Hi,

I'm completely new here but wanted to pose this question to you guys who may be able to answer it before my Dad sells his Merc, cos if it's (economically) fixable I've got my eyes on it!

Its from around 1995 (maybe a year either way I can't remember off the top of my head) E320 Avantgarde UK spec. The problems started when a 'friend' of my old man, who used to work for MB, arranged the auto tran to be replaced after it completely failed in about 98. Back then I was only 19 but I was insured to drive the 320, and immediately noticed I couldn't impress my friends with the pretty fearless acceleration anymore (it just wasn't the same). Since then the situation has slowly degraded, and although I'm no auto buff, I always wondered if the gearbox had been replaced with the wrong component. I might be wrong but seem to remember the E320 was meant to have a 5 speed whereas the 230 had a 4 speed, or was it 6 and 5 respectively? Or am I wrong completely?

The symptom is like a slipping clutch on a manual car. I guess this would imply a torque converter problem on an auto box? But my parents have had a couple of independant (not MB) engineers look at it to no avail. Over time the problem has got worse and now, when selecting R or D, to pull off takes a considerable press on the accelerator, it even feels like the handbrake is on although it isn't (well the **** is deselected and there is no warning light in the dash).

Especially when cold the problem is worse.... when the transmission shifts from 1st to 2nd (in fact I'm not sure it is ACTUALLY first to second - but it is definitely from the gear it pulls off in to the next gear :-0) there is almost a gap between deselection of first gear, and selection of second, and the engine will rev wildly in between, like the equivalent of neutral in a manual. This symptom is most exaggerated at low speeds and when the transmission is cold, and also between 2nd and 3rd. At motorway speed it isnt an issue at all - but im not sure if that is because the box is practically at full operating temperature when at these speeds, or because the it's only affected at low speeds, however kick down works no probs when travelling at say 80mph to start with - no slip or free revving before the lower gear kicks in. Either way, after an hour or so of motorway-speed driving, the problem is much reduced at low speeds too (although not completely non-existent). Could it be to do with torque converter fluid temperature?

If anyone has any ideas or previous experience, please let me know........ cos that was the first car I did 150 in (and it was the first car I had a front puncture at 110...... it didn't even flinch, even though its on AMGs with PZero low profiles!), and I would love to take it off my old man's hands, but in the current state I can't justify that, and he's already trying to sell it!

Sorry if my description isn't exactly technical, like I say I'm no car buff

Thanks in advance
Dave

 

The straight six engines with the 5 speed transmissions sometimes give problems in the back of the box in the overdrive section. Unfortunately though, there is no real cheap fix. It will either be this or something else worn in the gearbox. What a lot of people don't think about, is that the longer you leave problems in a gearbox, the more expensive it becomes to fix.

 

That there is a failing transmission. When the
E-class was new in 96 (could be you have a 96; it's
the 'bug-eyed' one), the trans was new as well. I'm
told by factory trained techs that there were some
issues with the first couple years, and that by 99
they were all worked out and the newer trans' were
good for about 150K miles. My 97 420 is in shop now
having a rebuild...$4500. Symptoms were identical.
Dimly possible that you have a computer problem, but
not really. It's tranny time.
Best of luck.

 

did you replace the same tran for E320 in 98?

Diff model has diff tran with diff ratio. go for higher model tran like E420, will has more torque.

upgrade it not down. ok

tq