D_Star

Hi guys,

Please help me! After searching the forum, I think my car is suffering Glycol Contamination. I will get a Glycol Test next week, but I really don't want to waste time and money having the tech to do diagnostics all around the car, I hope to get some info from guys who had experienced the problem so I can get my tech to start the diagnostic in the right direction.

Symptoms:
- Car shakes when I lift my foot off the brake pedal and when the car starts rolling from a stop.
- Car jerks at around 1500 rpm to 2000 rpm in 3rd and 4th gear.
- Most disturbing part is there is a noticeable momentary drone/noise from under the car when I drive to pull the car through the jerk. (I then replaced both the Cats and built a free flowing exhaust, the noise still there.)
- The sound described above also surfaces when I punch the gas while I am cruising at random speeds.

Car History:
- Stock Engine.
- CM30 IC Pump replaced in July 2008.
- Transmission Fluid replaced in May 2008.
- Magnecore Wires installed in May 2008.
- Switched Spark Plugs from NGK back to OEM in October 2008.
- K&N Filters installed in May 2008.
- Engine Oil (Mobile 0W40) changed February 2009.

Now does it sound like my car has Glycol Contamination? The jerk is big sign that says yes, but what about the noise the car is making? Anyone had experience with this before?

Thank you very very much for reading.

jturkel

When did you first get these symptoms? All at the same time? Any dates on them?

D_Star

Started getting these symptoms a month ago. They came all at once. They are very obvious, but there is not yet any codes. Some have told me the shake that appears when the car starts to roll forward can be due to bad plugs, but I have no idea if it's true; these plugs are less than a year old.

alkrstev

OK, I have all the problems that you mentioned on my car. I had the transmission, torque converter, radiator, tcu, and other things replaced. I am still experiencing the same stuff. My old transmission was contaminated and that is why they replaced all those things. They also replaced the torque converter. Last time I took the car to MB, they told me that they had to adjust the torque converter, which would cost me $400. I declined, took the car home, unhooked the car battery for about an hour, hooked it back up, noise went away. I still have the grinding/droning sound when the car jerks under partial throttle, but it gets better when the computer learns your driving style about 30 miles after you unhook the battery. Try unhooking the battery for an hour and let us know. I learned to live with all these problems on my car.

alkrstev

I dont know if it is the plugs, I am kind of leaning towards the torque converter as your problem. My car rolls at partial throttle too. It feels like the car is about to downshift and accelerate, but then it stops, and there is a noise when it stops. BTW, I have the original plugs and wires on my car and it is an 02 with 62k on the clock. Good luck fixing your problem friend. One question, how harsh is the jerk on your car, and are you sure it is 3 to 4 gear. Mine jerked at 1500 rpms in W mode 1 to 2 gear (still does), and in S mode in 2 to 3 gear ( dont remember rpm). The stronger jerk is the one in W mode.

D_Star

Good god! There is another like mine. You had all that changed, and the exact same problems still there? To me, it's like 1/5 of the car changed. Thank you very much for the info. I will try it out tomorrow. How do you unhook the battery? Sorry I can't remember what it looks like now since its got a cover. Do I just open the cover and unplug anything I see on the battery? or Do I have to take the whole battery out to unplug it? Thank you!

D_Star

Sorry, I meant 3rd and 4th, which is from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th. 2nd to 3rd is very noticeable. It jerks like the engine is choking. I have been really easy on throttle since i discovered the problem. You said it jerks from 1st to 2nd in W mode, that's because W mode starts from 2nd gear. I don't know if you already know that, but that's what I read. Thanks, good luck!

alkrstev

All you have to do is open your hood, find the battery (on your upper left corner of the engine), unhook either the plus or the minus side, leave it for about an hour. When you hook it back up, you are going to have to reset the windows, the sunroof, and your settings. On all four buttons for all four windows, pull them up for about 3 seconds each when the windows are closed, and the sunroof, just push the button up like you are about to lift it up and hold it for 5-8 sec. The transmission should shift smoothly and the car should be more responsive when you are done.

alkrstev

Yes, I do know that is starts in 2nd gear in W mode, but it is the torque converter that locks up at 1500 rpms and the car jerks violently. I drive my car in S mode now and after doing the battery trick, the jerk is more mild (there was almost no jerk right after hooking the battery back up).

D_Star

Thanks for the instructions! I will let you know tomorrow. Kinda excited, but I won't do it now cus it gives me some hope to put me to sleep hahaha.

alkrstev

Do the battery trick, and inform us of whether it helped you or not. I hope everything works out for you.

