samo1

After changing oil and filter, the transmission has problem.
The car is jerking between 1 to 2 gearshift and it happens when the car is cold.
After warming, upshifts and downshifts are smoothly.

Someone had this issue???

astamir

recently i bought the e320 cdi automatic it was like you said a bit stiffy when changing from 1st to2nd when cold and i thought i need to do a service done the engine and gearbox service its still the same i think its ok when the car is cold

samo1

So you changed the transmission oil and it's sill the same?

fila0220

hey this may or may not fix it. But its worth a try.

1) turn the key onto the "On" position (but don't' start the engine) so the cluster lights up.
2) press the gas pedal fully to the floor. Hold it there for 5 seconds.
3) After 5 seconds (while still holding the gas pedal) turn the key to the off position.
4) Let go of the gas pedal, and wait 2 minutes for the ecu to reset.

Its a sneaky ecu reset. It will reset your learned driving habit, hopefully fixing your jerking. You will probably notice your car to be a lot more responsive. Take it easy and let the computer relearn ur driving.

Good luck

samo1

I've tried. Doesn't fix it.

bkhk

If you have the 7-speed auto, I believe its a normal phenomenon and only happens when cold.

samo1

NO, it's 5-speed automatic and it is noticeable in both S and C modes.

astamir

mine is fine now not that bad as it was before

samo1

what you've done to fix it?

anewbie

Hmmm ... it's funny I noticed the same after I'd changed my transmission filter and fluid. I didn't notice this before, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. think I maybe more sensitive to the shifting just because I serviced the transmission myself.

There is one thing about the shifting I can't get over (it's the same before and after the fluid change), that is, the shift between 2nd and 3rd (I assume, at 20 MPH), it has to go above 2000 RPM ... let's say, I just start the car, and traveling down hill (my daily route), I don't put my foot on the gas pedal, the gravity moves the car to 10, then 15, then 20 MPH rather quick and smoothly down the hill, then, the movement suddenly slows down significantly, like I am using the engine to brake. It is because the engine has to go to almost 2200 RPM before the up shift, whether I put my foot on the gas pedal or not. Two things I hate about doing that -

1. I don't like to give the gas when I am already traveling down hill on a 30 MPH street.
2. When I just start the car in the morning, especially when it's cold, I don't like to rev the engine to that high.

But I have no idea what I can do about this. Anyone got any ideas? Thanks!

dixonwa

I was having the same hard shifting problem E320 5 speed that others are having. So I decided to drain and fill the fluid hoping that new fluid would help. When adding new fluid I filled the transmission fluid to the bottom of the cold marks on the transmission dip stick tool, turned the car on, moved through the gears then drove the car a few miles until the car was warmed up. After the few miles of driving I rechecked the fluid, then adding a little more fluid until the fluid was in the middle of the “80C” marks on the dip stick tool. After changing the fluid I was still having problems with the hard shifts.

After a few days of driving I decided to check my fluid again after a 45 min drive. When I checked the fluid I noticed that the fluid was a little high (Just under the 80 degree mark on the dipstick tool). I then drained aprox. 6oz of fluid out of the transmission, and my hard cold shifts are now gone!

I did not check the fluid before I drained it but I assume the fluid levels must have been just a little off. When I filled the transmission I don’t think I drove the car long enough to warm the transmission fluid to the 80 degrees (even though the engine temp gauge was reading 80 degrees)

Efivehundred

Try letting the engine get up to operating temperature first. I believe when the engine is cold gears are held longer to increase RPM and heat up the catalytic converters quicker.

06e320cdi

The 5 speed 722.6 transmission has been around since 1997 in the EClass. I had basically the same transmission in my 1997 E300D. Its a clunky transmission, some more than others. My 1997 E300D had 306000 miles when I sold it and my 2006 E320 CDI acts similiar when cold. I have had mine in to 3 different dealer at least 4 times to check on my complaints. They all say its the nature of that transmission. I find it hard to believe that they havent improved the cold shifting since the transmission was developed. That being said there are a couple of things to check. Make sure the O ring is not leaking at the electrical connector. Doesnt have to leak much, just wet enough to mess with the contacts, and make sure the fluid level is clean, and the transmission has been serviced. Other than that, without it throwing any codes IE RPM out of range, there is nothing MB will do. If you google mercedes 722.6 you will see the same transmission is used in Sprinter vans and Chrysler Crossfires and there are similiar complaints.

brbhan

COLD TRANSMISSION BEHAVIOUR 12MAR2014 (Upstate NY)
When car sits overnight, tranny fluid drains down into pan. For proper function the fluid must be available to working innards and this is only possible when the tranny pumps it around. I have experienced rough shifts when cold, with just about any car I have owned; specifically an MB 126, A Kia Amanti (top of the line), Saab 9-5, Olds 98 - all in the recent past.


To avoid cold shift anomaly I have instructed my spouse as well (has her own car) to follow my practice of running the (auto) gear shift through positions D and R severally following morning starts. Some car-makes need more babying than others. Some will even spot-leak if left to sit for extended periods. A mech friend explained the last mentioned phenomenon to be due to trannies, generally, being designed to hold fluid in operating environments. True? Beats me


Yes, my 06 E320 CDI is not without problems but they are not cold related. I suspect the sudden down-shift at, say 60 mph, is due to faulty fluid level. Will be addressed/investigated after the bad weather abates. Meanwhile, thoughts are welcome from colleagues experiencing a similar ailment.

