Well I can't say that I haven't learned something
 

The latest story in the saga with my 500SEL: the tranny's gone. I guess I jinxed myself. After I fixed up all the other mechanical and emission things, I said the only thing that could go bad was the tranny.

But wait there's more. I am at fault for it though. The tranny started acting funny and not shifting gears. I didn't think too much of it till it started getting worse. I didn't even check the trans fluid level even though I was recommeded to do that by a newsgroup.

Well I guess I just grinded the trans down because there was no fluid level. Now I have to look for a used tranny. Sigh, it ALMOST makes me lose faith in old Benzes (considering that my parents had to rebuild their engine with the S350). But then I remember that one of them was mistreated and the other one had a bad engine. Oh well.

Sorry for the long rant but I needed to let this out somewhere.

Don't loose faith in benz! These are some of the finest cars ever! Even my old car is rusting, and has had its share of problems! But I still wouldn't trade it for half of the new cars out there! Every car has problems, every company has its flawed products. Sometimes theres just a bad apple in the bunch!

Just because your fluid was gone and your transmission died doesn't mean it's a bad car! It is your fault for not filling it... anything will die if it doesn't have its required fluid!

You have a great car, I'd LOVE to have a big benz like that!

Compare old mercedes to more recent GM or chevy or ford.... The older mercedes run nicer, look better, are worth more, and they are just plain better cars. Well worth the price they were paid for! You have a fine car! Don't forget that, man!

Sell it or keep it?
 

Yeah I really try hard not too. But with two bad experiences...
I partially blame it on the mechanic because when I first got this car I asked him to do an inspection to see what type of condtition it was in. He said that it was a good candidate to fix up. Oh to only turn back time with this whole disaster of a car. It's not the car's fault, the guy who had it before probably ran it into the ground.

The thing is that I'm at at fork in the road: should I just try to sell it as is or fix it up again? To date I have put over $4000 in the car trying only MECHANICALLY to bring in good condition. The car still has rust and the AC doesn't work. I mean what kind of money could I get for a car that needs a trans?

Probably not very much.

I'd spend the $1,500 - $2,000, get the tranny fixed and enjoy the car.

I'd get a used transmission. I remember taking my Miata to AMCO and they wanted $1500 just to pull the trans apart and see what was wrong. I went out to miata.net and bought a used one with 1/2 the miles for tons less, $250...I know how you feel, I have put $3,000 into my SDL to get it running real well and in great condition. I prob have another 1,000 more to go but hey, it was $50k+ new and it is a well built, durable vehicle that should last a long time. The benefits outweigh the cost easily.

Last of all, please don't take offense but it is nobody's fault but your own if you do not check the fluid levels on the car. The way I look at it, it's my car and my responsibility. Unfortunately, no one else is going to look out for you so you inherit the job automatically. I agree that any car that runs out of fluids can be expected to break down in no time, that's just a given, no fault of Mercedes. You know your situation better than anybody so make the decision that works best for you and not just to please others.

Yeah I know I probably should have looked at it closer. I guess I just wasn't used to this high maintenance car. Well the title says it all and I learned my lesson. I will always check the fluids now. Thanks for the advice. :)

Sorry to hear that,
I would still rebuild it. I know for sure that I will rebuild both my tranny and engine if they go.

I think I better check my ATF level just in case...

Yeah, me too.

I'm at 136,000 miles, and I've put a lot of money into the car already. It runs and looks perfectly, and I can't see myself selling it.

I'm preparing myself for two, maybe three big jobs in the future, and I'm just gonna have to do them eventually:
1. My head gasket leaks oil terribly bad. I'm going to put it off through the summer, but maybe by September, I'll pull the head off, do the head gasket, valve guides and seals, and grind the valves if necessary. Cost: $2,000.
2. Transmission - it shifts fine, but goes into reverse real slowly. It may last a bit longer, even much longer, but I can't imagine it lasting longer than the 200,000 mile mark. When it goes out, I'm just gonna have it rebuilt. Cost: $2,000.
3. A/C - I have R134a, and it blows ice cold. In fact, it's the coldest a/c I've had in any car. I just know that these systems are prone to failure, particularly evaporator leaks. And I know that eventually it'll go out. Whatever it costs, I'll have to fix it. I live in Southern California. Cost: $2,000 - $4,500 depending on if I just replace the evaporator or the whole system.

See? I've got at least $6,000 in repairs I'm already preparing for, and that's not counting anything else that will go out, likes brakes, batteries, etc.

