So I replaced an intercooler pump already. Cut the red wires of my seat controls and spliced them into the black because my battery kept draining.

So what exactly are the symptoms of glycol contamination? I thank all these cars have that 1500-2k rpm jerk that everyone talks about, and I am not experiencing anything else unusual at the moment but I want to know exactly what to stay vigilant for. It does have a Valeo radiator, I dont really have the time or means to swap it out right now just as a precaution but I will when I am able.

What are the symptoms that would send a smart owner straight to the shop for the test. Sluggish off the line? Hesitation or jerky acceleration?

i would just replace the radiator as a precaution. Its a relatively cheap part, because by the time you notice the signs, its too late.

Only way you'll really know is by doing a glycol test on your tranny fluid. I think you can get tested for around $40-60. There's a link on the w203 forum.

A behr radiator is $150 on ebay.

Local dealership charges $50 for the glycol test... I had mine tested a few months back, and now I'm already worried again. Going to get another test done here soon this week. My C32 seems to have additional vibration when I get on the throttle, but it could just be me worrying to much. I get the torque converter jerk in 1st or 2nd, but no rough shifting. Same question as the OP. What are the signs of glycol contamination other than rough shifting?

Its weird that I still have the tranny jerk at around 1500 rpm in W mode after I replaced the transmission, tcu, torque converter, and radiator under warranty. My car is still sluggish and sometimes feels as if the torque converter is not engaging at all. For example, I would be doing around 30ish and keep driving at that speed and then try to push the pedal almost all the way down without pushing the kickdown button, and the car does nothing and it does not downshift and moves like a snail. Sometimes when I get on it, the car would jump forward, and then jerks and moves slowly. That sounds like the car is coming out of a gear and the torque converter is not engaging at all. My car also shakes sometimes and when I slowly push the gas pedal on takeoff (normal driving), it takes a while for the car to respond. I am thinking that there is no way that the transmission fluid could be contaminated of that the torque converter could be bad because EVERYTHING was replaced around 16k ago. My car only has 69000 miles and is an 02. I thought it was the ic pump, so I put in the johnson cm30 pump, and changed the plugs to NGK iridium and still have these problems.

i'm going to attempt to flash my TCU with C320 software, in an attempt to alleviate the annoying torque converter characteristics.

You do realize that the software that you are running in an AMG is BETTER then the base+ models, right? You'll be slowing your shifts way down doing that....

that's a trade-off i'm willing to take so that i dont get annoying torque converter jerks around town

Don't be yourself. C320 software is different. Below are the C32 transmission ratios. If you have a 2002 C32, see if you can flash it with the 2003 C32 software. 2003 software is different and the SpeedShift works differently. Try that first.

Transmission Ratios

1st gear - 3.59:1
2nd gear - 2.19:1
3rd gear - 1.41:1
4th gear - 1.00:1
5th gear - 0.83:1
Reverse - 3.16:1
Final drive - 3.06:1

i'm not 100% sure but I do believe the previous owner had the TCU changed in '05, i'm assuming that the new TCU should have the latest software. i'll have to double check with the dealer to confirm.

i will be going to an indy tomorrow with SDAS (STAR), how can they tell if my car has '02 or '03 software? also if i have them reflash the tcu, how can i tell if they're using the '03 software?

rev. dates-the TCU software will have a serial # that will ID what is currently loaded in the STAR system.

You guys just try switching to S mode? I only get the jerk in W mode.

i sometimes get the jerk in s mode shifting out of 1st gear when im just cruising, and sometimes my car wont shift out of 1st until 3k rpm even when im just basicaly idling away from a stop light

Mine's the other way around, no jerk in W mode

is it possible on a c32 to flash a c55 TCU tune

For me the jerk is less noticeable in S mode than C mode.

I had the car hooked up to STAR today.

ETC - Electronic transmission control
MB Number: 0305453032
HW version: 47.2005
SW version: 03.2002
Diagnosis version: 2/1
Pin: 11


so i'm guessing the dealer replaced the TCU for the previous owner in '05, and it appears that the software is from '02. STAR said that their were no updates for my TCU. STAR did not have any options to flash '03 software for my car. the STAR version is 5.8.7/02/2008

why would a TCU that was made in 2005 have software from 2002?

any ideas?

Same reason my Pcar is running nav from 1999-its not worth the money to update every year for owners when there is a line up change coming....

the TCU was replaced in 2005

I've been considering a TCU update for one main reason. After performance modifications it seems the TCU is overloaded, and doesn't know how to behave. Example... I can start to take a turn, and get the tires spinning, but the TCU believes I'm running off a cliff, and cuts full power in passive disabled mode. I'm sure the only solution is a custom tune of the system, but I've heard it's extremely expensive. I've driven in dyno mode, but it seems to have an issue with the supercharger cutting out in dyno mode. It's not an issue with IAT as it can happen right after I start the car in dyno mode.

strange thing is the MB part number of my TCU ( MB Number: 0305453032) doesn't match with either of the numbers that jerry is talking about

https://mbworld.org/forums/2046543-post76.html

that part is diff then the software-you can have a new part running older software-sometimes the other way around too-
this is part of the reason there is only "so much" that the car can handle in mods-at some point you start to over drive the car, tranny, body, suspension, ect-
as for the jerk...I think thats just a bug in the car in general-I dont know that messing with the TCU or TCM is worth it imho-
you could try the tranny mod that Hooley posted about-larger flow rates, ect

my car is stock. it's definitely the TCU that controls the converter lockup - a gentleman on here named splinter would agree with this statement.