Drive/Reverse Shifting Issue?
 

Wanted to run this by you all before I take it to the dealer.

My 2009 C350 acts very weird when shifting from drive to reverse and vice versa. When I shift, it takes 2-4 seconds to respond and then jerks aggressively. Today , I was doing a 3-point turnaround in between two lanes of parked cars and came very close to hitting cars around be due to the overall 'excitement' of my car. Do you all experience any hesitation from your cars when shifting? Not sure if this is normal or not and kind of hard to explain, but figured I'd ask before I look like a :smash: if I take it to the dealership and they say it's normal.

Thanks!

My '09 C300 often had delays shifting into drive and reverse and I was careful not to apply too much accelerator pedal until it "hooked up". They did a s/w update on it several months ago and it's been great ever since.

Mine also had the shifting delay problem. The software update resolved that problem. However, the car still jerks when I shift from R to D. It usually happens when the engine is cold and it's noticeably worse when it's cold outside. The dealership said it's normal which I think is a bunch of BS. Next winter I'll take it back and keep pestering them until they find a fix. Please let me know what your dealership says or does. Thanks!

I have not noticed any problem like that.

i have that same exact problem. did the software update for the lag which fixed the lag, but not the jerking from R to D. then they changed the valve body control unit under the transmission, but it still has not fixed the problem... i don't know what to do anymore.

that reminds me of the thread you made and i forgot to reply back. sorry lol

Do you have any better description of the problem? I mean, if you're in reverse and shift into drive, is your foot on the brake? Of course an auto-transmission will have a tiny bit of jerking (if I would even call it that), when shifting from R to D. How much does it jerk?

Mine jerks when shifting from R to D. I don't roll until the gear is fully engaged, so yes the brake is being pressed firmly. The jerk is considerable. Any C300 that I use as a loaner from the dealership doesn't have that problem. It doesn't jerk from P to D, only from R to D.

Well, good and bad to hear my issue is not unique. Because I drove a manual before, I wasn't sure if I was being overly critical with the jerking and delay issues, but it does sound like this is something that MB has seen and has some sort of an update for. Noka, when you took it in, did they mention that it was something they have had other people bring in and did they charge you anything for the 'update'?

In addition to this damn shifting/delay issue, I have to talk to the dealership about my squeaky seats! Ugh...

All Benz transmissions 722.6 & 722.9 suffer lag before they come up to full pressure & achieve lockup. Critical not to accelerate before lockup is achieved or you will get a bad jerk. Make sure your tranny has the latest software flash & be patient.

I found information about it on this forum. This is the thread I posted in about it:
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...rse-drive.html
I believe there was a technical bulletin but I don't have the reference. It was free (under warranty) and it made a big difference.

I took my car in to have this issue fixed and they said it was a software issue and that the process to remedy it was a lengthy one. They kept my car overnight and did their "magic" on it and the following day everything was working just fine.

Bluewater41, that's great news. Would you tell us what the dealership did to resolve the probelm? Thanks!
Ben

Pls provide details of the "fix" as listed on your workorder. I took mine in and had the software flash done and still same problem. Spoke to the shop foreman and he said this is the way MB trannies work.

Of those that have had the software reset, did this fix your issue permanently? I have had mine reset twice now and it seems to fix the issue at first, but then returns to the same behavior (delay from R to D and often a 'jump' once finally engaged into Drive). I have noticed it to be much more pronounced on inclines as well. Just trying to determine if I should keep pushing MB to fix the issue or if I'm basically going to be stuck with it.

I have a problem going from R to D. It's almost as if a brake other then my foot pressure is being applied...? Any ideas?

Sorry...haven't logged in for quiet some time.

I did have this fixed and they ended up having to keep my car over night to do all the reprogramming, etc. and it's been a lot better since then. It was covered under warranty and it's still not 100% perfect, but is a lot better as I don't feel like I'm about to slam into another vehicle when reversing.

Victor what did they do to your car or change to fix the lag that your car was experiencing? Noka what is the S/W update that you got done on your car and what does that update actually do? BlueWater what did they actually tell you they did to the car to fix or what does it say on the invoice you got from them when you picked up your car? Thanks guys for the info.

So is any of you 3 or any1 able to explain this to me since I think Im having similar problems?????

I'll try to remember to check my invoice when I get home and provide an update. Sorry for the delayed response.

Thanks Bluewater and i made my appointment to bring my car next tuesday the 27th so i wanna go there with some background info about this issue.

Here's what it said on my invoice:

Automatic Transmission
Customer states timing differential when shifting in reverse and in drive gear.

Technician referred to LI #LI27.00-9-047119. Programmed transmission control unit with updated software and ME with updated software. Teached in neutral-park & adapt reverse gear as per LI document.

Thanks man I appreciate the info and when they updated your transmission what problems did it fix for you that you were having?

It just minimized the overall issue I was having, which was the extreme jerking that was taking place when shifting into reverse. The final straw was when I was backing out of a parking spot and the car jerked and I almost slammed into the car in the spot behind me. It was too close of a call and I had read on other posts that some people were having the same issues. Overall, the issue is fixed, although there is still a slight delay when engaging reverse, but maybe it's just because I'm used to a manual transmission.

See post #9