It's just part of car ownership...

LOL, you better. :) I have a feeling that when I get my car back, I'm gonna be checking all the fluids every day. :D

Get ride of it I will give you 200 dollars for the junker! J/k I will keep an eye out in the junkyards for you. Or here is your chance to track down a 5 speed.

Trans. fluid run low for a YEAR
 

Next week will be one year since the trans in my '84 500 SEL started to pour fluid on the ground from what appears to be the front seal. If I fill it up it just runs out in large puddles when I stop the engine. This was after I did a complete service on the trans( change the oil and filter and add an external cooler) all to extend the life of a perfectly operating trans. And no, I did not do anything wrong!. I have a long history of rebuilding the auto trans. on every vehicle I have owned over the last 25 years including an Allison trans in a bus which weighed 900 lbs. It is still running after 7 years. So I have continued to buy trans fluid on sale and now after a year I put a half a quart in a day since I drive over a hundred miles every day. The trans. still works PERFECTLY other than it is run low for a year. No one is more shocked than me, that it hasn't destroyed itself. At least 3 times, by mistake, I ran it so low that it would not come out of first gear until I stopped and put some fluid in. I was under the impression if you ran an auto trans low for any sustained period, it would kill it in short order. And before you say that's because MB trans. are so well engineereed, etc. you would be wrong. They suck!! They are weak and poorly engineered. So what do you make of that?

I replaced the front seal on my 500 the week before it left me :( :( :(

I just cut my parents loose in the 92 300te, after I rebuilt the trans for a godawful noise in reverse. (b3 piston rubbing k2), pulled the head and had it completely redone, replaced the timing chain, guides, tensioner insert and bearing bracket.

Not bad for 166k.

I'd go ahead and built the tranny in the sel

<<The latest story in the saga with my 500SEL: the tranny's gone. I guess I jinxed myself. After I fixed up all the other mechanical and emission things, I said the only thing that could go bad was the tranny.>>

This is a .3, unless you killed a hard part we get about 1300.00 to overhaul these.

I was a mazda master tech for several years prior to returning to the german line up 4 years ago and I'll say this. The .3, .4 and .5 Benz trannys are tough as hell. Compared to 90% of what else is out there they are damn near bulletproof. I remember replacing la4els at 50k, Toyota ecats at 75k, 700r4's at 30k and AOD's and AXOD's at 40k. Imagine buying a 97 626 L4 for 20K and having to spend 2500.00 to replace the trans less than 5k out of warrenty! At least you can fiz the Benz units unlike most of the Jatco and domestic unit they dont totally self destrust.

Odds are you burnt up k1, k2 and b1 running it low. I'd pull it, shell it and check it, I'd almost put money on the thing only needed a front pump bushing beyond a soft kit with fibers and maybe b1 band.

Suginami, what body car do you have again?


Joe

How do you explain this?
 

Why hasn't my trans burnt up in a year running it low EVERYDAY? If I fill it up to the full mark, it just runs out. I KNOW what a trans feels like when it is going out. This thing runs the same as the day before it started leaking. Now it is 110 here in AZ. Still runs fine. Every day I put in a half a quart. Must be the cleanest trans in the west!!
Woody

Gee Woody, for someone who has rebuilt trannies in every car they have owned, maybe this one don't want you to.

Have a heart, shoot it.

Steve
 

What can I do, this one just won't die!! I have another perfect one to drop in when and IF it does. Good to hear from you Steve. Going to buy a pair 0f 93-94 BMW 850 with 6 speed and do away with all this MB nonsense.
Woody

Get a 540, it will run, and last, circles around that 850.

joe p - to answer you questioin -

I have a W124 1993 300E (M104 3.2)., with 136,000 miles.

It runs great, looks almost brand new, leaks oil terribly bad at the right rear corner of the head, shifts perfectly and smoothly, except that it goes into reverse real slowly, and the a/c is factory R134a and is the coldest a/c I've ever had in any car.

The car has had dealer service exactly according to the maintenance book with oil changes every 3,750 miles since brand new. Even the brake fluid and radiator coolant has been replaced every 2 years and 3 years, respectively.

