foreyes

My 1997 E420 pops out of gear under medium to hard acceleration, only when cold. I believe it's the upshift from 2nd to 3rd. If I accelerate slowly, it doesn't happen. When it does, a loud "wham" followed by about a 1/2 second of decoupling where the engine revs, then another "wham" as it engages into 3rd. For about two months, the shift from 2nd to 3rd has been abrupt, only started slipping in the last 2 days. The car has 230,000 miles with no previous transmission repairs or maintenance. Shift control solenoid? Low on fluid? There never has been any leakage or seeping of any fluids. I've been meticulous about all maintenance on the car, but every time I've insisted on a fluid change, my MB dealer repeats the same mantra, "lifetime sealed".

tirona

foreyes, when was the last time you changed the tranny fluid? if not for a while you need to change the fluid/filter/electronic plug connector and also the pressure regulator valve spring. this spring tends to break or collapse and affects shifting 2-3 and 3-4 ($5 part). http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...placement.html
also you need to check for tranny error codes. another thing that goes bad in 722.6 is the speed sensor located in the conductor plate, and you need to replace the conductor plate in that case ($200 part).
one thing i really don't like about 722.6 is how it acts when the car is cold first thing in the morning because it has to wait for the catalytic converters to warm up. i have to let my car warm up for a couple of minutes first now that it's getting cold, because if i don't than i experience rough shifts. same thing in my s320.
loubapache (w210 moderator on benzworld and a member of mbworld also) has compiled a really nice explanation of common issues of 722.6 http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...ml#post3647193

foreyes

Thanks Tirona, very helpful!

foreyes

Changed the fluid and filter, and replaced the pressure regulator valve spring; it was broken. Then I did a TCM reset twice. It's marginally better, but still slips and jerks a lot. Now today the a/c stopped working. The cost of repairs exceeds the value of the car at this point. I'm half-tempted to buy a boring, clean mind-numbing Lexus LS430 with an extended warranty. Oh, wait, then I'll have to buy some of those Docker pants with the elastic in the waistline and some spiffy velcro tennies, and a fanny pack. Hey! I'm only 40...maybe a nice w211 E55...

ohlord

anything beginning with w211.

tirona

foreyes, you just changed the atf and filter recently, give it a few weeks to see if it gets better. if the slipping/harsh shifting you are talking about occurs only the first 3-4 min when you just start the car in the morning and not after the car is fully warmed up, then i wouldn;t worry much about it tranny has to wait for catalytic converters to warm up before normal shifting. i wonder if it's the shifter's problem, a mechanic with sds should be able to figure it out. do you have any error codes? speed sensor codes will point at a replacement of the conductor plate.
regarding ac not working, could be as easy as a fuse, or the blower motor regulator which is pretty easy/quick to change. at the age/mileage of your car you can expect a few things to need replacing.
if you wanna try something different than w210 then w211 would be a good choice. but you want to stay away from the first 2-3 years of production.2003-2004 w211 had problems with the brake system, but newer ones are pretty good and reliable. i have previously driven a 2006 e500 and is way better than w210, drives better and more technologically advanced. and i imagine the e55 to be even better. you might want to ask a few question in the w211 section before though.

C280 Sport

Or if you do get a W211. Get a 2007-2009. They had the buggys worked out by then. Plus get a CPO(Certified Pre Owned)