it is difficult to diagnose a problem over the internet but if I were guessing it sounds like a transmission issue because when you placed your foot on the accelerator the car barely moved. Perhaps the transmission lines were either crimped or punctured which affected the transmission. The clunking sound happened before you hit the curb which means something was going on prior. I recently had a transmission problem and had to make about fifty phone calls before I settled on a shop that I believed knew what they were doing in regards to Mercedes Benz. Good thing because my transmission case was cracked and they replaced it. Had I picked another shop, I'm not sure I would have received that level of service.

Most tranny shops are focused on domestic cars and trucks, so be sure and find one that works on Mercedes Benz ; also pull a Better Business Bureau report (A rating or better), get references from other transmission shops, etc. Also, ask the shop about their warranty policies.

Or, take it to the dealer where you KNOW you will receive certified Mercedes Benz service, at a price of course.

One other item of concern; if it is the transmission and if it were my car I would replace the radiator along with the transmission repair. Reason? Because the radiator cooler portion of the radiator is known to become clogged with metal filings from the tranny. Those filings can re-contaminate a new transmission which can accelerate transmission failures. There are shops that have flushers which can flush out the cooler but why risk it? Radiators are cheap when compared to the price of a transmission repair. I have yet to hear of ANY transmission shop recommending the replacement of a radiator along with a transmission rebuild. You have to ask for it because they will not suggest it.

Also, I'd use synthetic transmission fluid which has a longer life and lowers the operating temperature of the transmission.

Thanks for the info. Yes the clunk sound happened before the curb incident, and I'll see what I can find out about tranny shops. (I don't know if there are any good MB transmission shops in NW Indiana though) I am planning on driving over to the shop today to see things in the daylight.

Just got back from the shop- the 300 was pulled into the enclosed parking at the shop- so there wasn't much room to see anything- and (no surprise here) I couldn't see any obvious signs of damage. It should be up on a lift tomorrow or the next morning- so hopefully I'll have more info soon.

Keep us posted, these kind of things can send your blood pressure north, so try and think the best, it usually isn't as bad as we initially think it is. I've noticed a lack of transmission shops that work on Mercedes Benz. But, if you find one that works on european cars they might also work on Mercedes.

Hey all,
So, the shop called with an update. They got the 300 on a lift and pulled the lower panels to get a good view. Like Can't Know and Husky Man suggested- the radiator support was bent enough to lightly damage the radiator (causing the drip) and pushed it just enough so that the fan blades could rub (causing the noise). As for the tranny- he said the lines might have gotten slightly bent but it drove into the work bay without any problem at all.

He commented that without removing all of the panels, you couldn't see where the radiator support had been damaged. So- I'm now thinking the PO must have smacked something to damage the support- and my light bump against the curb finished it off...

I had a similar scraping experience, with my 97 E420, while pulling into a parking spot at PEP Boys. I didn't get a coolant leak, just the fan scraping noise (and a bad A/C condenser, I think).

Looking back on it, I wish I would have realized that the car had never scraped the curb in that lot before. The reason it did was that the spring perches were failing, and the front end of the car was lower than it should be.

While your car is still up on the lift, have them look at the perches. Unless they are MB guys, they wouldn't have noticed. You may need a welder to fix the rad support, and he may be able to fix the perches as well, if you have that problem.

Plenty of material on these forums about the perches.

__________________
1996 C280 289K Traded
1997 E420 167K Traded
2001 S430 240K Traded
2010 E550 4matic 80K
2000 GMC Jimmy 198K Gone to Boneyard
2003 Camry LE 196K
2011 Mazda3 i Sport 31K

The transmission acting up was probably a blessing in disguise, since it made you park the car rather than being able to drive it (though even a short distance, who knows?).

Your description of the incident is like too many I've heard before and it's doubtful the PO did anything previously. As I said initially, the radiator support is just way too exposed and vulnerable, and as you can see, it doesn't take much to do it in. It's one reason I've always been very careful when pulling into a parking space, particularly those that have the offset parking blocks. Just a moment's inattention (or fooled by a patch of ice) and you're stranded and out of pocket for a good bit of change.

I don't know what your bill is, but check with your insurance carrier (assuming your deductible is not too high), this is still a road accident.

Good luck with it all.