I have a 99 E320 automatic Rear wheel drive and I was pulling out of a supermarket when I noticed that as I shifted the car into Drive, it jerked really hard. At the same time, I noticed that the CEL hadn't gone off and the car was in limp mode. I haven't yet had the codes read, but was wondering if any one has faced similar problems and may know what could possibly have gone wrong. I consulted Foreign Car Specialists, and they tell me it could be an electrical problem (mostly with the TCM), but they would have to read the codes to confirm. I will not be able to have the codes read until Monday, so I was wondering if I could get some info on this beforehand.

A little history on this car - I bought it about a month ago and am the fourth owner. It has about 109000 miles on it. After about a week of driving I noticed that when I brake and as the the car was just about to stop, it would jerk slightly, as if the transmission had downshifted at the last moment. I also noticed that this happened only in certain situations (in stop-and-go traffic and/or when the engine temp crossed 100 Deg. C). I usually avoided this problem by switching into "Winter Mode", so that the car would start on the second gear instead of the first. I wonder if this could be related to the problem I am now facing.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

either the electrical conductor plate on the valve body..they get fine metal particles on the RPM sensor and weird stuff happens like that. you can maybe clean off the sensor and be ok. ive cleaned them before with success, or youll need to replace it. could also be a bad shifter assembly.

 

I just got this from the guys at Foreign Car Specialists. The following codes appeared in sequence:

1. Speed Sensor N2Y3/6L2
2. RPM Comparison N2N3 Implausible
3. Faults not relevant. Clear DTC Memory
4. Speed Sensor N2Y3/6L2
5. RPM Comparison N2N3 Implausible
6. Cam Communication Disturbed - Engine Management.
7. Inadmissible transmission ratio.

He also stated that when he started taking readings off the speed sensors, they first read 1450 RPM, then suddenly all sensors shot up to 8000 RPM. This probably means that the sensors are not functioning as they are supposed to. Also he said that noticed some oil on the Transmission connector. It had not yet made it's way up to the TCM, but he said that oil on the transmission connectors generally makes its way up to the TCM over time and so he would clean the oil and check for leaks as well.

Oh, and I did mention the fact about the electrical conductor plate on the valve body. He said he would look into it, but he would do that after checking the sensors and seeing if replacing them works.

Does any of this make any sense? Frankly, I am confused by all of this.

 

those are the speed and rpm sensors in the transmission. the electrical plate is most likly the cause.

 

I had the technician replace the electrical conductor plate and do a transmission fluid flush. Now the car runs really smooth. Thanks for your suggestions chassis221!

 

your so welcome. glad i could help you!

 

About 50 miles after I got the car back from the mechanic's I noticed a couple days back that the transmission is behaving weird. It sometimes engages and sometimes nothing happens when I put it on drive or reverse. The CEL is not lit and I hear a whining noise near the engine (specifically, near the front left wheel) and this whining increases as I accelerate, but the car does not move.

Now I remember that the technician told me he did not flush the transmission fluid. Instead, he told me that he dropped the pan to replace the electrical conductor plate and then topped up the transmission fluid level with new fluid for the amount that was lost after dropping the pan and put in a new fluid filter. The receipt from the mechanic says that it was about 6 quarts.

I had a mobile mechanic have a look at it and he says that the torque converter's blown. I contacted Foreign car specialists (the guys who worked on my car the first time) and they say they have to look at the car, but they do suspect that the transmission seals could be blown.

If what both these guys say is true, then Foreign Car specialists will be responsible for the damage and I would have to convince them to repair it at no additional cost.

If this is not the problem, what do you think could have gone wrong? Any ideas?

 

just curious if he has the correct amount of fluid in there first, before you do anything. since these cars dont have trans dipsticks, you might want to get it checked. the trans will whine if low on fluid.

 

The receipt says 6 quarts, but I could have it checked though. I know that the transmission fluid capacity is 8.5 quarts. But if transmission fluid level is low, will the transmission not engage? And shouldn't the whining have been there right from the start? I started hearing the whining only after about 50 or 60 miles. The problem with the transmission also started with the whining noise and not before that. I had a mobile mechanic just diagnose the car yeserday and he says that the torque converter could have blown.

 

I spoke to one of the technicians at the dealer and they looked into the problem. When the Foreign car specialist guy had topped up the transmission fluid instead of flushing it, the detergents in the new fluid kinda cleaned up old muck and clogged the fluid filter. I had the transmission fluid flushed and changed the filter. This time the fluid was flushed for real and the car is purring like a kitten.