khaiser

Hello, I need some help asap.
I was on my way to chicago today. I almost make it to my hotel, and the car just stops. When the car is in Drive, it just revs. Then I find out it needs coolant. When I get out, I see coolant leaking, but can't tell if tranny is leaking also. So I fill up coolant, and still nothing happens.
So the car gets towed to a shop in town. My dash said nothing about tranny probs. Is my tranny shot, or is it just doing this because of the coolant and possible tranny leak?
It is a 2000 E 430 4matic.

Thanks,

Figuero

Sounds like you're in need of a good indie. Where is your car now?

khaiser

It was towed to chicago auto center.
They have done some work on my brother's car, and my Moms Range Rover.

I hope I will know something soon. I just hope the tranny is not messed up, and that it is just acting like that because of the coolant and possible tranny fluid leak.

Figuero

Worst case is that you have a Valeo radiator. They have a history of failing and letting coolant run into the transmission. The prognosis would not be good. Search on Valeo on this and the Benzworld forum for details. Hopefully, this is not the case and it's something else.

khaiser

Thanks, I saw the coolant on the road. When I poured it into the coolant tank, it came right out the bottom.
I just have to wait and see

Figuero

That might be a good sign. From what I've heard on the forum, the Valeo failure is internal to the radiator and the coolant slowly leaks into the transmission. Over time the failure shows up as a destroyed transmission due to driving with contaminated ATF. Yours sounds like a sudden failure.

purplegrog

I had a W124 some years back that had a failure like that. For me it was a bad water pump.

stickygreen

Did engine overheat?

khaiser

Car got fixed. The radiator broke, near the tranny. It needed a new radiator. Chicago Auto center got it fixed the same day. Since I did not get pre-approval and the car got towed to CAC and they started the work with out pre-approval, they only paid 400 on a 990 bill.

Still, not bad. Chicago Auto Center did a great job.

The engine had slight over heat, but not much.

Lancelot

Please enlighten me; the radiator is in front of the car, the transmission is behind the engine underneith the dash & center console. How can the radiator break near the tranny?!?!?

khaiser

I have no clue, that is what the shop said, I think it was near the pipe that connects to the radiator. Maybe near the tranny fluid?
Unfortunatly, I am clueless about these things.

Figuero

They should have shown you the old parts....

ohlord

go where the trans cooling lines enter or exit the radiator.Have them double check that no coolant got mixed with the trans fluid.If it did you may be looking at a new trans in the future,unless they drain it and the converter and install new trans fluid ,mb spec 722.6 as always.
Ask straight up,what failed and where.Make sure they are familiar with the requirements of a mercedes 722.6 transmission.

khaiser

I did see the radiator. They told me that there was no coolant leak into the tranny.
These guys are supposed to be good with this stuff. The car is running smoother than ever.

Thanks,

ohlord

caused this
"When the car is in Drive, it just revs."
and it was not just loss of coolant.Why did the transmission just rev in drive?
If the engine over heated the trans fluid over heated and it does not take much to ruin a whole pan of trans fluid.

Figuero

I think I would have that transmission fluid tested for antifreeze just in case.

MG

Just flat out change it. Its not that expensive, and at this point, worth every penny.

khaiser

I called the shop that worked on the car in chicago, my indy mech in peoria, il, and the MB dealer in peoria. They all say that since the radiator just broke open and leaked everything out, there is no way any coolant can mix with the tranny fluid.
They say the reason the tranny was just reving in drive was because it went into protective mode.
So, do I still insist on them flushing and changing the fluid? I guess that in this car you don't ever have to change the fluid.

Thanks,

Figuero

If it's never been changed it's time to change it anyway. Fluid & Filter change / Pan Cleaning. MB recinded its position of lifetime transmission fluid.

khaiser

Oh, really, I did not know that. Even my dealer did not know that.
So how ofter is it supposed to be changed?

Thanks,

Figuero

I believe the new recommendation is to change it one time only at 40,000miles. Of course this is for new cars.

They would never go back and change the policy on old cars....think of the liability issues. But if common sense means anything, just ask your dealer if he would be willing to buy some ATF that has been sitting on the shelf in a hot dirty warehouse for the last 10 years.......in OPEN metal cans.

The official line on Mobil 1 motor oil..... couldn't find anything on ATF.

Question:
Shelf Life of Unopened Mobil 1 Quarts
Does Mobil 1 synthetic motor oil (in an unopened quart) have any sort of shelf life, like conventional motor oil?
-- John Lantz, Littleton, CO

Answer:
ExxonMobil recommends a five year maximum shelf-life for engine oils, including Mobil 1.

ohlord

or so,your 2000 has no drain for the converter so you can do the diy on benzworld.org and drain the converter through the cooling lines or just drain the pan and filter and drain about half the fluid that way and repeat again in 6 months.722.6 fluid only.
Limp mode for the transmission is 2nd gear and reverse ,not free revving in drive,so something happened.

khaiser

Thanks, I am going to talk to my mechanic about the tranny issue I had and get it checked out.