Hello, I have a 99 e320 with 105K on it. Just recently it has started giving me trouble when I first drive it after it has been sitting overnight or a few hours. The rpm gets to about 2 or 3, but it will not go any faster than about 15 or 20mph. Then it kicks into gear about a mile after I have driven it. Sometimes if it does not kick into 2nd gear, I can turn the car off an back on and it will be fine. I have already had the conductor plate replaced because it was leaking and they also changed the fluid in the transmission. I though cold weather wa causing this, but 40 degrees should not be cold enought to have this kind of problem...and I always let me car run a little in the morning before driving....


PLEASE HELPS WITH ANY IDEAS on what this could be...

 

I'd be more inclined to think it is a faulty conducter plate inside the transmission. Other common problems related to those codes are a leaking harness connector at the transmission, fluid in the transmission control module due to wicking up the harness, or a bad transmission control module. It is going to need to go to a Mercedes specialist for proper diagnosis. Costs could run anywhere from under $100.00 if it's just the harness connector to $750.00 or even over $1000.00 if it's some of the other items.

 

Laura,
I bought my car online and didn't even see it for 3 months while I was deployed overseas. My parents kept my 1998 E320 with 118K on the odometer in the garage until I got back from duty. I then backed it out of the air conditioned garage (Florida) and was scared as hell when the tranny held that first gear for a while. IT IS NORMAL. Don't worry about it.

Search the forums for the professional explanation. My E320 now has 177K miles on it and it still holds that first gear in cold weather, but I don't even notice it and it doesn't do anything bad. Please don't go throwing money into the tranny if it doesn't need it. I wish that I knew the exact reason that Benzes do this but I don't. Research and be at peace.

 

is not normal,nor is yours.Her car is going into limp mode as the restart resets the condition.
Your car has other issues nice it lasted 177K but holding first gear even in the teens temp wise is not even a part of a proper operating 722.6 transmission.Delayed upshift only happens until the cats are up to temp which on the m112 and M113 engines takes less than 2 minutes.
Get it on an SDS scan and run all the P0700 range codes,you will find the problem.

 

Couldn't agree with you more on her car but do not fully agree with you on mine. Holding first gear for about 2-3 seconds at 15 to 20 MPH isn't abnormal when the engine is ice cold. It isn't like the car speeds up to 15-20 mph then hangs there and bangs into second gear. Far from it. It winds up to that speed and when you would expect second gear to drop it seems to delay ever so slightly. There is no drama, banging, slipping or feeling of "OMG my car is breaking apart!" It had done this since I purchased it. Florida, California, Georgia, Washington, Virgina weather.. it doesn't matter. It stops doing that almost immediately and will only go thru that cycle again when I start from the stop sign about 30 seconds from my driveway. If I were to stop and then accellerate my car after 2 minutes as you state, the aforementioned cycle would prove itself absent. Though I appreciate the online diagnosis, I'm confident that my tranny isn't going into limp mode or otherwise. My 1990 300E did the limp mode routine when a seal failed and I lost fluid. I know what that feels like. Every morning when I drive my car is not like reliving the experience of limp home mode. Give me more credit than that please. I'm one of the rare few who have access to the MB tool which checks the tranny level. This is done about every 20K miles. I'm good to go and the fluid is perfect.

This lady's car is displaying (from what she said) abnormal traits and I will agree that slipping cold trannys, holding 1st gear for 1 mile and 4000+ RPM is indeed indicative of something really wrong. I highly doubt that she knows anything about a SDS scanner or the codes, but if she trust her indie mechanic, he will understand that jargon. I hope that she fixes her problem and I'm glad that I do not have a problem myself. Have a great Saturday!