"Stiff" Third Gear
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 6
Likes: 2
From: Louisville
2013 C300
"Stiff" Third Gear
Hey All,
Newer to the forum and to the MB World. Own a 2013 C300 with the luxury trim. 276.957 M276 DE35 GASOLINE ENGINE V6 M276 DE35 GA - Automatic : 722.960 W7 X 700 7-SPEED А W7X700. (I have no idea what any of that info actually means, but maybe it would help...) 106k miles.
Normally, I have a pretty smooth acceleration. However, sometimes the car almost decelerates when going from 2nd to 3rd. It just seams "Tighter" when I let off the gas. I don't coast when I let off the gas, it almost seems to engine brake, but mph wise, maybe like 2-3mph. It happens more first thing in the morning. When it is colder, however "cold" it gets when the temperature only drops to 75 degrees at night. I just bought the car 2 weeks ago, and this is my first Mercedes, and really my first car of this caliber. (Drove a Ford 500 before this.) Any thoughts? Am i just paranoid because my Ford transmission died literally out of nowhere while sitting in a Starbucks Drive Through?
Newer to the forum and to the MB World. Own a 2013 C300 with the luxury trim. 276.957 M276 DE35 GASOLINE ENGINE V6 M276 DE35 GA - Automatic : 722.960 W7 X 700 7-SPEED А W7X700. (I have no idea what any of that info actually means, but maybe it would help...) 106k miles.
Normally, I have a pretty smooth acceleration. However, sometimes the car almost decelerates when going from 2nd to 3rd. It just seams "Tighter" when I let off the gas. I don't coast when I let off the gas, it almost seems to engine brake, but mph wise, maybe like 2-3mph. It happens more first thing in the morning. When it is colder, however "cold" it gets when the temperature only drops to 75 degrees at night. I just bought the car 2 weeks ago, and this is my first Mercedes, and really my first car of this caliber. (Drove a Ford 500 before this.) Any thoughts? Am i just paranoid because my Ford transmission died literally out of nowhere while sitting in a Starbucks Drive Through?
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 283
Likes: 2
From: Toronto, ON
2012 C300 Sport 4MATIC (current) 2006 C280 Elegance 4MATIC (sold)
Probably a good idea to have a shop (can be an indy or dealership service) hook up STAR to it and see if any fault codes are stored. They can also check shift patterns and re-calibrate if needed. Has the car had a transmission fluid/filter change in it's life time? Those transmissions need a service performed every 70k miles.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 6
Likes: 2
From: Louisville
2013 C300
Sounds good. I didn't receive a maintenance record for the dealership I bought it from, so I don't really know what exactly kind of maintenance has been done on it. The only thing for sure that i know is that the dealership changed the oil. That is it. I was planning on getting the transmission fluid changed whenever I got the oil changed next just to "reset" it, but maybe I will do it sooner...
Newbie
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
None as of yet
I'm just guessing here, not a mechanic of any sort.
At least the 5G-Tronic (5 speed gearbox) has torque converter with lock-up at gears 3,4,5. Therefore, for a 5G-Tronic gearbox, the drivetrain may feel stiffer from the engine to the road in gears 3,4,5 compared to the first and second gear as these gears are subject to the fluid dynamics of the torque converter.
You have a 7 speed gearbox but there might be a similar thing at play?
EDIT: Aftear reading about the 7 speed gearbox i found this "It is fully electronic controlled. Torque converter lock-up can operate in all 7 forward gears.". It, therefore, doesn't seem like the lock-up is specific for any gears.
At least the 5G-Tronic (5 speed gearbox) has torque converter with lock-up at gears 3,4,5. Therefore, for a 5G-Tronic gearbox, the drivetrain may feel stiffer from the engine to the road in gears 3,4,5 compared to the first and second gear as these gears are subject to the fluid dynamics of the torque converter.
You have a 7 speed gearbox but there might be a similar thing at play?
EDIT: Aftear reading about the 7 speed gearbox i found this "It is fully electronic controlled. Torque converter lock-up can operate in all 7 forward gears.". It, therefore, doesn't seem like the lock-up is specific for any gears.
