Mercedes Forum - Mercedes Benz Enthusiast Forums

Well last night on the autobahn, the tranny in the beloved 560SEL gave up. Now exactly sure what caused this but probably a number of factors. I know it wasnt because the fluid and filter wasnt changed because it was changed when I dropped the new radiator in less than 3,000 miles ago. Not excatly a related job but when disconnecting the tranny oil cooler lines, I though why not since lots of fluid was being lossed anyways and it was changed regularly before that too.
Well while doing 80 miles per hour (pretty darn slow here)on the autobahn at about midnight, it made a nice popping sound, meaning not good, to the sound of the tranny literally dropping (Oh S#@*!) and then BOOM, airbags deployfollowed by the sound of pieces of metal being dispered down the highway and me coasting trying not to get ran over by a 100mph+ Audi to the nearest spot that I can stop. Well from what I can the the tranny or what's left of it is resting on the exhaust. The drive shaft is probably shot now too. And I leave Germany in less than two weeks which is most of the issue. It probably would end up an expensive repair, but well worth it with all the work already done to it, yet I have no time to get it done before leaving. Airbags will have to be replaced, of course the tranny and various surrounding parts and linkages, and the center console and buttonshas to be put back into place after being knocked loose and other things that might now be seen. Hate to leave it like that. Well here that car wont be sitting around too long anyways. People take them and fix em up all the time. In the junk yard, forget about it ya gotta catch thesethings the day they get in because it's like people literally wait at the gates for the nextjunked W126 to be brought in to take what is useful.
All I n all i think what happened is that the tranny mount proably broke and started a chain reaction frm there. Any theries are welcomed. I'll probably find out anyways after my mechanic (and probably new owner) takes a look at it.

So I guess it's a proper resting place for thiscar. It was made in Germany two hours away back in 1989, lived it's life in Missouri (first owner was ding bat) and it died in it's birth place. 250,000miles on the clock.

Hell I might as well get another W126. I think most modern cars would up gave up ghost a long time ago. Next time I'll go for the 300,000 mile mark but this one will be missed. The greatest car I ever had and one of the best I've driven thus far (Out of everything from a 2006 PT cruiser, 2005 E-classes, 20065 series, 2002 7 series, 2001 7 series, Cadillac, Lincolns, various Fords not even worth mentioning, and others in between). Even in those cars, as nice as some of them were, for some reason I just longed to be behind the wheel of the W126. The modern Bimmers are nice, but not as smooth or plush. Even renting the new E-class for the hell of it I think I still drove the 560SEL more than I did the rental car.(over here bmws and Benzes can be rented usually cheaper than the cheapest car you can rent in the states One company have a special to rent the new 6 series for $19 euro a day for the weekend. Hell i would got that but ya had to be 25. One year short.)