I am having a few issues with my transmission. I started having hard upshifts when I bought the car about a year ago. It has ~130k in it. I changed the transmission fluid (MB fluid), filter, gasket, and electrical connector and went about my business. There were no metal deposits in the old fluid, but this didn't really help my hard shifting.
Recently I have been having hard downshift coming to a stop. Super noticeable, almost a clunk, when it downshifts at low speeds. I am afraid that my tranny is about to explode.
Anyone had any similar issues? What is the cost to replace?
Thanks for reading and look forward to hearing back!
Your transmission won't explode, however, 5-speed autos are known to have bad conductor plates. It's a common issue, time to have it replaced. If you are very inclined with complex DIY work, you might be able to do this yourself. Otherwise, take it to a reputable transmission shop in your area that does Mercedes transmissions. It might be hard to find such a shop, because they live off warranty claims so they never do any advertisement, but trust me, they are there. I accidentally stumbled into such a shop in a lost Neighborhood of Montreal. It looked like a tiny a little shop but they had 10 lifts and each had a mercedes on top (they were doing mostly 7G transmissions). My mom's ML was done at their shop, the cost totaled 900$ parts + labor + taxes, of which she payed just 200$ (warranty claim). The 5G should be cheaper, since it does not need to reprogrammed once done.
Thanks guys. I will change the conductor plate once time permits. It's a shame I did not know about this relatively simple fix when I had my trans open for the fluid change earlier this year. I wonder if I can save the fluid...
Any one have the part number for the Conductor Plate?
Thanks again. I will also follow up with the results once I replace it.
search the forums for this repair. There is a huge DIY thread for it, it will have all the info you need. Also, one thing I forgot to mention, the transmission harness is known to leak and seep fluid into the TCM, which may also cause some issues, you'd have to open the TCM up and clean everything out with isopropanol if it's particularly bad. If no fluid has reached the TCM, you would still have to replace the seal at the harness where it goes into the transmission.
Also, I wouldn't save the transmission fluid. ATF needs to be super clean if you want to maximize your transmission's life. These transmission run as they should on Valvoline Max-Life, which is a very high quality fluid and can be bought for cheap.
Also, one thing I forgot to mention, the transmission harness is known to leak and seep fluid into the TCM, which may also cause some issues, you'd have to open the
I am assuming the TCM (transmission control module?) and that it is the electrical connector that feeds into the transmission itself? I changed that connector back shell with a new one when I did my fluid change earlier this year. No fluid was found.
Also, I am having problems sourcing parts. Rockauto has been good but I was curious what others used.
Well you didn't fill out your profile, so we don't know where you live.
If you are in NA (which is a reasonable assumption because Europe had more of the smaller engined models), then you can't beat AutoHausAz. FCPEuro is pretty good too, despite some people's criticisms. ECSTuning is goto when you need suspension stuff, but they have tons of other stuff too. If you know how to spot BS, eBay can be a good shop aswell. But you really have to be careful with eBay, you can get tricked easily and get sent a low quality part.
When buying parts for Mercedes, stay away from URO parts. Always go for the OEM suppliers. Lemforder, Bosch, Behr, Corteco. If a part is hard to find, check out your local dealerships, find one with competitive prices. The one closest to my place sometimes has cheaper prices than online for genuine parts! If OEM / Genuine is unavailable, or an aftermarket upgrade is desired, always buy from reputable brands like Bilstein or BBS. Some people have gripes against Meyle because they outsource their manufacturing to China. However, they usually reengineer OEM parts that are known to break and make them more durable, and they have a good quality control system, I have lots of Meyle parts on my car, and neither has ever failed, and I used them because either the original manufacturer didn't make the part anymore, or the price was just much better than a comparable in quality genuine part. So that should get you set.
i am sure your conductor plate needs replacing, but the clunking makes me think your guibo joints are bad. it would be a much easier project, and cheaper, if it is the issue. does it feel as if your rear end is about to come loose from the car? i mean, if it's 'clunking' when you're almost at a stop and are downshifting, then they definitely need to be checked.
i am also thinking about tackling the conductor plate myself too, the only thing that really scares me about it is the springs you have to deal with. i hope all goes well if you attempt it! and i will be watching your thread for information xD
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