I recently bought this car; it’s a C220 CDi Avant-garde - Auto with S/C transmission options only, done 132k. You can hear a thumping noise or rumbling when the gears change up or down. Intermitantly the car has not responded at take off; I can put my foot down on the accelerator pedal but the rev counter stays at 2000cc and there is no power. The car just moves so slowly. Eventually it picks up speed when you let your foot off slightly and wait for it to gain speed gradually. This tends to happen on cold starts.

The rev counter also surges and you can feel the surging as the car moves. This tends to happen at around 30 to 40m/hr and particularly when you are going up a gradient. At full throttle you dont feel the surges but you tend to get very high revs. It’s as if the g/box is thinking of stepping down or staying in the higher gear.

I have consulted a g/box specialist and hv been told that the worst case scenario is a complete overhaul; which would cost North of £2k. He suggested checking the oil condition, pointed out the design fault for attaching the oil cooler to the radiator; which causes water to seep into the g/box oil. Otherwise he says I can just nurse the problem and hope car can last 6 moths to a year before complete failure.


I have since sent the car to a Merc Main dealer and been told the g/gbox might need "adapting" at a cost of north of £400. This would involve connecting some machine and download new software a drive down the road with the equipment connected. I have been told that the oil is ok, so can go the route to adapt the g/box but can not guarantee that the problem would be solved. I was told that there is a fault in the top convertor; therefore, if adapting the gearbox does not work then the worst case scenario would be replacing the top convertor.

So I need a second opinion before I embark on any of the options - perhaps its time to go back to the wheels I was born with - my two feet?

 

I have the same car a 2005 model which has now done 120k so am very keen to here how you got on?

Hopefully your car is back up and running.

Regards, Al

 

You will be amazed to learn that the car has now done 146,000 with same gearbox. Nothing has changed apart from a £406 donation to Mercedes for adapting the gearbox, and a £50 charge by a gearbox repair center who only managed to tell everything I already knew, apart from a fault code for the DPF, and another £75 to another gearbox specialist to service the gearbox. Nothing changed. Nothing at all. To rub the salt into an open wound the gearbox service charge told me the oil/filters were so clean that I didn't need to change them, but he changed them anyways!

The surging is still there, not getting worse, not getting better either. I guess I have learned to just live with it. I generally drive short journeys, so I guess I have been lucky to get so much life from the box. I got tempted to sell some 6 months back after taking a long drive and the box was losing drive for a considerable distance. I basically limped home for about 5 miles. Upon restarting the problem had gone!! So its all a myth what is happening.

It will soon be someone else's problem as I plan to trade in 12 months time.

Apart from the gearbox and surging symptoms I have also started to hear some inexplicable noises coming from the front. You could think its coming right through the steering column! To use someone's terminology, its like marbles being shaken in a bowl!

Anyone, any ideas which way I can take these posh Mercedes nightmares!?

 

I am thinking that maybe your surging problem might be to do with your oil level in your Torque converter. I am going to service my Automatic gearbox in a few weeks, so am doing some research before hand. (never done an autobox before)
Have a look at this link, see what you think.

HowStuffWorks "How Torque Converters Work"

See what you think.

 

My car started to produce these weird knocking noises in the right rear wheel, rolling and serving at cornering etc! You cant believe how far back! I have even forgotten myself, but feels like light years ago due to the bad driving experience enjoyed since! Anyways, first I went to Merc Main Dealer for a B Service and mentioned the noises. Surprise surprise, they checked but found nothing. However, they courteously told me that perhaps I can releave myself of £140 of my hard earned cash and let them look into the problem more thoroughly! Being the jack I am I refused! Today I feel vindicated. However, I went on to have the car checked by two other non Mercedes garages. The first noted that the drop link arm bushes were gone and I got them replaced. They made a passing mention of the arnti-roll bar bushes, that they were on their way out but nothing to worry about yet! Did the noise disappear after the drop-link arm bushes? Nooooooo! After about six months the left rear followed suit, so I went to a second garage for (free) advice. They found nothing but anti-roll bar bushes were gone and wanted £60 for that plus parts!

Hey hey hey! I can now confirm that I have just had the anti-roll bar bushes (original stuff) done at a tyre station for £31, £11 for the bushes from a Main Dealer! The knocking and rolling, dancing even when cornering has all gone!!! Yipee!!

However, one thing is left over; there is play in the left front! I am fighting with the car all the time when driving! It feels like the wheel is going one way and the car another, especially on uneven ground! There thumping as well! Something is definitely loose but I dont know what and how much it could cost me!! Main Dealer told me in February when the car was in for a broken injector pipe that there was play in the wheel. I had previously had the wheel bearing adjusted last May for MOT, so I wonder if its gone again. However, the latest non Main Dealer garage didnt find any play in that wheel, found play in the opposing wheel instead! So I am confused.

Is there anyone out there who can give me some good ideas, apart from telling me the obvious, go to Main dealer. Sorry, I dont mean it in a rude way. An indication of which part, its cost and labour would be helpful.

Thanks in advance folks.

 

hI GUYS,
I wonder if you could help me
I have a Mercedes c class 220 CDI 2004, recently the car wont start unless i jump start it, however if i get a booster or a new battery the car wont start either.
The battery is new the alternator tested fine all fuses checked, but the car wont start, when turning the key i get all lights fine except the Preglow light doesn't come On !!!
As soon as i jump start it from a running car i get the preglow light on and the car stars fine, drive it for a while to double check then it will start fine but recently its doing more often.
thought it was a relay issue but my relay seems fine as the car do start in all weather condition .
can anyone please advice me how to get this sorted
Many Thanks