- Mercedes-Benz E-Class: Recalls and Technical Service Bulletins
Important information to help you understand your Mercedes-Benz
W211 Recalls!
i have a w211 2003 e240. purchased it 2nd hand with 62k on it.
recently had all fluids changed, coolant, tranny fluid, engine oil, brake fluids, everything. just right after i had it changed, the screen displayed check coolant level. i went back to the mechanic and he advised me to just top it up with distilled water which i did and error message disappeared.
however, after starting it up this morning, i had a very unfortunate experience, my car's tranny started acting weird.. it was like shifting up and down and even when i was not stepping on the gas. it was sort of jerking back and forth. also, when i put it in neutral, and back to drive, it would not go... as if it was still in neutral, i had to shift back to neutral and to drive again before the clutch engages....
now that i've been reading on this forum, m afraid i might be a victim of the coolant and tranny fluid mixture.
is there any recall to this problem? also, if it was detected early, would there be any chance that i could still save my tranny by just replacing the fluids and perhaps the radiator?
btw, i reside in the philippines.
another query, is there any reprogramming procedure for keyless go? my keyless go function was working perfectly until i accidentally used the keyless go ignition and drove off while leaving the key behind.... it suddenly flashed the key not recognized message... so i drove back and got the key and thought everything was normal, the push shut off button worked fine as well... but when i tried starting it again with the keyless go... it wouldnt work.... any advise on this matter? =)
much thanks in advance.

i have a w211 2003 e240. purchased it 2nd hand with 62k on it.
recently had all fluids changed, coolant, tranny fluid, engine oil, brake fluids, everything. just right after i had it changed, the screen displayed check coolant level. i went back to the mechanic and he advised me to just top it up with distilled water which i did and error message disappeared.
however, after starting it up this morning, i had a very unfortunate experience, my car's tranny started acting weird.. it was like shifting up and down and even when i was not stepping on the gas. it was sort of jerking back and forth. also, when i put it in neutral, and back to drive, it would not go... as if it was still in neutral, i had to shift back to neutral and to drive again before the clutch engages....
now that i've been reading on this forum, m afraid i might be a victim of the coolant and tranny fluid mixture.
is there any recall to this problem? also, if it was detected early, would there be any chance that i could still save my tranny by just replacing the fluids and perhaps the radiator?
btw, i reside in the philippines.
another query, is there any reprogramming procedure for keyless go? my keyless go function was working perfectly until i accidentally used the keyless go ignition and drove off while leaving the key behind.... it suddenly flashed the key not recognized message... so i drove back and got the key and thought everything was normal, the push shut off button worked fine as well... but when i tried starting it again with the keyless go... it wouldnt work.... any advise on this matter? =)
much thanks in advance.
the simplest way to find out what you have goin gon with the trans is to have a glycol test done to the trans fluid(ATF) which a MB dealer can do, they should have the proper testing kit required to find out.
it doesn't sound like that is your only issue. the glycol in the trans basically makes the clutches in the trans swell so they might engage when they are not supposed to be. i find that one of the ways to tell is to drive slow in second gear pressing on the gas slightly and letting off at around 10-25 mph and you can feel a chugging sensation because the clutches aren't slipping as they should. i would start with a simple flash of the trans control unit to make sure that doesn't remedy this issue, then proceed with a glycol test. If if does comeback that the glycol level is above the permissible amount you would have to make a decesion of which component to replace. a dealer will probably sell you the trans and the radiator. but i would start with the radiator(becuase that is what is leaking the coolant into the trans fluid) and hopefully the glycol hasn't contaminted the clutches too bad.
As for the trans feeling like it was in nuetral and jumping gears, that could be a valvebody issue, i would have codes checked and processed.
the keyless go key i believe needs to be reprogrammed, sometimes it might work, or the key has crapped out.
hope this helps.....any one elses thoughts??
I hope that you can help me.
I bought the car at 305.000 km. (taxi) E320 CDI 1/2007 W211.
At 315.000 km the change from 1. to 2. speed got harder. A mechanic changed gearbox-fluid.
He didn't managed it. Fluid was a little low I think and wrong (236.81) - should have been 236.14.
I few month later I got fluid and filter changed again. This time it's measured by the right temp. Fuchs Titan 4134.
There are no problems from 2-7 speed and back to 1..
But, typically when the car rolls after turning left or right and you floor the gas or like that - nothing happens. I got frightened and lift my foot and drives normally - and the car drives again.
Another problem is a strange change from 1. to 2. speed. It's not smooth. You feel it mostly at low or normal speed.
Gearbox was repaired at 161.000 km under taxi-service.
Do you have any idea of what's wrong? Thanks.
I hope that you can help me.
I bought the car at 305.000 km. (taxi) E320 CDI 1/2007 W211.
At 315.000 km the change from 1. to 2. speed got harder. A mechanic changed gearbox-fluid.
He didn't managed it. Fluid was a little low I think and wrong (236.81) - should have been 236.14.
