TopFlight Benzo

I was sitting at a light few minutes ago when i hit the gas to go it wouldnt shift out the first just rev up high then I got this smell coming from somewhere I dont know. I turned off the car completely turned it back on saw the battery light come on for few seconds and stayed on then turned off drove again still the same just wouldnt shift out of first. I turned if off again then it shifted out but very rough but stuck in 2nd wont shift out of there turned it off again this time it wouldnd even shift out of 1st I had to drive home in 1st gear very slowly goodthing i was close by but there is that smell. I have a feeling its the transmission. Anyone know what it could be

siideways

Well, at the very least, it might be a leaking o-ring in your TCU harness causing oil intrusion. At worst, it could be something more mechanical, i.e. the entire tranny itself. Have you had it serviced/flushed recently? Also, any CEL codes pop up?

TopFlight Benzo

um it was flushed when i got the car but didnt flush it since and check engine code came up like 2 weeks ago but turned back off quick I wanted to take the car for full diagnostics but that was end of this month but now I don't wana drive far because its not shifting I have to take to a private shop close by it could be anything u named above just came out of nowhere I drove around all day

siideways

Yeah, you shouldn't drive around too much until you get the car checked out. Something similar happened to me not long ago, but in my case the car wouldn't properly up or downshift, and it also threw a check engine light. I was lucky in that it was simply the o-ring and a cracked conductor plate causing it to throw all sorts of codes (like a dozen of them! ), but after they replaced both and cleaned everything up, all the codes went away. I also had the tranny flushed just in case, and the fluid was clean of any metallic debris, indicating a fairly healthy tranny. Get it checked out soon!

TopFlight Benzo

dang that sucks bro yea im going to get it checked tomm the sucky part I have to drive the car there in this condition its painful to drive it this way im thinking its the tranny fluid because im getting this smell maybe it went dry I will find out tomm

AMGJared

Could possibly be the valve body, this is all too familiar to me what your describing. Just had this on my CLK55 a couple of months ago where the car wouldn't shift into higher gears the rpms would just climb forever, even if I put it in manual mode it wouldn't let me shift. Turns out the valve body had to be replaced and now the car is fine, maybe look into that. Hope you figure it out but DON'T drive the car in that condition, you might just do more damage.

Frank Castle

My tranny sprung a leak and when it got low on Trans oil it had issues. Even with the leak active, as long as it had fluids it drove ok.

Check your levels.

TopFlight Benzo

@ AMGJARED yea thats how exactly mine drove even in manual it just wouldnt shift so it turned out to be valve body huh how much that cost you to replace and fix up? Yea I let the car sit today Im taking to a shop tomm hopefully if I get an opening if not busy because I have work later thank god its 5 mins away because dealer is too far I would probably have to tow there. I did get a smell did you get like some kind of smell also?

FRank Thats what I was thinking also the oil level because when im on park while pressing on the break when I change gears it jerks really hard so def I will check it out thanks guys for your insight I really appreciate it bigtime

TopFlight Benzo

update on the repair finally found out what the problem was it's a conductor plate under the valve body he quoted me 300ish for the parts and 400 for labor this is with the tranny fliud change and service all together but he also said my alternator is overcharging my battery and everything else on the car. He is charging me the same price for the alternator and labor so total cost $1600. If I drive my car he said it will fry my computer. Any thoughts on this guys. I told him go ahead on the tranny job but alternator job still pending because I can get the alternator for much cheaper than 300.

siideways

The quote on the conductor plate plus labor sounds about right...I paid a little more than that because of a leaking o-ring, etc. Regarding the alternator, not sure what to tell you other than these cars don't just "nickle and dime" you, they "hundred and thousand" you to death!

TopFlight Benzo

Yea that is true I have already spent few thousand dollars already and its worth every penny he was saying he will charge me for a rebuild alternator for like 375 and labor will be like 3 to 4 hours he charges 100 an hour. I can get a new bosch alternator for under 300 easy because I get a very good discount at my moms work but typically how much is just the labor for doing the alternator job you think?

MarcusF

I paid under $900 to have my plate replaced, while they were there, they did the o-ring job and naturally, a fluid/filter change. That was at my local MB dealer, so it came with a wash and a free loaner while they did the work.

