I am new here and have a doozy of a first post!

My good friend has a 2005 CLK500 convertible with 190,000KM. Its in great shape and she loves it. She took the car on a trip to another province and encountered some transmission problems along the way. It felt like the car was being hit from behind very softly when coming to a stop, she took it to Mercedes who told her that it would be $1,500.00 just to diagnose it!

She called me and told me about the issue, I did some quick research and thought it would be a good idea to get a second estimate (this is where things went wrong) She told the service people that she was going to take the car and think things over. The service rep then tells her that the car is unsafe And now wont even start.....

She calls me back and I can hear in her voice somethings up. She explains what happened so I tell her just be polite and say that you will get someone to come tow it if need be. Miraculously after that the car was able to start and drive away in limp mode.

I do my research and find a decent rated local place in kelowna and they get working on the car and inform me that they feel the TCM/TCU needs to be replaced. the shop calls over to mercedes for the part and they tell him they wont sell it to him and that they seen the car. I couldnt track down the part used, or at a wrecker for the proper transmission (722.9)

I spend more time searching and I am convinced the module is just dirty and needs to be cleaned but the shop wont do it and i am several thousand kilometers away. My friend is getting agitated and needs to get home, so I search and search and find a used 722.9 from a s500 that was in a freak accident and was crushed from the top down leaving the drivetrain untouched. And it was less than an hour away from where the car is. Things are looking up! (wrong)

I get a call today and the transmission is installed, but the car wont recognize it and wont go into any gear! the guy at the shop called Mercedes and they told him that they cant flash it at all and he needs the part I was originally hunting for as it is "mated to the car"


Im at a loss of what to do....already spent a big chunk of money and now it seems we are worse than we started!

how can I get this car to recognize this transmission?


is the dealer just trying to "stick" it to her for not just agreeing to have the dealer perform the work? When ever I get a quote for something and its over $1,000.00 I am generally going to get a second opinion and really hope we are not being penalized for this


thanks for any suggestions we are really in a bind!

 

Hello, If the car was not 8 hrs drive South of me, I would look at it myself. That said it is Friday and time is short for her. #1 suggestion is get hold of Kent at mercedessource.com He lives in the Bellingham area and has a lot of help filled videos. He may well know someone local. 32 suggestion is this,
A transmission shop in B.C. should have a Red Seal Journeyman transmission mechanic, that served a full apprenticeship. They should have all necessary
diagnostic equipment and know how to use it. Yes computers need to read codes from transmissions. Part of that mechanics job is to determine if the issue is the transmission , the TCM/TCU ,or a closely related wiring issue. I had the same symptoms in a cheap Dodge Neon of my Daughters . It cost me a tow, and 2 hours flat rate at a local shop in Prince George. The part was fine, as was the transmission. Salt water had corroded the wiring harness plug. For the 2 hours, that we had agreed to, He replaced the alternator with one I had, fixed 2 oil leaks, and threw in a new dodge modulator. He told me it took him 45 minutes to troubleshoot the transmission , 10 mins to change the alternator, and 15 mins to test drive the car. I was happy to pay him his 2 hours agreed time. Hope that you get a solution soonest Allan