Cold weather E350
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Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Reality
2021 E450 4matic
Cold weather E350
We've been pretty lucky in NJ in terms of weather this year but I have noticed a few things that I wonder if they are "normal" for this car or issues.
I already talked about one on another thread - the tranny. When the car isn't 100% warmed up it shifts hard as hell. Scary almost, like it's going to break.
Then there is the fact that ti does take forever to warm up even on days that aren't so cold - like 40 degrees. I start it a full 10-15minutes before leaving and I get it and it's still only one or two notches above the temp it was when I started it.
The Panaroof also seems to creak like crazy on cold days. Not so much on warmer days but if it's cold in the AM, every turn, bump, etc causes a creaking noise to come from the roof.
Are these issues "normal"? I've never encountred any of them on previous cars, American, German or Japanese.
BTW the car is a 2008 E 350 4matic.
I already talked about one on another thread - the tranny. When the car isn't 100% warmed up it shifts hard as hell. Scary almost, like it's going to break.
Then there is the fact that ti does take forever to warm up even on days that aren't so cold - like 40 degrees. I start it a full 10-15minutes before leaving and I get it and it's still only one or two notches above the temp it was when I started it.
The Panaroof also seems to creak like crazy on cold days. Not so much on warmer days but if it's cold in the AM, every turn, bump, etc causes a creaking noise to come from the roof.
Are these issues "normal"? I've never encountred any of them on previous cars, American, German or Japanese.
BTW the car is a 2008 E 350 4matic.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 10,574
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From: Silicon Valley, CA
1999 C280 Previous / 2008 E350
I do agree on the transmission part, we have cold weather down here in California around 35-41 degrees and when I head to work it does shift like its hesitating on which gears to choose but it doesn't shift as hard between 2-3 gears but as it warms up it eventually goes away.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 266
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From: The Great Pacific NW
2008 Mercedes Benz E63 AMG, 2017 Porsche Macan S
I had a an '07 E550 that shifted a bit hard while cold. I traded up to an '08 E63, and the shifting is not bad at all during cold temps. In fact it shifts firm and right into gear with crispness and solidity, no matter the temp.
I swear, this car is much quieter, except for the monster motor rumble.
I swear, this car is much quieter, except for the monster motor rumble.
Super Member
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 516
Likes: 0
From: Oakville, ON
'12 ML350
I recently experienced this phenomenon where the transmission shift became shockingly stiff, especially in 'S' mode, and sometimes made the car feel like it's being launched and lurches across an intersection from a stop. This started happening after the car was returned to me from a 5 weeks repair odyssey after my wife rear ended someone just before Christmas.
As the car did not shift like this before the accident, I knew something was different or wrong and asked the dealer to check it.
After diagnostics were run, there were no abnormal values or fault codes reported but they did 'clear' the transmission coding as the 7Gtronic is a driver adaptive transmission - and assume the 5-speed transmission in the 4matic is also driver adaptive.
After this was performed, the transmission shifted entirely differently and after 3 weeks, the car is adapting to my driving style and feeling better day by day.
May want to look into this with your dealer at a service appointment, hope this helps.
As the car did not shift like this before the accident, I knew something was different or wrong and asked the dealer to check it.
After diagnostics were run, there were no abnormal values or fault codes reported but they did 'clear' the transmission coding as the 7Gtronic is a driver adaptive transmission - and assume the 5-speed transmission in the 4matic is also driver adaptive.
After this was performed, the transmission shifted entirely differently and after 3 weeks, the car is adapting to my driving style and feeling better day by day.
May want to look into this with your dealer at a service appointment, hope this helps.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,492
Likes: 0
From: Canada
2004 E500 / 2001 C240
I recently experienced this phenomenon where the transmission shift became shockingly stiff, especially in 'S' mode, and sometimes made the car feel like it's being launched and lurches across an intersection from a stop. This started happening after the car was returned to me from a 5 weeks repair odyssey after my wife rear ended someone just before Christmas.
As the car did not shift like this before the accident, I knew something was different or wrong and asked the dealer to check it.
After diagnostics were run, there were no abnormal values or fault codes reported but they did 'clear' the transmission coding as the 7Gtronic is a driver adaptive transmission - and assume the 5-speed transmission in the 4matic is also driver adaptive.
After this was performed, the transmission shifted entirely differently and after 3 weeks, the car is adapting to my driving style and feeling better day by day.
May want to look into this with your dealer at a service appointment, hope this helps.
