OB_330CiC

today marks the 7th day since I dropped of the E500 due to glycol contamination of the transmission....they are replacing radiator, transmission, TCM, TCU etc...should be ready tomorrow....

RONB

Sorry to bring up an old thread - i have this issue and I need help. I'm out of warranty...what to do? How do I figure out my production date? and will mercedes pay for this defect?

vettdvr

You might consider filing a safety report on the NTSB for this issue for power system failure. This information is collected to determine safety related issues. Loss of drive system could result in a accident if occuring at the wrong time. MB already knows of the issue,, warranty claims are paid by MB to the dealer. But the customer preception of quality of MB is really damaged by these issues.

gnma

This is leading me to bel. that the E500 shares the same Valeo radiator that was used in the C32. If you ck. out that forum, you'll notice the Achilles heel to the C32 was the defective Valeo radiator which leaked coolant into the tranny, killing it. It was not a recall. If you do a search for "glycol" or "transmission" in the C32 forums, u'll spend most of your day reading people's exp. with this.

This basically sums it up:

https://mbworld.org/forums/c32-amg-c55-amg-w203/246522-i-searched-first-i-promise-glycol-questions.html

Ck. out post #12. MB recognized the problem: If your car (C32) has a production date of Sep. 03 (ck. exact date in that post), AND a Valeo radiator, AND identify the crimps to be as stated in post #12, chances are the rad. is or will leak coolant into the tranny, causing glycol contamination.

MB rectified the problem by replacing the Valeo with BEHR radiators, or used a better quality Valeo (the rad. top end crimping is diff. from the "bad" Valeo).

SO, reading this thread and MB confirming glycol contamination gives me evidence to presume the pre-09/03 E500's (maybe E320's too?) use the same or very similar defective radiator that can be found in the C32.

I could be wrong, but the evidence is compelling.....

Good luck with the fix.

For those that meet this criteria, you can ask MB to perform a glycol contamination test. I was interested in the C32 before my E500 purchase, but opted for the E due to space requirements. I never followed up if MB will pay for the damage....I hope they do!

Oops, I just noticed how old this thread is, but its good info. and RONB, hope this helps a little. There is a way to identify if you have the BEHR or Valeo, but again search the C32 forum to find out how to ck. it. (The brand is not stamped on top of the radiator in plain sight).

RONB

Thanks for the info gnma; i'm pretty pissed- I really hope Mercedes fixes this problem since its a defect - trying to find more info on the lawsuit and what to do from here...

Benzo1999

This thread is scaring the s__t out of me. I have an 03 E500 with 45000 on the clock. I'm out of warranty & have had an occasional miss-shift that I thought was wierd. Now I'm worried that I may have more to fix on my problem child.

Does anyone have a part number on the current & replacement rads? I'd like to see if my car has been updated. If not, I'm thinking of changing the rad. Any thoughts? I don't see it being any where near as expensive as an new tranny.

Thanks...

konigstiger

Current radiator part #A2115003102 replaces A2115000202. I can forward a copy of DTB P-B-27.55/50g MAR08 instructing how to check if your vehicle is equipped with a Valeo radiator and associated old crimping method. PM your email address.

Benzo1999

Thanks for all of your expert help, you are a wealth of knowledge! I sent you a pm yesterday.

Piranajoe

I had my Tranny Fluid Check for contamination and they found none, so I went ahead and replaced the radiator to avoid future problems. If you are out of warranty it may be the best route to go !

perishatmyhands

did you get your tranny fluid checked at the dealer? did they charge you for this? i'm about due for some service or another on my 03 E500 and would like to get this checked out. overall my ride is really smooth, but sometimes at low speeds (like in parking lots) the car kinda staggers forward awkwardly until i obtain some speed. any chance this is caused by contamination?
thanks

Piranajoe

I had it checked at a dealer where I live at no charge, but the Jerking is common problem on these cars also See the link below. Try the w/s button and take it out of sport mode it really helps.
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...hlight=JERking

Highs1499

yea i just got a new tranny put in at 60,000 on the clock.....isn't that BS

abotero

Hi there. I would love to get a copy of DTB P-B-27.55/50g MARC08

I have a C32 2002 with no issues (jerking or otherwise) and want to prevent the problem before I have it. I would appreciate if you could either copy-past the DTB here or email to me. Thanks, Andy

konigstiger

PM your email address

abotero

andy_rook2005-2008 at yahoo dot com

Taylor-Made'90

Konigstiger, check ya email.......