Steve
 

Steve, I always take your advice about MB because you are the man. But I must respectfully disagree with you about the 540. How can you say the V8 is equal to the V12? The 850 has 50-50 weight distribution, weighs 4450lbs. and is one of the safest cars on the road. It weighs 400lbs more than my 500sel. The engineering on that car from the bullet proof driveline to the state of the art 5 link suspension system not to mention the great looks of that car. To me the 540 is just another car. Not a bad one but nothing special. I have many friends who own these cars and have zero problems with them. Everyone tells me you get about 250,000 from engine and 6 speed. Then you pull them out and put in new. That suits me just fine. Again, I apologize for daring to even question your expertise but I have to tell the truth. I have driven several versions of that car with the V8 and auto trans. and they suck. Seems to me that is what a 540 would be like unless you bought the 5 speed. The 6 speed is a Getrag. The interior is gorgeous, equal to the 98 750il. With 17" M wheels, the car corners fine and rides well. These BMW in AZ don't run hot, which is important to me. As an aside, why would you put a big V8 in that little 5 series car and destroy the balance? Reminds me of my old Eldorado.. Woody

Well I have been working and driving all of them. My lead BMW tech drives a 93 850 and my 97 540 makes it look like a diesel.

If you autocross maybe there is merit to a six speed. Unless you like to look childish I'll take you to the next light every time in my 5HP30. If what you really want to do is drive to Ocala to the Thai restraunt with your daughter and her corvette driving husband at 90mph with a little lite music and conversation while dodging all the rice burners going a hundred or more the 540 has no comparison. And of course if the need for speed erupts (to hit that hole) ain't none of them gonna touch her.

We work on MB to BMWs two to one, as thats our market and my expertise. I guarantee we do more overheating problems on BMWs. Having gone through my senior year of college with a XKE that always overheated and then getting thrown all the overheating Vegas as a dealer chevy tech, I was really glad when I got to MB; a car that has no inherent overheating problems, even in Florida!

But, to each his own.

Steve
 

Ever since I sold my 70 Camaro with a blueprinted 500 Hp 4 bolt main 427 c.i. with TRW forged pistons, etc, etc, which incidentally would run circles around ANY car I EVER came against, I have not been interested in drag racing on the street. After years of beating everyone, I lost interest. What I think the 850 is really is a German Ferrari if the Italians could build one, which they can't. I had a Ferrari Daytona until it was stolen behind my wife's restaurant. That car wasn't bad. I want a car that is HEAVY, the heavier the better. I would have bought one of those slab jobs(500sel) that weigh 5000 lbs, until I found out about all their problems. Recently I saw a one million dollar McLaren being tested here in AZ(That car BTW has a BMWV12 with about 600HP). Why did they choose that engine? Doesn't McClaren have a clue about what goes and works? When I lived in La Jolla CA, the local Rolls dealer wanted to sell me a Rolls with that same engine in it. The reason for the 6 speed is to not have to put up with a German Auto. Also 6 gear is OD. All my friends in Phoenix have to replace either the 740 V8 or auto trans or both at 80K. What does that say about reliability? BTW, why does your head tech drive a 850 if they are so bad? I say he has class!! Woody

Like I said, to each his own.

I personally have no interest in cars I can get into. At 6' 4" 270, I have to leave the Ferraris and McClarens to kids. I sure have no trouble in the Twin Turbo Carrera 4s. But, you can't go out with the kids in one.

<<<Why hasn't my trans burnt up in a year running it low EVERYDAY? If I fill it up to the full mark, it just runs out. I KNOW what a trans feels like when it is going out. This thing runs the same as the day before it started leaking. Now it is 110 here in AZ. Still runs fine.>>>

Dunno Woody, dumbass luck maybe? LOL


Joe

I rember my mom ran the 500 for months with no fluid and finally figured it out when it started slipping real bad. my dad put some in and just like new

Don't believe in luck-you make your own luck
 

Apparently, even if low but still on the stick is acceptable if not okay. I have driven 20K since this started. This is a daily driver, at least a 100 miles daily.

Steve
 

The 850 is NOT a car for a big guy like you. I am 5'8 and 180 and that is the upper limit of comfort especially headroom. NO backseat to speak of either. See nothing is perfect!!
Woody

Can someone perform a spiritual work of mercy & instruct the ignorant??
 

Where is my ATF dipstick in my car? I have a '93 190e. Where would it be located in relation to the oil dipstick? Thanks for your help.

should be back left corner of the engine I think

An expensive lesson.

I had my tranny rebuilt (from usual wear and teat). Costed me approx $1000 but well worth it.

Yes my mechanic is doing it for $1400 which isn't too bad.