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Huge Jerk from First to Second Gear

Old 12-02-2004 | 09:15 AM
  #1  
carlsson9's Avatar
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Mercedes W210 E280
Unhappy Huge Jerk from First to Second Gear

Hey guys,

Been noticing that my car gives out a very noticable and uncomfortable jolt when i floor it from 1st gear to 2nd gear. It used to happen once in a while, but now it seems to surface too often. I'm worried that it's my gear box, but i'm hoping it could be something else. Am taking it to the shop on Saturday, but has anyone had such problems and managed to fix it before (other than a full gearbox overhaul of course! :P)

Thanks again!

Karlson
Old 12-02-2004 | 10:37 AM
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Whitey's Avatar
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Wonder if its the K&N?????

When I floor it, I get something like the exhaust system is choking, along a slight hesitation but I think its from 2nd to 3rd. I used to think its something to do with having removed the resonator but since you just got the K&N, wonder if that's it?
Old 12-02-2004 | 11:55 AM
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still small

I have it very rarely. However, it happens when i down shift from second to first. I feel a slight jerk sometimes.
Old 12-02-2004 | 02:50 PM
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2014 E550 4matic,, sold 2012 E 350 4matic,,sold 2010 e350 4w,sold 2002 e320 se
Heres a thought,,,,when I had the first Power chip installed,I had a noticeable jerk from 1st to 2nd and from 2nd to 3rd also.Power chip reprogrammed my upgraded chip,and the jerk was gone.The point is,maybe its related to the brain in the chip thingy?You know,,,its not synching the shift when its supposed to?

Last edited by stemags; 12-02-2004 at 03:20 PM.
Old 12-02-2004 | 04:18 PM
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diffuzi0n - I had similar on a 2000 E320. Very annoying. Shift points needed to be cleared by dealer and that weird 'learning' of driving style starts over. It didn't cost me anything and when I picked up the car later that day, it was amazingly smooth.
Old 12-02-2004 | 05:09 PM
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Originally Posted by raymond g-
diffuzi0n - I had similar on a 2000 E320. Very annoying. Shift points needed to be cleared by dealer and that weird 'learning' of driving style starts over. It didn't cost me anything and when I picked up the car later that day, it was amazingly smooth.
That is very interesting. I thought that the tranny was going.
Old 12-02-2004 | 09:37 PM
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Hmmm, let me ask for clarification: when you notice this, is it from you manually shifting it ie "..... it happens when i down shift from second to first." or when the tranny auto downshifts. In my case, it was the tranny auto downshifting when I was coming to stop. At about 5mph, the tranny would jerk, as if it popped out of 1st and back into 2nd. Compression braking suddenly released.
Old 12-02-2004 | 10:59 PM
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Originally Posted by diffuzi0n
I have it very rarely. However, it happens when i down shift from second to first. I feel a slight jerk sometimes.
I'm used to that. I've had it once recently were I was driving slow, just leaving work, cold outside and I got it at the right RPM where it normally nicely shifts into second but I eased on teh throttle right when it shifted and it was the hardest shift I ever experienced. It's intermittent and I think it's the adaptive tranny thinking too much. I'd rather have it where it shifts the same everytime, all the time...
Old 12-03-2004 | 02:34 AM
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Originally Posted by michakaveli
I'm used to that. I've had it once recently were I was driving slow, just leaving work, cold outside and I got it at the right RPM where it normally nicely shifts into second but I eased on teh throttle right when it shifted and it was the hardest shift I ever experienced. It's intermittent and I think it's the adaptive tranny thinking too much. I'd rather have it where it shifts the same everytime, all the time...

I switched from S(ummer) to W(inter) mode and everything is smoother now that it's so cold outside.
Old 12-03-2004 | 03:21 AM
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Originally Posted by cody
I switched from S(ummer) to W(inter) mode and everything is smoother now that it's so cold outside.
That's becuz you're starting on second and not first, its nothing to do with the weather
Old 12-03-2004 | 09:23 AM
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Originally Posted by Whitey
When I floor it, I get something like the exhaust system is choking, along a slight hesitation but I think its from 2nd to 3rd. I used to think its something to do with having removed the resonator but since you just got the K&N, wonder if that's it?
Don't think its the K&N, since its been happening like this before i slotted in the k&N..

Its really starting to irritate me..been happening a lot today...I think its the Transmission, but I don't want to touch that yet cause it will cost me a bomb..

Old 12-03-2004 | 09:33 AM
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Originally Posted by raymond g-
Hmmm, let me ask for clarification: when you notice this, is it from you manually shifting it ie "..... it happens when i down shift from second to first." or when the tranny auto downshifts. In my case, it was the tranny auto downshifting when I was coming to stop. At about 5mph, the tranny would jerk, as if it popped out of 1st and back into 2nd. Compression braking suddenly released.
That is excatly it.

Hey guys you know what i was thinking of doing. I am going to apply at the dealership as a part timer to work there over the weekends, so i can understand all of these little issues about the car. Needless to say I will share the info, if i get accepted.
We will see if they accept college grads as mechanics haha
Old 06-21-2007 | 06:23 AM
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Originally Posted by cody
I switched from S(ummer) to W(inter) mode and everything is smoother now that it's so cold outside.
how do u shift from Summer to Winter mode???
Old 06-21-2007 | 10:34 AM
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There should be a rocker switch to the left of your shifter with an "S" and a "W"


I'll let you guess which ones which
Old 06-21-2007 | 03:51 PM
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Originally Posted by ajent420
There should be a rocker switch to the left of your shifter with an "S" and a "W"


I'll let you guess which ones which


If you set it to "W" you should be IN a rocker...
Old 06-24-2007 | 06:15 AM
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I dont have that rocker thing... though i'd like to know if anybody solved this jerk problem?? I read somewhere that there is some sorta valve in the tranny that is the culprit that gives these jerks when worn... needs changing not a major job but u must do it with a tranny expert... am i right??
Old 09-05-2007 | 12:42 PM
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Long time lurker first time poster!