JWill

I had the same issue and solution to my 2003 E500. I was lucky enough to have an extended warranty. It is sad that they haven't put out a recall.

t76turbo

I also had the transmission shuttering/ jerking problem.
I contacted my local dealer, decribed my problem to them, and also let them know about the TSB. They claimed they have never heard of a glycol contamination problem with the E class. Fearing the worst of glycol contamination (as I have no warranty) I took a gamble to see If I could fix the problem myself.

This is what I did. I disconected the transmission lines where they entered the radiator and installed a Mr. Transmission trany cooler in the area behind the fog light ( bypassing the stock transmission cooler in the radiator)Took my benz to the dealer and had them do a complete flush of the transmission.

NO MORE JERKING/ SHUTTERING etc...

If cought early enough, I guess no transmission damage should occur with glycol contamination, and if my tranny never had glycol contamination(as a test was never performed) I made sure it would never happen,as my ride has the Valeo radiator. This is a cheap way to prevent a potentialy very expensive repair bill.

mcleantmw

I had the same design defect occur with my 2003 E500 about a year ago with about 40,000 miles on the vehicle. It was the connection of the cooling line for the transmission which goes through the radiator and coolant fluid got into the transmission. In my case, I immediately noticed the transmission having a slight vibration when accelerating and took it to the dealer. They did warranty service by replacing only the Torque Converter and Radiator and flushing both the cooling system and transmission and it's been operating fine since them. I also agree: Why didn't MB do a service recall on these vehicles since SO MANY have encountered this problem!!!

MB4Lif3

I am a newbie with an 03 E500 with 34,000 miles on it. I started having issues with the transmission bucking between 1,200 to 2,000 rpm. After reading this thread, I learned about the Glycol contamination problems with the early model vehicles. I took it to the dealer and indeed they found the poison. they changed the radiator, torque converter and transmission under the 100,000 mi. powertrain warranty. The only thing I paid for was the glycol test $130. I got it back yesterday and it feels smoother than ever! I thank you all for the valuable information.

Barry45RPM

Hey... Welcome to the Forum. You'll find a wealth of info here & a bunch of nice people.

konigstiger

In accordance to MBUSA DTB P-B-27.55/50g MAR08 (latest revision) the Glycol test is included in the repair process, I would question this charge - if want a copy of the bulletin, PM your email address.

mcleantmw

What's the warranty coverage on your 03 E500? When I bought my used 03 E500 in 2005 from the local MB Dealer, I was told it had 1 1/2 years remaining on the original warranty and I also bought an extended two years warranty from MB which ends in Jan 2009. My vehicle only has 58,000 miles on it. Wondering if my powertrain will still be covered by the MB 100,000 mile warranty like your's or did you get that provided by the dealer you bought your car from?
DISCOVERED NEW INFORMATION THAT ANSWERS MY OWN QUESTION!!!
I just read the MB pamphlet on Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Extended Warranties. I now realize that MB provides an automatic 12 months CPO warranty, up to 100,000 miles max, when you buy a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle from a MB Dealer. In my case, I also bought when I purchased my CPO vehicle from the MB Dealer an additional 24 months CPO Warranty which also is still limited to the max 100,000 mileage. So, MB provides the option when you buy a CPO vehicle a max coverage of seven years not to exceed 100,000. I now realize I have another year of MB warranty coverage and I don't have to worry about buying a third-party warranty from Warranty Direct until Jan 2010.

EscobarSLV

I have an 03 E500 with 36k. Have ALL problems listed by posters on this topic. Took it into the dealer last week and they said my tranny fluid was as black as used oil. They also said they took a look at the torque converter and that needed replacing asap. No contamination in the tranny fluid from the radiator though but the electrical line was seeping oil into the tranny, they called it a "wicking" problem.

Long story short, I'm out 3 grand and my car won't be ready till Wednesday. As soon as I get out of law school I'm buying a Lexus. Even my 330ci didn't have problems this expensive by any stretch. Sure it nickeled and dimed me once in a while but a hundred bucks at the worst. I'm really disappointed in this car as of late. The handling is great and the ride is nice but this problem along with some finnicky electrical/ECU issues I also had recently really makes me wish I still have my BMW. Best of luck to everyone else.

Figuero

Can someone point me to the method of checking to see if I have a Behr or Valeo radiator?