C32 AMG, C55 AMG (W203) 2001 - 2007

How lon does it last: C32 gear box?

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Old 04-15-2009, 05:18 PM
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Mercedes Evo II
Unhappy How lon does it last: C32 gear box?

It seems to me that my gearbox is acting weird specially in manual mode...

1. How long does the gear box is suppose to last?
2. What are the first signs of a potential problem?


Thank for your help AMG Bros
Old 04-15-2009, 05:55 PM
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04' C32 AMG & 90' TT 300ZX
My gear box started actin weird in manual mode with sports mode as well. Like it would switch gears delayed. The dealer inspected it and said its fine but it didn't feel fine to me becuase it always switched gears perfectly fine. I got rid of the car. I had 49k and I did have a heavy foot for about 6k miles.
Old 04-15-2009, 09:04 PM
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C32 AMG
Start with a tranny flush. These babies are supposed to be rock solid from what I've been told.
Old 04-15-2009, 10:15 PM
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Merc power
Originally Posted by SilverBulletAMG
Start with a tranny flush. These babies are supposed to be rock solid from what I've been told.
yep ^^. As long as you dont abuse it.
Old 04-15-2009, 10:41 PM
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Silver 02 C32 & White 05 CLK500
Originally Posted by EVOII_Racer
It seems to me that my gearbox is acting weird specially in manual mode...

1. How long does the gear box is suppose to last?
2. What are the first signs of a potential problem?


Thank for your help AMG Bros
What do you mean weird? Is it holding onto gears for too long? Is it taking a long time to shift gears at redline?
Old 04-16-2009, 07:36 AM
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03 g35 coupe...........02 c32 Sold
i have 90k on my c32 and its still rock solid. shifted a little better after the tranny change.
Old 04-16-2009, 08:06 AM
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2008 A8L, 2002 996TT X50, 2009 X5
Originally Posted by TemjinX2
i have 90k on my c32 and its still rock solid. shifted a little better after the tranny change.
tranny change? How much did that cost?

Or do you mean tranny fluid change?
Old 04-16-2009, 08:29 AM
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03 g35 coupe...........02 c32 Sold
Originally Posted by c32AMG-DTM
tranny change? How much did that cost?

Or do you mean tranny fluid change?

sorry i meant tranny fluid change.
Old 04-16-2009, 02:22 PM
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tranny flush and refill seems to really smooth things out. use MB spec tranny fluid.
Old 04-16-2009, 03:25 PM
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if you change fluid regulary with MB fluid, you must not see any problems.
Old 04-16-2009, 04:05 PM
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These tranny's are pretty tough. The only problems I've heard are associated with the leaky Valeo radiators. I'm about to roll over to 70k miles on my car (bought it with 40k) and never had a single problem.

Don't forget this same transmission is used in the Jeep SRT-8. A friend has one and has thoroughly abused it for the last 20k miles and it's still working great.

Though, like any automatic transmission, if your car overheats then you should immediately be looking to change your fluid. That will kill an autobox really quick once that fluid is baked.

-Rich
Old 04-16-2009, 08:31 PM
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2003 C32
Leaky Valeo kills another transmission.

Originally Posted by Biscuit
These tranny's are pretty tough. The only problems I've heard are associated with the leaky Valeo radiators. I'm about to roll over to 70k miles on my car (bought it with 40k) and never had a single problem.

Don't forget this same transmission is used in the Jeep SRT-8. A friend has one and has thoroughly abused it for the last 20k miles and it's still working great.

Though, like any automatic transmission, if your car overheats then you should immediately be looking to change your fluid. That will kill an autobox really quick once that fluid is baked.

-Rich
My Brother-inlaw (not on this forum) had his C32 Valeo rad leak into the transmission recently, one month out of warranty. He had the jerk which warranted a glycol check of the transmmision fluid. Even after a flush and filter change, the transmission still jerked. MB only offered to cut 30% off the cost of a new transmission.

If your out of warranty and have a Valeo, get it replaced. It's a ticking time bomb.
Old 04-16-2009, 08:36 PM
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LET C32 2002
Can someone post how to please with recommended spec oil.
Old 04-17-2009, 06:17 PM
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Mercedes Evo II
Thumbs down

Thanks for the responses guys.

What I mean by weird is 2 things:

1. When I bought the car MB said thats the only thing NOT under warranty
2. When I downshift, or the Benz does itself, it feels like a weird sensation, it seems like the car is gona stall Sometimes only cause otherwise it runs perfect...

Last edited by EVOII_Racer; 04-17-2009 at 06:25 PM.
Old 04-18-2009, 12:01 AM
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W203 C32 AMG, W124 E300D
Originally Posted by c32used
Can someone post how to please with recommended spec oil.
http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/Trans7226Fluid

Also Valvoline Maxlife ATF is an alternative to the expensive MB stuff thats within spec

See pic and link below (read the fine print)

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...l-1-atf-3.html
Old 04-18-2009, 09:38 AM
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2004 C32
Same thing


2. When I downshift, or the Benz does itself, it feels like a weird sensation, it seems like the car is gona stall Sometimes only cause otherwise it runs perfect...


I bought my car with 48k miles on it a year ago and it ran fine. About 6 months ago I started getting a slight vibration that sort of felt the tranny was missing a shift or the car was choking out. Took it to Benz shop under my Carmax waranty and they replace a sensor or module in the traction control, which seeme to make it less frequent, but never stopped it. That was 2 month ago, now it happens more frequently then ever.

Does that sound like tranny flush needed as well?

TIA
Old 04-18-2009, 01:28 PM
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If it is only a matter of when downshifting, a transmission adaptation on star will resolve it.(Evo2 Racer)
Old 04-18-2009, 08:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Robert AMG
If it is only a matter of when downshifting, a transmission adaptation on star will resolve it.(Evo2 Racer)
Lol, I am not sure if you are making fun of me but what do you mean
Do you mean I downshift at the wrong moment?

Honestly, my c32 engine (sometime) really feels weird when I downshift, it really feels like its gona stall... For example every gear change feels weird even when the car does it in auto mode. Upshift feels
very agressive when the car is cold (I love it altough it feels weird...)
Old 04-19-2009, 02:36 AM
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C32 amg
New Benz Atf

Excuse my english:

Mercedes has a new ATF A 001 989 6803 ----

236.14--!!!!


This should also be used in the 722.6 (c32)
There is also new Fuchs ATF 4134 oder Shell ATF 134.

The problem with tis gearboxes are:
You should change the whole fluid ca.9Liters not only the 3 Liters when you open the gearbox like they make it at Benz.

For this you need somebody who pumps ca.11-13 Liter through this gearbox after driving 30 minutes with a additional half liter cleanerfluid.
At my car with 52000Km the oil was black as diesel engineoil. Than It was change without cleaner. The succes was only 5000Km than the problems came back. Than I change it a second time with 13 Lites and cleaning befor!! and now it holds perfekt.
I will change is any 50000Km in this way.

Last edited by takethelong; 04-19-2009 at 05:38 AM.
Old 04-19-2009, 04:44 AM
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Cls63 & C32
Go to any MB dealer and ask them to do a transmission adaptation of each gear, it is like a reset, with Star Diagnosis. And if you didn't change the fuid yet, you should, but before you change the fluid do the adaptation and see if the problem persist.
Every month or 2 months i do a transmission adaptation, the gear shifting specially when auto downshift will be smooth.
Change all the amount of fluid in the gear box if you can. I don't like fluid cleaners.

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