I'm in the UK and drive a late 2000 CLK 230 Kompressor auto. 125,000 miles.

I have this same issue. Not always but an occasional very harsh jerk when the transmission moves from first to second when changing up, and from second to first when changing down.

Like I said this doesn't happen all the time, but if I had to put my finger on a time when it usually does happen, it would be after a high speed run. For example pulling off a motorway (interstate type) and coming up to a roundabout or stop sign at a junction.

I can eliminate this by leaving the gearbox in W mode, but W mode is boring. I've tried the reset trick (key in, throttle down, etc etc) but that didn't make any difference.

I've had this problem for about 8 months now and it bothers me a lot.

Any knowledge anyone can bring to this would be hugely appreciated!
Old 09-05-2007 | 01:20 PM
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2002 W210 M112 | 2021 X247 M270 | 2015 Audi SQ5 | 2015 VW Golf R
Haroon, good job in using the "search" button!! I can't believe this was a 3 years old post..

I have the kind of nasty jerks like you guys mention. I have asked a friend of mine, a tech at the MB dealership. He said there could be 2 possibilities. The first one is rather simple. Try to change the transmission oil first to see if it helps. If not, then it might be the trasmission module malfunction.

Last edited by blueC230K; 09-05-2007 at 01:44 PM.
Old 09-05-2007 | 01:30 PM
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I get that hard shifting to

I drive a w203 c230k ss and I constantly get chirp from 1st to 2nd when I drive it hard
Old 09-05-2007 | 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by blueC230K
Haroon, good job in using the "search" button!! I can't believe this was a 3 years old post..

I have the kind of nasty jerks like you guys mention. I have asked a friend of mine, a tech at the MB dealership. He said there could be 2 possiblities. The first one is rather simple. Try to change the transmission old first to see if it helps. If not, then it might be the trasmission module malfunction.
Thanks for the response. Unsure of the other posters with this problem, but I had my local Mercedes dealership look into this, and one of the things they did was to replace the transmission fluid (which had been done at the service before anyway). Whilst the first time it was changed it made normal gear changes smoother as you'd expect, it didn't cure the occasional harsh jerk gearchange we're talking about here.

For information, the MB dealership wasn't able to identify the fault with my gearbox. Their very honest reply was that it would be cheaper for me to buy a new gearbox than pay them to strip mine down looking for the problem. Obviously I didn't want to do that!

Incidentally, they didn't charge me a penny, despite having my car for 5 days and changing the gearbox oil.
Old 09-05-2007 | 02:45 PM
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Just an update on this thread - the original poster finally needed to carry out an overhaul of his grear box earlier this year, replacing some parts inside (from what I recall), the other option was a full replacement....so this might be a sign of the gearbox about to fail....

The choice is obviously dependent on cost and apparently it was cheaper to repair over in Malaysia

As "Bluey" would know, I've also had problems with not being able to upshift to 2nd recently and I'm hoping the replacement of a valve mechanism will fix it (as noted originally I also had jerks going from 1st to 2nd at the time).

Last edited by Whitey; 09-05-2007 at 02:48 PM.
Old 09-05-2007 | 04:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Whitey
Just an update on this thread - the original poster finally needed to carry out an overhaul of his grear box earlier this year, replacing some parts inside (from what I recall), the other option was a full replacement....so this might be a sign of the gearbox about to fail....

The choice is obviously dependent on cost and apparently it was cheaper to repair over in Malaysia

As "Bluey" would know, I've also had problems with not being able to upshift to 2nd recently and I'm hoping the replacement of a valve mechanism will fix it (as noted originally I also had jerks going from 1st to 2nd at the time).

Whitey, that's a cute nickname you got for me So, any updates on the car? Did your tech friend get the valve mechanism in by any chance. I am really worry that it's going to be my turn one day. This is definitely like cancer, you never know when it will happen

By the way, do you ever sleep? It's like 2:45am in HK or unless you are in somewhere else. lol
Old 09-05-2007 | 11:33 PM
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Originally Posted by blueC230K
Whitey, that's a cute nickname you got for me So, any updates on the car? Did your tech friend get the valve mechanism in by any chance. I am really worry that it's going to be my turn one day. This is definitely like cancer, you never know when it will happen

By the way, do you ever sleep? It's like 2:45am in HK or unless you are in somewhere else. lol
Haha, I don't sleep that much actually - "old people" don't need much...:P

Haven't had a chance to do the tranny yet but I'll keep you guys posted on the results in the next few days
Old 09-07-2007 | 01:17 AM
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I've had a similar problem. The weird thing is that my transmission was rebuilt. The car jerks very hard (no jokes) through all of the gears. And when I hit the gas a little harder, the car just rocks back and forth and does not want to downshift. This occurs in every gear.
Old 09-08-2007 | 01:58 AM
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Originally Posted by wtwoten
I've had a similar problem. The weird thing is that my transmission was rebuilt. The car jerks very hard (no jokes) through all of the gears. And when I hit the gas a little harder, the car just rocks back and forth and does not want to downshift. This occurs in every gear.
Check the MAF sensor if it hasn't been replaced before...did it for me (different issue though).

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