TemjinX2

yeah i only get the jerks when i'm in W mode. I dont get any jerks in S mode. So i just leave in S mode anyways. I noticed i also get better mpg in S mode then W even though S is suppose to be the Sport mode.

ScottW911

I think that this is like using a hammer to kill a fly. I believe that disconnecting the battery just clears the throttle adaptions, on top of all the other errors you need to fix after reconnecting it.

I have achieved, what I believe is the same affect, by do the quick and easy "ECU reset". There are dozens of threads here describing how to do it.

When I clear the adaptions, the jerk is gone until the adaptions settle back in.

c32used

For your particular issue a Sprintbooster may rid of your jerk. Since throttle is already acting like its on more then normal so no adaptations are being waited for.

c32used

I could say something on yours the jerk normally is from 1st to 2nd gear around 1500-200 RPMs I never heard or read that its is on 3rd or 4th gears The car shaking could be your wires or spark plugs or coilpacks either wires or coil pack aren't making good contact or your plugs are fouled is what I think.

D_Star

Thank you for your info. 1st to 2nd, I am pretty sure no problem there. I thought of this as well, wouldn't it only make sense to jerk at all gears if there is something wrong with the transmission?

Thank you!

c32used

I don't have headers

alkrstev

I understand that all the adaptations are cleared by simply using the quick ECU reset, but I have done it numerous times and it does not have the same effect as disconnecting the battery. Once I disconnect the battery for an hour, the car feels like there is a new engine in it and also more responsive and shifts more smoothly. I actually did the quick ECU reset 2 days ago, but it was nowhere near as efficient as disconnecting the battery.

///AMG4EVER

Dave - I will go back to OEM wires.

ptirado961

I have the same issues as you do. The dealer caused it IMHO!!! I took it in for an alignment, and they performed the "infamous" ECU update/flash (without asking me first...). As soon as I got it back, my IC pump was failing. Took it back to the dealer, and chewed the Mgr out for a good while. They offered to replace the IC Pump for free. When I got it back... Guess what was there? YES! the dreaded drone under the car. It's a vibration under heavy throttle. I was really pissed at that point. They wouldn't take ownership for it, and I have been living with it for over two years now. OH well. Wish someone could nail down the cause of this one. I would love to stick it to MBUSA.

D_Star

This is the exact symptom i have been experiencing! I am becoming more convinced the issue is non-transmission related. Could it have anything to do with the throttle body? Ptirado961, is your car still under warranty? If yes, might as well get MB to give it a shot. Btw, did you ever get any codes associated with the issue? Thanks!

D_Star

Thanks Carlos that's part of the plan.

D_Star

I am so sorry my friend you read it before i editted the post. Right after i posted the statement, i realized it was kindafast who said that.

03MBC32

One unscientific way to check is to open the coolant reservoir cap and see if the level is low. I check mine monthly. There will some evaporation over time.

hammertime21

Are you serious?.?... I would like to know how you think the dealer caused the IC pump to go bad.... please tell me. the factory ones fail all the freakin time, its so common. you can count on the factory IC pump to fail like clockwork. I would also like to know how a ECU update will cause problems, it WILL NOT. Ok, You own a 2002 C32 AMG. Same as mine (02 C32). guess what... it has or had a crappy valeo radiator, it leaks coolant(glycol) into transmission. this obviously causes all kinds of really bad symptoms. do a glycol test. 100ppm and you need to replace radiator with a Behr and flush entire trans system. if symptoms still exist after that, flush system again and replace torque converter. if you have over 400ppm glycol, your transmission is JUNK. the only way to have over 400 ppm glycol, is that you have had glycol contamination for a LONG TIME. All your sypmtoms are exactly what glycol contamination will do. Please dont try to blame it on the dealer, lets just be honest here. You can send me a sample of your trans fluid, and I will do a glycol test, for FREE. 90% of the benz's with the bad valeo radiator were fixed properly years ago. because they had their cars serviced at the dealer, because the dealer knew about the problem early and fixed it under warranty. they replaced the radiator before it caused serious contamination. People had no idea there was glycol in transmission until the glycol contamination got SO HIGH, it caused serious drivability problems. Good luck getting a transmission to perform properly after glycol has been in transmission for 4-5 years!! I dont care how many times you flush it.
I'm sorry if I'm being a little harsh, but just stating the facts.