As the car did not shift like this before the accident, I knew something was different or wrong and asked the dealer to check it.
After diagnostics were run, there were no abnormal values or fault codes reported but they did 'clear' the transmission coding as the 7Gtronic is a driver adaptive transmission - and assume the 5-speed transmission in the 4matic is also driver adaptive.
After this was performed, the transmission shifted entirely differently and after 3 weeks, the car is adapting to my driving style and feeling better day by day.
May want to look into this with your dealer at a service appointment, hope this helps.
You can reset the transmission by yourself, there is a thread here on how to do it.
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 212
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From: Reality
2021 E450 4matic
I recently experienced this phenomenon where the transmission shift became shockingly stiff, especially in 'S' mode, and sometimes made the car feel like it's being launched and lurches across an intersection from a stop. This started happening after the car was returned to me from a 5 weeks repair odyssey after my wife rear ended someone just before Christmas.
As the car did not shift like this before the accident, I knew something was different or wrong and asked the dealer to check it.
After diagnostics were run, there were no abnormal values or fault codes reported but they did 'clear' the transmission coding as the 7Gtronic is a driver adaptive transmission - and assume the 5-speed transmission in the 4matic is also driver adaptive.
After this was performed, the transmission shifted entirely differently and after 3 weeks, the car is adapting to my driving style and feeling better day by day.
May want to look into this with your dealer at a service appointment, hope this helps.
As the car did not shift like this before the accident, I knew something was different or wrong and asked the dealer to check it.
After diagnostics were run, there were no abnormal values or fault codes reported but they did 'clear' the transmission coding as the 7Gtronic is a driver adaptive transmission - and assume the 5-speed transmission in the 4matic is also driver adaptive.
After this was performed, the transmission shifted entirely differently and after 3 weeks, the car is adapting to my driving style and feeling better day by day.
May want to look into this with your dealer at a service appointment, hope this helps.
The problem I have now is just like JRAM pointed out-when it's cold the tranny is really hard, but as the car warms up it improves. I was under the impression that the tranny was electronic, but I guess it's mechanical after all.
Overall I love the car but it has som many little stupids quirks that are somewhat irritating. nothing major, nothing critical, just stupid little things that you wouldn't expect from a car of this level.
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,936
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From: Huntington NY
S560
My car shifts fine in all but the absolute coldest weather. When it hits below 20 there is a noticable jerk in the shift when the car is cold (totally normal compared to other brand cars I have driven). Once it warms up the shifts are fine. My car also warms up very fast, I would say within 6-8 minutes it is running near it's normal temp. There could be a difference as I don't believe you have the 7 speed tranny...
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,332
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From: Toronto
2006 E320 CDi, 2008 3/4 Ton Suburban, 2007 "rice rickshaw" Accord 5 speed
I recently experienced this phenomenon where the transmission shift became shockingly stiff, especially in 'S' mode, and sometimes made the car feel like it's being launched and lurches across an intersection from a stop. This started happening after the car was returned to me from a 5 weeks repair odyssey after my wife rear ended someone just before Christmas.
As the car did not shift like this before the accident, I knew something was different or wrong and asked the dealer to check it.
After diagnostics were run, there were no abnormal values or fault codes reported but they did 'clear' the transmission coding as the 7Gtronic is a driver adaptive transmission - and assume the 5-speed transmission in the 4matic is also driver adaptive.
After this was performed, the transmission shifted entirely differently and after 3 weeks, the car is adapting to my driving style and feeling better day by day.
May want to look into this with your dealer at a service appointment, hope this helps.
As the car did not shift like this before the accident, I knew something was different or wrong and asked the dealer to check it.
After diagnostics were run, there were no abnormal values or fault codes reported but they did 'clear' the transmission coding as the 7Gtronic is a driver adaptive transmission - and assume the 5-speed transmission in the 4matic is also driver adaptive.
After this was performed, the transmission shifted entirely differently and after 3 weeks, the car is adapting to my driving style and feeling better day by day.
May want to look into this with your dealer at a service appointment, hope this helps.
That 7 G transmission is adaptive indeed.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,143
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From: South Orange County, CA
4 wheels
Both the 5 speed and 7 speed transmissions in the W211 are/were adapative. Any transmission when cold will shift rough until it reaches operating temperature. It says this in the users manual. When cold the shifts take longer in lower gears as this helps the transmission reach operating temps faster.
