything above it will shift perfectly 9 times out of 10. Thanks again for any ideas you guys can come up with.

Either the transmission control module is faulty, or you have engine coolant mixed in with the transmission fluid. Both problems can cause the same symptoms you're having. Some early 203's, 209's, and 211's have defective radiators, which allow coolant into the ATF. Vehicles built prior to 9/03, and equipped with radiators made by Valeo are prime candidates for the contamination problem. MB issued a DTB in January of 2005 addressing this issue. With the pressure cap off, take a close look at the coolant in the expansion tank. In severe cases, you'll see traces of ATF floating around.

Two questions now:

1) how can i tell if my radiator was made by Valeo?

2) Has driving the car around for the last few days caused any damage to it? I opened the radiator cap and didn't see anything other than coolant in the expansion tank. I am just afraid that along with a car note I will have a second bill for a new transmission. But thanks for the response ILUVMILS

There will be a label on top of the radiator. You may need to do some dis-assembly to find it. It will specify the manufacturer as well as the production date. This is the first thing you should do. If you already have the improved radiator, the ETC.6 control module is the likely culprit.

Now, if it turns out that you do have a coolant contamination problem, I wouldn't worry too much about subsequent damage. Replacing the radiator, and completely flushing the transmission fixes the problem almost all the time. Over the last two years or so, I've had to replace two torque converters (by the way, it's the clutches in the T.C. that cause the "bump/jump" when shifting) to completely eliminate the problem, but I've had dozens that were fixed by flushing.

My advice is to go to your dealer and ask to road test the car with a Shop Foreman. That way you'll know if your car does indeed have the problem I think it does. If you opt to go to an independant shop, or a transmission shop, ask them if they're familiar with the issue first. If they look at you funny run, don't walk, to an MB dealer. Good luck, and let us know what happens.

Is your car not still under warranty?

__________________
Roger E.

Oh no warranty ran out long time ago...LOL I have 94k on the odo and paid 9k for it. It looks like brand new inside and out. Also a local one owner car.

OKay I have taken my car to the dealer for my "miss" while shifting. They ran a code check on every system in the car and they said there was nothing wrong with it and that they could not duplicate the problem. I had them do a fluid and filter change on the tranny while it was in the shop. It has somewhat lessened the bump feeling when shifting but the question is what is still causing it? Could a clogged injector or fuel filter cause this problem when the car is under load such as when preparing to shift. THanks in advance for any responses

The fact that they found no fault codes doesn't surprise me. Did they check the date code on the radiator? Also, how is it that they couldn't duplicate the problem, while it occurs every time you drive it? The fact that the symptoms have improved since the transmission service was done tell me that the lock-up clutches in the torque converter are the cause of the problem. Go back and ask them to dis-able the torque converter lock-up feature (this can be done with SDS), and drive the car to see if the problem goes away. I'm betting it will. The lock-up feature will re-set itself at the next key cycle. If the torque converter is found to be the problem, and there’s no visible coolant contamination, the dealer can still check for trace amounts of coolant in the ATF.

well iluvmils the car is back up to it's old tricks again. It has been 3 days since I had the tranny service and it is back to shifting strange. It was 32 degrees tonight and I left work and the car was driving along like it was missing or not getting enough fuel. Also the next morning after the tranny service I left for work and when I got to the red light the car was shaking like it was going to die. I left the red light and back to normal. I am also feeling what seems like a miss or and intermittent fuel cut-off as the car nears the shifting stage. Also when I hammer down on the accelerator and it shifts at higher RPMS it still causes that little double shift feeling. When in tiptronic mode it also shifts with the double shift feeling. Could this be a dirty fuel filter or do you still think more along the lines of a TCM or coolant in the transmission fluid. thanks in advance for any response

From your description it's hard for me to tell what the problem is. In your first and second posts, you described the T.C. lock-up problem perfectly. Now you have a problem when the car is at idle? That sounds like a separate issue. Make sure the air filter housing is installed correctly. If it doesn't fit properly around the MAF sensor it can cause exactly the problem you've just described. I've seen this happen many, many times.

To answer your question about the fuel filter being clogged? Sure it's possible. The diaphragm pressure regulator may have failed too, but I don't think it's what's causing your "miss while shifting" problem.

The above mentioned items are easily checked if you have the right equipment (fuel pressure guage, MityVac pump, SDS). Anything else is just a guessing game. At this point I really think you need to get back down to your dealer and go for a road test with the Shop Foreman. They shouldn't have a problem with it, and it shouldn't cost anything. I do it all the time. Also, you never told us the production date and manufacturer of the radiator.

The dealer never told me the production date or manufacturer of the radiator. I am really getting frustrated with this now...LOL I also think it is two seperate problems but the shifting problem is my biggest concern. I also forgot to add that sometimes after the T.C. issue the car gets rather sluggish till it gets to the next gear. I was told by the dealer that changing over to "winter" mode would resolve the problem. I had to request a tranny service. So I feel there is a little bit of incompetence with the dealer.

Have you changed the park plugs? At 94K it would be more than about time.

__________________
~Jamie
_________________
2003 Pewter C230K SC C1, C4, C5, C7, heated seats, CD Changer, and 6 Speed. ContiExtremes on the C7's.

1986 190E 2.3 Black, Auto, Mods to come soon.....

Dealer told me that the spark plugs were fine.