N_Jay

Our E350 has had an issue with the first upshift being hard since we got it. (2007 model bought in 2010 at 42K miles)
Dealer has repeatedly said it is a normal situation due to the combination of the higher engine idle when cold and cold transmission shifts being a little firmer than at normal temps.
Now at 93K miles and nothing has changed.

brbhan

Sounds like dealers are caught in between a rock........and another rock.


I recollect when first shopping for an MB in late 1960s, automatics were rough and plagued w/complaints at a time when the rest of the world had perfected the automatic transmission. MB seems to be intent on reinventing the wheel when it comes to this particular thingy. Our fault; in the States a manual tranny is not favored.

jnash

Are you positive that the fluid level is correct as they are very sensitive to over fill and under fill conditions. You have to measure it with the correct MB dipstick at the correct fluid working temperature to know for sure.

brbhan

-Tranny Dipstick: MB p/n 140-589-15-21-00
-Tranny Fluid ATF-134 p/n 001-989-68-03-1 (revised)
-Temperature check: STAR Diagnosis System for passenger cars:
Ref: WE58.40-Z-1013-06A; Order No. 6511 1801 00
Readings @ 80F are more accurate - per shop manual


Verbose, but answers the concerns while adding reference data.
RESET procedure picked up elsewhere on this board, seems to have resolved the problem - this morning

jnash

good to hear - hope it stays that way for you. - thanks

maliksaqibaziz

Dear All,
I bought E500 W211 model 2003. I recently carried a complete service done on it including gear oil and gear oil filter. After that I am noticing the car is shifting from 1-2 gear with a jerk and has 5 times totally missed out 2nd gear. the moment it moved, rather than going into 2nd gear it just missed gear and went neutral. I mean It picked no gear at all. I had to pull over and put the knob in '"N" mode, again put it in "D" and it started driving fine. all this happened 5 times. Please advice. its E500 avant-garde with airmatic suspension. Thank you.

jnash

What mileage on the car? what was the color of the fluid you drained, IE how dark was it?
What brand of transmission fluid did you use?
Did you do a complete flush or just drain what was in the pan when you changed the filter?
Are you positive you have the correct fluid level?
Does it reverse OK on a cold engine?

brbhan

Greetings, Malik Sahib:

Generally, to obtain an intelligible response, it is a good idea to provide as much detail as possible. Mentioning mileage (Km) together with whether the service was provided by a trained, Mercedes mechanics - would help.

Due to transmission (that is what we call it in the US) design, service guys merely drain the transmission. So, only about 3 fluid quarts - out of a total of almost 9 quarts, are replaced along with filter change. The only way ALL the transmission fluid can be changed is by flushing it, using MB proprietary tools. Cleanliness during the entire operation is important and MB techies are well aware of this. Even a single foreign fiber can clog minute passages. That said, your 'possible' fix follows this order:
1. Check the fluid level: warm. The level can vary plus/minus a couple of mm from spec, only.
2. Visit a dealer to have your transmission flushed - mainly to get rid of any contaminants. Pan should be cleaned together with the magnet inside - if there is one; magnet catches metal shavings and was installed on most models of the era.
3. Most expensive and most probable cause: Replace Transmission Conductor Plate. MB dealers are familiar with this electronic part. It is a known idiosyncrasy. In the US this can run $800 to $1,500 installed. Your waarranty - if any - should cover it. This is a very specialized and delicate operation. Most dealers have performed it !

Strongly recommend fluid-level check as a first step.

Good luck

mikebaglini

You imply that this was not the case until you changed the transmission fluid.


Did you use MB or Shell ATF fluid?


Did you use any external pressure to force a fluid flush? Fluid flush under externally introduced pressure has been known to potentially cause issues. (fluid flush is easily accomplished by removing the line from the radiator and directing the flow from the line into a clear milk jug and briefly running the car to pump the fluid into the jug, then stopping the car, refilling with a couple of quarts, then run the car briefly, then stop the car and refill, etc.. until you see red fluid pouring into the milk jug)


New fluid (if correct fluid type was used) would not cause this issue, therefore your fluid level may be the culprit. These transmission are extremely sensitive to fluid levels. I assume you didn't check the level before you changed the fluid? If you did, did you refill to the same level? Did you measure out the fluid you drained and put in the same amount?


With the car sitting overnight (cold) the level should be at the 25C mark at the bottom of the measuring tool. I use an inexpensive IR gun to shoot the temperature of the oil pan after driving the car to determine if it's at 80C before I check the transmission level. It should be at the 80C level (upper mark on the tool). Check your levels and if needed, play with them to see if you can get smoother shifts. You can extract fluid from the filler tube by putting a small squeeze bottle on the end of a thin clear plastic hose.


Good luck.

jnash

Both Shell and MB are confirmed to be exactly the same ATF oil - FYI.

mikebaglini

Yes, I bought a case of the Shell ATF a while back for around or less than $4 per quart, I think. MB makes cars, not fluids and electronics.