Here is the deal, my CLK430 w/ 69k miles has this issue where if I slam the gas to pass a truck or something, then immediately let off the gas like where I decide not to pass after all (so basically like a quick spike in RPM that I let go soon after) then it loses gear and when I try to give gas the car just revs. This causes me to have to coast to a stop and the tranny re-engages only after coming to a complete stop. This is extremely dangerous and has happened multiple times.

Now its getting so bad that it even happened at a red light the other day and this time I had to turn my car off and on to re-engage the tranny. Also something new is that my car got stuck in first gear two mornings ago on my way to work. I got on the highway and at 60mph I was almost redlining. I had to pull off th highway, turn off the car, and restart it for it to work again.

These problems are happening more and more frequently. Is this a transmission issue? Or an electrical issue. I am ready to leave the Mercedes ownership world between this and the rotted wiring harness of my old W202 chassis C-Class.

The CLK430 is a 2001 w/ 69k miles. I have never spilled any liquids on the center console. Thank you for your help in advance.

sounds like a tranny issue...chek ur tranny fluid

If you are under the car looking at the front left of the pan there is a downtube that can develop a leak coming out of the tranny just above the pan. It's happened enough times to be called "common". Check there first, if it's wet you are low on fluid.

If not, you're boned.

crazy that this happened cuz it happened to me while having fun with an M3 on freeway this morning. same exact scenario. i guess you just scared me into driving like the elderly. keep in touch to tell me ur solutions.

very concerned!

I talked to a respected independent Mercedes shop who tried diagnosing the problem over the phone via my description. Of course, we won't know the problem until a true diagnostic is performed. However, the tech said he believes it is either the cable harness or a conductor plate that is faulty. I am going to try to see if Mercedes has any bulletons on these issues before I shell out money. After a two generation family history of Mercedes ownership, I believe my Mercedes days are over. The car is still a baby with only 69k miles and shouldn't be having these major issues. Not to mention resale value is about par with a Nissan Maxima of the same year, even thought my car is in perfect condition other than this new tranny issue no one has known about as they made their offers. Once this thing goes, I will be seeing you guys in the Lexus forums as their engineers know how to build a car that lasts...

I have a '99 CLK 430 with 76k mi. It is in the shop right now for a similar transmission problem. Rarely, my car would miss a gear and flare the RPM. I would have to pull over to the side of the road and put it into park and back into drive. Apparently, I had a slow leak in one of the transmission seals. I thought it was an engine oil leak until I had my oil changed and they found out that I was a quart low in transmission fluid. My mechanic is going to fix the seals for free because he had already replaced them one year ago along with the tranny shift sensor.

One year ago I was having rare shifting problems when it would have trouble shifting gears or perform very hard shifts. I had the recommended transmission tune-up at 60k mi. and that's when the mechanic noticed the seal leak. The transmission wasn't leaking fluid onto the ground, but the sensor was damaged because of an interior seal leak. My cruise control also stopped working because the leak had damaged the tranny sensor. When the sensor was replaced, my cruise control resumed functioning and the shifting problem were gone.

Hey bro don’t give up on Mercedes so fast! First check the speed sensor I believe it is, it is located on the front passenger side right above the oil pan. Mine was giving me problems and after replacing it my car started shifting right. I thought my torque converter was bad it got to the point that I would floor it and the rpm's would go crazy before the car would even really move. Check this out as it is a very common problem on almost all Mercedes.

It ended up being the conductor plate. Car runs great again (at least for the last few days since I got it back).

Leonardo I hope your car has a minor problem that can be fixed easily and quickly. I grew up loving the Mercedes brand. I believe if you were to park the new C Class Benz next to the top of the line lexus ls I will guarantee you will get more attention with the C Class. World leaders and vips don't drive toyotas or a lexus, they drive or are driven in a Mercedes Benz. The day you buy a Benz is the day you understand you are buying a world class machine which translates to expensive repairs due to its sophistication.

I will never be caught dead driving a toyota. A turd by any other name is still a turd (lexus).

I understand what you are trying to say but on the same token, Hitler and other blood thirsty leaders that have resorted to genocide have driven around in Benzes. As for VIP's, some Enron guy even blew his brains out in a Benz after ripping of millions. Marty Frankel, the fraudulant "invester" had a stable of Benzes that were auctioned off after his arrest for ripping investers of $208,000,000.00. So scum drive these cars too.

Also, with the Daimler/Chrysler merge, these cars are really no more "elite" than a Lexus/Toyota. Many Chrysler cars share chassis, engines, and underpinnings w/ Mercedes cars.

I'm a man of a high quality and dependable car. Lexus is in my sights for my next purchase. I bet more philanthropists drive around in Toyotas anyway, and I side with them more than world leaders and VIP's that drive benzes.