I few month later I got fluid and filter changed again. This time it's measured by the right temp. Fuchs Titan 4134.
There are no problems from 2-7 speed and back to 1..
But, typically when the car rolls after turning left or right and you floor the gas or like that - nothing happens. I got frightened and lift my foot and drives normally - and the car drives again.
Another problem is a strange change from 1. to 2. speed. It's not smooth. You feel it mostly at low or normal speed.
Gearbox was repaired at 161.000 km under taxi-service.
Do you have any idea of what's wrong? Thanks.
I hope that you can help me.
I bought the car at 305.000 km. (taxi) E320 CDI 1/2007 W211.
At 315.000 km the change from 1. to 2. speed got harder. A mechanic changed gearbox-fluid.
He didn't managed it. Fluid was a little low I think and wrong (236.81) - should have been 236.14.
I few month later I got fluid and filter changed again. This time it's measured by the right temp. Fuchs Titan 4134.
There are no problems from 2-7 speed and back to 1..
But, typically when the car rolls after turning left or right and you floor the gas or like that - nothing happens. I got frightened and lift my foot and drives normally - and the car drives again.
Another problem is a strange change from 1. to 2. speed. It's not smooth. You feel it mostly at low or normal speed.
Gearbox was repaired at 161.000 km under taxi-service.
Do you have any idea of what's wrong? Thanks.
It would be very hard to tell what exactly is wrong. if you press the accelerator and no throttle is applied there could be another issue, is the check engine light on?. The transmission could havegone into "limp-home" mode meaning it gives up and probably put the trans into nuetral, if that is the case you probably have a control unit issue. the control unit is located on the valvebody(electrohydraulic control unit) this has to be replaced by a dealer as far as i know. not sure where you are located but in the US it has to be coded properly. i would have the control unit checked for diagnostic trouble codes(dtc's) and go from there.
Cheers
Hope that helps
Philip
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Add power steering fluid and check for a leak!!
Cheers
Hope that helps
Philip
Cheers
Hope that helps
Philip

If theres something wrong with the valve body - would it then give af message in the display?
Located in Denmark.
Maybe my 2 problems both could be a valve body problem?
1) No drive when quite good acceleration - it happens when rpm are low)
2) Unnormal/hard shift between 1. and 2. speed).
1) But why does it drive fine when normal og little acc? Does it not goes into the first speed when hard acc.?
I've have resat the gearbox a few times to get it learn driving style from new. (the trick with flooring gas and right key positions)
Is the unit also called "speed plate"?
Last edited by Aliaz; May 4, 2012 at 01:26 PM.
When was the cured - was it later than mine from 1/2007?
Could it be a bad shifting valve between 1. and 2. speed?
If the transmission control unit is bad - should it then be able to shift all the way to 7th speed? - and backward without problems?
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I bought the car at 305.000 km. (taxi) E320 CDI 1/2007 W211.
At 315.000 km the change from 1. to 2. speed got harder. A mechanic changed gearbox-fluid (322.000 km).
He didn't managed it. Fluid was a little low I think and wrong (236.81) - should have been 236.14.
I few month later I got fluid and filter changed again (km 327.000). This time it's measured by the right temp. Fuchs Titan 4134.
There are no problems from 2-7 speed and back to 1..
1) But, typically when the car rolls after turning left or right and you floor the gas or like that - nothing happens. I got frightened and lift my foot and drives normally - and the car drives again.
Don't think rpm's goes up, but I haven't noticed it.
2) Another problem is a strange change from 1. to 2. speed. It's not smooth. You feel it mostly at low or normal speed.
(It's precisely WHEN the shift happens)
Gearbox was repaired at 161.000 km under taxi-service.
(No engine light/limp mode. And no messages in display.)
<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >
UPDATE: 2*) Now I have driven 2300-2700 km since "the good oil-change".
The shifting between 1st and 2nd gets better and better - I think.
Maybe it takes some more driven km?? -to get it better because fluid should have been changed when I bought the car.
Can't see in the papers - In worst case it can have driven 161.000 with same gear-fluid. It was BLACK first mechanic said.
1*) -I don't floor the gas after turning because I don't like to "provoke" the other problem.
Have dealer check VMI to see if your VIN is included – approximately 3,613 vehicle affected.
Models 164, 171, 203, 204, 207, 209, 211, 212, 216, 219, 221, 230, 251, 463
Engines 272 and 273, MY 2005 – 2011 Camshaft Adjustment Solenoids - due to the settling properties of the seal, oil may leak from the camshaft adjustment solenoid dealers will retrofit four adapter harnesses onto the engine wiring harness. Covers any/all repairs due to damage from oil leak however, claims replacement of leaking camshaft solenoid is not permitted under consequential damage.
Approximately 557,108 vehicles are affected. Have dealer check VMI to determine if vehicle is included. Service Campaigns are covered out of warranty.