As for the charging problem, it’s the voltage regulator. My car has a $25 external voltage regulator. It sounds like your regulator is part of the alternator (it will be included in the rebuild kit). My electronics (starter/alternator) rebuilder charged me about $80 for the last Bosch alternator he rebuilt for me. It takes under an hour to rebuild one (that includes paint and drying time). If you’re mechanically inclined, you may be able to R&R the alternator, at that point it's under $100.

w202mylove

great to hear you have found the problem.
ps
TopFlight Benzo your car looks amazing perfect colour and wheels, I am planning on buying a c36 and I want it to look exactly like yours, are those wheels reps?

TopFlight Benzo

I will pay around 800 so really not bad he did all the filter fluid work the mechanic told me the oil was super dark he had to scrape some of the pan yeap pretty bad

He tested the alternator for me the voltage at idle is 18 and voltage at 2500rpm is 20 this is way too high and he is right about frying the computer in my car if I drive in this condition. The conductor plate job is done just waiting on the alternator job. I was thinking is the voltage regulator that is overcharging everything in the car he wants to charge 400ish for labor. I can get a brand new alternator for 300 my question is what would be better replace it with a new one or the rebuilt one because the rebuilt one he is charging me 325-350ish. The mechanic is telling me I have no choice but to replace the alternator because cant drive it this way and he cant scan the car correctly because of the voltage spikes everywhere. so what you guys think I should do?

TopFlight Benzo

Thanks man you have no idea how happy I am to find out

Yea these wheels are reps I liked them so much I went through a lot to make them fit esp the fronts ones I'm running spacers because they wouldnt clear the brakes these wheels are really hard to find though

importfan21

Bringing up an old thread. I have a similar problem, as of recently, starting last week (about 10% of the times I've started/drove it).

The transmission doesn't shift out of third gear (into fourth) or downshift into second either, whether in auto or manual mode. If I turn the car off, then on again, it works fine. Also, when it does seem to be "stuck" in gear, it will eventually shift about 5 minutes later.

From the service records I have from previous owners, there hasn't been a tranny flush since at least 2006 (not sure if done earlier). I was planning on doing one this summer; looks like I'll have to.

Thoughts?

503C43 ////AMG

I believe MB recommends servicing the tranny every 2 years, you are WAY past due.

Are all of the lights (i.e R,N,D,4,3,2,1) lighting up when you shift into gear?

importfan21

Oh, wow. Ok.

Not sure about the lights; I haven't noticed.

importfan21

Update:
I've realized that I have this problem every time (only when) I drive it in the morning (first start of the day) after it's been sitting overnight for about 13 hours on a sloped driveway.

503C43 ////AMG

have you checked the lights yet??? I have a similar issue but I know it is my electronic gear selector switch (even thought I just replaced it a little while ago ) First start of the morning it doesn't want to shift right until it is warmed up.

I have found that it is only when I have it in "D", if I put it in "4" I do not have an issue. Another interesting point is if I leave it in "N" when I park it I can leave it for ever and come back with no issues.

It does shift normally in "D" after it has warmed up, the reason I keep asking about the lights is "D" doesn't light up when it is shifting funny but as soon as it is warmed up "D" lights up and it shifts fine.

I am going to replace the damn EGS AGAIN

importfan21

I'll look for the lit D (or lack thereof) tomorrow morning when I go to work. What would warming up have anything to do with the EGS?

503C43 ////AMG

you got me but that's how it is on mine.

Try this:

Go out and put your car in "N", leave it like that over night. See if it shifts normally after sitting in "N".

importfan21

So I left it in "N" but now it won't gimme my key!

503C43 ////AMG

it works for me

KJI3jflarryfe93

on an automatic gearbox, it's important to change the ATF öl.
things that goes wrong on our transmission 722.631 are:

# conductor plate causing internal leaks and also somekind of ingoing / outgoing speed IIRC isn't measured correctly.

# valveplate looks like a labyrinth, this is a very expensive part if it goes wrong!

# pilotbushing on the front outside of the trans.
this weak part goes bad causing outer leaks

# and of course the internal damage of the transmission that happened to many C43 owners, needle bearings go bad.
It's so sad to read such stories about our weak transmissions, I fear for my trans to break in the future!
then I have to get the 55 transmission instead, I hope the problems will be solved with an E55 transmission?

Are w208 CLK55 transmissions exactly the same as w210 E55 transmisions?
Do they share the same size of the outer housing?
Are they both equal in strength to hold up the massive tourqe from the 55 engine?
Does both transmissions fit and work perfect with the original C43 engine?