Riddle me this Batman! I start my 02 C240, and shift it into gear, where it violently goes into reverse, and then into drive (@ normal idle speed). I take off, and notice that it won't shift out of low gear. I pull over right away, shut the car off, and restart. Low & behold, tranny works like new. Sounds like an electronic problem, more than a mechanical one because it resets. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this, or know what the problem could be? Oh yeah, had the trans serviced at the dealer approximately 7 months ago. Paid extra to have them drop the pan & change the screen, and not just suck the fluid out with a flushing unit.

 

is the check engine light on? sounds like a valvebody problem

 

I had the same problem with mine, an 02' C240, a year ago. That's how it starts and then one day even if I turned it off and turned it on it would not shift. I recommend you take it in as soon as possible. I took mine in and oil had leaked into the area where the electronics are for the transmission. It was just a little $200 part. . But it could of been the entire transmission control module. I'm not sure exactly what it was called, but it cost a couple thousand dollars to replace. It was like the computer for the transmission. I took it to my own mechanic shop that specializes in German cars, so I don't know what it would of been at a dealership. Once they replaced that I haven't had any problems. Good luck.

 

No Light - Thank you all for your support. - This informationleads me in what I believe is the right direction.

 

OK, here is the latest, I replaced the Electric Kit that fits on top of the valvebody. It is the equivalant of a printed circuit board encased in black plastic, and it cost around $250. It was a simple job of draining the fluid, and dropping the pan & valve body. The new piece snaps in place, and the solenoids are reinstalled. I put it back together, and "Houston, We have a Problem". Car does not want to move, appears to be slipping badly.Prior tostarting the vehicle, Ihad to deal with a dead battery. While I wasdisconnectingthe battery prior to working on the trans. I decided to check the battery fluid. Cell were low, so I added water. This provedto be fatal to my battery life, because I did not run the vehicle right away to charge the battery; so it died.

My question is, Does a computer need to be reprogramed, since the kit was replaced, and that it did not have power for a couple of days?Or is it a case of something I did wrong, and need to go back in? I'verebuilt plenty of Trans in my day, and the removal of the valvebody was one of the simplelist, sothere not much to screw up in the installation. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. Thanks