B.Fairall

Hey Everyone!

Forgive me, I am not the most well versed or savvy of individuals when it comes to repairs, upgrades, or fixes with my 2003 C32 AMG so bear with me here as I try to explain what went wrong.

PROBLEM: Car seems to putter and struggle for power in low-end gears. Like intermittently pinching a garden hose, fuel seemed to inconsistently flow into the engine.


First Diagnosis: Replace Fuel Filter - (Did not fix issue)

Second Diagnosis: Something to do with the Fuel Injectors - (Did not fix issue)

Third Diagnosis: Checked compression issues - (Nope)

Took car into certified Mercedes Benz Service Shop

Fourth Diagnosis: Faulty Radiator and Destroyed Tranny - Coolant Mixed Into Transmission, wearing down low end gear shifters causing a missed catch during casual driving conditions. High End gears would in fact cause the gears to catch just fine.

SOLUTION: Replace Radiator and Transmission

TOTAL COST (P+L): Radiator ($800) + Transmission ($8300)

==============================================

Has anyone experienced the same issues with the 2003 C32 AMG's or any similar C-Class models that can shed some light on the situation?

I just dropped almost $5K into new tires, rims, and assorted maintenance and am not in a hurry to get rid of my car. However, KBB values it at $9K market and $7.5k trade in - less than the cost of above said repairs.

Also, a friend of mine suggested that I find a Transmission on car-part.com and have a local Benz tech specialist install it on his own - essentially as a side project. Has anyone gone this route before? Any stories?

Lastly, are there any after market MODs for the faulty radiator? I'm not interested in putting a new tranny in that will eventually undergo the same issues since the radiator is built to fall apart in the same manner.

Would love any and all help on this.

Thanks!

-Brett

MarcusF

Yes, a bad radiator can take out the transmission. A C32 radiator is between $150 and $175 in parts. A rebuilt C32 transmission is $2500 plus labor. I'd swap the radiator at home then flat bed it to Sun Valley (So Cal)and let them swap the trans. It may be more where you live, but Sun Valley ships worldwide.

Lenin

If you are leaning towards the car-part.com direction, see if you can find a transmission out of a 2004 C32 since the bad radiators have been replaced by then. That will decrease the chances of you buying another bad transmission. Also look into the SRT-6 722.6 transmissions. Same thing but may be less money.

cm60k

Why not put an outer cooler & separate it from the Radiator..!?, that will keep nightmares away....

ZAYED,,

B.Fairall

I have a couple local (Seattle Area) specialists that I could flatbed the car to but am interested to hear more about Sun Valley. What would be the benefit of having SV swap out the tranny versus someone up here?

Also, how do you feel about someone swapping out the tranny who, albeit is a "master mechanic", does not have MB certification? It makes me a bit nervous to be honest...

-Brett

B.Fairall

Thanks! I will definitely check in to both.

What are your thoughts on using used versus brand new factory parts? Every time I think about putting anything used in my car all I can picture is the pain and punishment some random kid put on this (now junked) C32 part/transmission.

Any cause for concern?

MarcusF

Advantages to Sun Valley? Sun Valley has been rebuilding Mercedes-Benz transmissions for decades. The Mercedes-Benz Classic Center in Irvine (owned by Mercedes-Benz) has used them, Mercedes-Benz dealers have used them, and their transmissions, which come with a torque converter, have a two year unlimited mileage warranty. People don't say "unlimited mileage" unless they are pretty sure their product works. In southern California Sun Valley is known as THE place to go for a Mercedes-Benz transmission. Why? People down here can put 60K on a transmission in 2 years. When Sun Valley rebuilds a transmission it gets the latest upgrades and at $2500, I wouldn’t even consider a used transmission. Ultimately, it's your money and your decision, but think about it - a Craigs list used trans and Joe on the corner who is certified for FWD Buicks and can "probably figure out" out to get your transmission in and out of the car - is that really an option?

As for a “certified” MB mechanic, the building in the background of my sig is Porsche North America’s training facility. I know P-car mechanics at dealers do a lot of work that they’re not certified to do. If you take your car to an MB dealer, the guy who drops your trans may not have a cert in that area. However, he does have access to many other guys in the shop who may have dropped or help drop an MB trans before. The goal is to take it someplace that is familiar with R&R’g a Mercedes trans. You don’t want someone learning on your car. I happen to own a transmission jack. I have dropped more transmissions than I can count. Would I drop the transmission in either Mercedes at my house? Nope. And you don’t want someone like me dropping your trans either. How can you know who to use in the Seattle area? Usually I say, "Reach out to your local Mercedes-Benz Club of America section and find out who their guys use." Why? One or more guys in your section have probably had their trans rebuilt. They probably know who NOT to use. To me, knowing who NOT to go to is just as important as who to use. Since you need a transmission now and don't have time to meet and talk to other MB owners in your area, there is an alternative - call Sun Valley, tell them you live in Seattle, and ask who they recommend to install one of their transmissions. Sun Valley has been rebuilding and shipping transmissions all over the place forever, they just may know someone.

B.Fairall

Marcus, I gave Sun Valley a call and was more than pleasantly surprised.

After talking with Mark, it was very clear that he knew exactly what was going on and how to best service my current Glycol fluid issues. For future reference, I am going to ship my car (using something like uship.com) to Sun Valley and they're going to install both the tranny and new (different) radiator - out the door just over $3k.

You saved me big time!

Thank you!!

-Brett

Lenin

Good deal and peace of mind.

EDgineered

How many miles are on the engine? Have you already replaced starter and alternator recently? What is the condition of the brakes?


I ask because every repair I have ever done has had extra costs and surprises. If there are looming future purchases and it is a high mileage car it may be cheaper to cut your costs. If you start spending thousands in repairs per year a new payment may be less...


I will vote based on the info

MarcusF

Glad to be of help. I expect that you’ll soon be singing the praises of getting a transmission from Sun Valley.

On your poll, one of your options was another vehicle. I’m glad you’re not going down that route. Just for fun, let’s do the math on that as a true solution for repair expenses. If someone is adamant and they really don't want to have to pay another repair bill, EVER, they can lease a car. Using the MBUSA payment calculator, a 2014 C63 w/leather, premium 1 package and prepaid 2 years of maintenance is $6630 down and $1044 a month for 24 months - plus tax. After 2 years, the person can pay for tires, pony up another down payment, and start on a new monthly plan. If prices never go up, and we know they will, at the end of 10 years, $158K plus tax will have been spent on transportation. Aside from the fact that $158K would pay to replace the transmission 52 times (that’s once every 10 weeks), personally, the market paid me 42% last year. At those rates, I can't toss $16K per year at a car that spends most of its time parked. I need my money to work. When the market goes in the dumpster, and eventually it will, then I’ll take some money off the table, wander down to my dealer and take one of their cars off their hands. Then again, I'm cheap and my viewpoint is skewed by that. No offense to anyone leasing, it's great for some, but not all. If someone wants to write an article on the benefits of leasing, I'll be happy to publish it in The Southwest Star Magazine.

B.Fairall

2003 C32 AMG - 117K.

Replaced Starter? No.

Replaced Alternator? Yes.

Brakes? I believed I had Pads and Rotors replaced in 2012.