I just got my C320 coupe back from MB for a transmission problem and below is the solution they provided me. I was wondering if anyone has the same problem or can substantiate the answer.

Problem:
- Gear drops out of 1st on steep incline or when the vehicle requires a lot of torque.

Answer:
- Benz requires you to come to a complete stop for 2-3 seconds on hills before shifting into 1st gear. The "design" of the system requires a complete stop when going in first gear otherwise the drive train will not engage properally.

Correct way to use a Benz.
- Come to a complete stop
- Shift gear to Neutral
- Wait 2-3 seconds
- Shift into 1st gear and proceed

This answer sounds a little fishy since my BMW and my Lexus does not require this. I drive the hills of Seattle often and if this is a "design feature" I may have to change cars. I love my little C320 a lot but cannot stand the gear grinding when the shift pops out.

 

Yea that answer sounds pretty messed up. A manual is a manual is a manual and i dont think it should be any different from BMW to Mercedes. Ive never had a prob with my tranny like ur talking about. 1st gear is pretty strong and it never grinds or disengages. I think ur clutch is just slipping cos its getting old. U mite need a new clutch. Check it out. Good luck.

 

MB may be right!
We normally use gear 1 only when starting from rest.
When on the move, we only need to go down to gear 2.
That is what I do with my MB123 manual.