My 05 E320 CDI with 443,000 miles is still running and driving great, but my transmission has always never shifted quite as nicely as my dads 06 E320 CDI. There's no noticeable slipping, no serious shifting delays, BUT i am detecting a bit of an issue with the behavior of the torque converter. Sometimes when accelerating at low speeds in a high gear (low RPM's high torque) the torque converter doesn't feel like its grabbing or "transferring torque" quite as well as it should. I can hear the turbo spooling and the engine revving, but the car intermittently doesn't accelerate as quickly as it should. Again, The experience is NOT slipping, but something else as the car still does accelerate all the time, just sometimes not quite as quickly. almost as if the lockup clutch is not locking when it should.
Second issue, is under hard acceleration between 2-3, i get a HEAVY wub-wub-wub vibration/smacking right under the center console when the engine is at peak torque. it feels as though the vibration is 'muffled', as though its being dampened (By rubber mounts perhaps?)
I've replaced or checked every component post-transmission; driveshaft center support, flex disks, engine and tranny mounts, etc. The vibration definitely feels as though its coming from the transmission.
a similar vibration i feel coming from the same place accelerating at any rate between 3-4. its a light vibration, but it vibrates the whole car noticeably to feel in my butt. i believe these two acceleration problems are connected, possibly related to the torque converter issue? maybe a main bushing failure? (transmission fluid has always been quite nice looking after every 30k mile trans flush. no signs of coolant intrusion. Radiator has been replaced before i got the car, and then replaced again last year after a minor front end impact.
I noted a while ago in another thread that on my last transmission flush, i had tiny copper/brass looking non-ferrous shavings in the bottom of the pan and the filter. A few of you remarked that they are most likely to be from the friction material, but more unlikely COULD be from bushings.
Due to the high mileage, i was basically just planning on just continuing 'as normal' driving the car, and just plan on completely rebuilding the transmission and replacing the torque converter when something finally fails.
ALL of these problems have been present since i bought the car 3 years ago, and haven't noticeably gotten much worse since then. What do you guys think? Any suggestions on what to look at or if i should rebuild the transmission BEFORE it blows up?
as usual your input is much appreciated.
Second issue, is under hard acceleration between 2-3, i get a HEAVY wub-wub-wub vibration/smacking right under the center console when the engine is at peak torque. it feels as though the vibration is 'muffled', as though its being dampened (By rubber mounts perhaps?)
I've replaced or checked every component post-transmission; driveshaft center support, flex disks, engine and tranny mounts, etc. The vibration definitely feels as though its coming from the transmission.
a similar vibration i feel coming from the same place accelerating at any rate between 3-4. its a light vibration, but it vibrates the whole car noticeably to feel in my butt. i believe these two acceleration problems are connected, possibly related to the torque converter issue? maybe a main bushing failure? (transmission fluid has always been quite nice looking after every 30k mile trans flush. no signs of coolant intrusion. Radiator has been replaced before i got the car, and then replaced again last year after a minor front end impact.
I noted a while ago in another thread that on my last transmission flush, i had tiny copper/brass looking non-ferrous shavings in the bottom of the pan and the filter. A few of you remarked that they are most likely to be from the friction material, but more unlikely COULD be from bushings.
Due to the high mileage, i was basically just planning on just continuing 'as normal' driving the car, and just plan on completely rebuilding the transmission and replacing the torque converter when something finally fails.
ALL of these problems have been present since i bought the car 3 years ago, and haven't noticeably gotten much worse since then. What do you guys think? Any suggestions on what to look at or if i should rebuild the transmission BEFORE it blows up?
as usual your input is much appreciated.