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From: Europe
223.168 & 213.012 & 906.633 & 214.005
Anyway I would not idle the car anything more than 30 seconds or so when it is very cold, not good for your engine.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 978
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From: Essex County, NJ
2011 E350 Sport 4Matic - P2 & Drivers Assist / 2010 C300 Sport 4Matic - P2 / 2013 Porsche Cayenne S
I already talked about one on another thread - the tranny. When the car isn't 100% warmed up it shifts hard as hell. Scary almost, like it's going to break.
Then there is the fact that ti does take forever to warm up even on days that aren't so cold - like 40 degrees. I start it a full 10-15minutes before leaving and I get it and it's still only one or two notches above the temp it was when I started it.
Then there is the fact that ti does take forever to warm up even on days that aren't so cold - like 40 degrees. I start it a full 10-15minutes before leaving and I get it and it's still only one or two notches above the temp it was when I started it.
Also you don't want to idle your car for 10~15 minutes before actually going somewhere. Modern day cars don't need to be warmed up that much. Get in the car and turn it on. Put on your seatbelt, fuss around with the radio, check your mirrors and then just drive. The car will warm up by itself. Just make sure you don't push it hard until the engine temp gauge is not half way though (where it normally should be). Your engine warms up faster at higher RPMs then at idling RPMs that's why you car never seems to warm up for you.
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Joined: May 2007
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From: Blaine, WA
07 E320 Bluetec
I have a 2008 E350 4matic also and I'm not experiencing any of the symptoms you've wrote about. When the car isn't warmed up yet and shifting hard are you in C or S mode ?
Also you don't want to idle your car for 10~15 minutes before actually going somewhere. Modern day cars don't need to be warmed up that much. Get in the car and turn it on. Put on your seatbelt, fuss around with the radio, check your mirrors and then just drive. The car will warm up by itself. Just make sure you don't push it hard until the engine temp gauge is not half way though (where it normally should be). Your engine warms up faster at higher RPMs then at idling RPMs that's why you car never seems to warm up for you.
Also you don't want to idle your car for 10~15 minutes before actually going somewhere. Modern day cars don't need to be warmed up that much. Get in the car and turn it on. Put on your seatbelt, fuss around with the radio, check your mirrors and then just drive. The car will warm up by itself. Just make sure you don't push it hard until the engine temp gauge is not half way though (where it normally should be). Your engine warms up faster at higher RPMs then at idling RPMs that's why you car never seems to warm up for you.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 978
Likes: 3
From: Essex County, NJ
2011 E350 Sport 4Matic - P2 & Drivers Assist / 2010 C300 Sport 4Matic - P2 / 2013 Porsche Cayenne S
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w204/216683-warm-up.html
two outside links:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s2044311.htm
http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2002/0128/...up012802.shtml
I usually never warm up more then 30s to 1m even if its around 0 outside. You just have to make sure to be extra, extra careful not to drive it hard right away.
I usually drive my car in C mode also and I never had a violent shift while the engine was cold. Just to be on the safe side I'd mention it to my SA.
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Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Reality
2021 E450 4matic
Yeah it's kinda weird when you first hear it. We had a whole discussion about it over at the C-Class board not too long ago:
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=216683
two outside links:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s2044311.htm
http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2002/0128/...up012802.shtml
I usually never warm up more then 30s to 1m even if its around 0 outside. You just have to make sure to be extra, extra careful not to drive it hard right away.
I usually drive my car in C mode also and I never had a violent shift while the engine was cold. Just to be on the safe side I'd mention it to my SA.
https://mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=216683
two outside links:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/moments/s2044311.htm
http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2002/0128/...up012802.shtml
I usually never warm up more then 30s to 1m even if its around 0 outside. You just have to make sure to be extra, extra careful not to drive it hard right away.
I usually drive my car in C mode also and I never had a violent shift while the engine was cold. Just to be on the safe side I'd mention it to my SA.
Thanks! I think you and I probably have the same dealer anyway judging by your location.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 978
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From: Essex County, NJ
2011 E350 Sport 4Matic - P2 & Drivers Assist / 2010 C300 Sport 4Matic - P2 / 2013 Porsche Cayenne S
I go to Globe in Fairfield. I can say nothing but good things about those guys. Before I moved to NJ I lived in the city and got my previous car from MB of Manhattan. Boy did I hate dealing with them. The folks at Globe really go out of their way to help you out.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 212
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From: Reality
2021 E450 4matic
Thats what I figured. I go there too I also live in Essex County. Very nice crew over there from sale to service.
