Transmission Neutral after kick-down
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 67
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From: Spain
'03 E320 CDI Avantgarde '00 Renault Mégane Coupé 1.6 16v (wife).
Transmission Neutral after kick-down
After +2 months of ownership here is the first serious problem with the car.
This morning I floored to pass a car (you have to be quick in these 2-way road), I went from 50 to 75 mph as quick as usual. After I has pased the car released the accelerator, (was approaching a curve and had to reduce speed to 65 mph to enter it properly). In the moment I relased accelerator and touched brake felt a like bump, and the car was going Neural. The stick was in "D" and so was displayed on the dashboard, but no power was trasmited to the wheels.
I stopped the car, swhitched to Park and then again to Drive position, accelerated and the car began to move like if nothing had happened.
This afternoon the car has entered - for the 1st time - the dealer shop. I feel unsecure thinking it can happen again. Imagine it happens before I finish passing the other car .....
Any idea of what could be wrong????
This morning I floored to pass a car (you have to be quick in these 2-way road), I went from 50 to 75 mph as quick as usual. After I has pased the car released the accelerator, (was approaching a curve and had to reduce speed to 65 mph to enter it properly). In the moment I relased accelerator and touched brake felt a like bump, and the car was going Neural. The stick was in "D" and so was displayed on the dashboard, but no power was trasmited to the wheels.
I stopped the car, swhitched to Park and then again to Drive position, accelerated and the car began to move like if nothing had happened.
This afternoon the car has entered - for the 1st time - the dealer shop. I feel unsecure thinking it can happen again. Imagine it happens before I finish passing the other car .....
Any idea of what could be wrong????
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Joined: Jul 2002
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From: SoCal
MB
Re: Transmission Neutral after kick-down
Originally posted by Juanjo
After +2 months of ownership here is the first serious problem with the car.
This morning I floored to pass a car (you have to be quick in these 2-way road), I went from 50 to 75 mph as quick as usual. After I has pased the car released the accelerator, (was approaching a curve and had to reduce speed to 65 mph to enter it properly). In the moment I relased accelerator and touched brake felt a like bump, and the car was going Neural. The stick was in "D" and so was displayed on the dashboard, but no power was trasmited to the wheels.
I stopped the car, swhitched to Park and then again to Drive position, accelerated and the car began to move like if nothing had happened.
This afternoon the car has entered - for the 1st time - the dealer shop. I feel unsecure thinking it can happen again. Imagine it happens before I finish passing the other car .....
Any idea of what could be wrong????
After +2 months of ownership here is the first serious problem with the car.
This morning I floored to pass a car (you have to be quick in these 2-way road), I went from 50 to 75 mph as quick as usual. After I has pased the car released the accelerator, (was approaching a curve and had to reduce speed to 65 mph to enter it properly). In the moment I relased accelerator and touched brake felt a like bump, and the car was going Neural. The stick was in "D" and so was displayed on the dashboard, but no power was trasmited to the wheels.
I stopped the car, swhitched to Park and then again to Drive position, accelerated and the car began to move like if nothing had happened.
This afternoon the car has entered - for the 1st time - the dealer shop. I feel unsecure thinking it can happen again. Imagine it happens before I finish passing the other car .....
Any idea of what could be wrong????
Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 135
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Juanjo,
The EXACT same thing happened to me about a month after I got me E500. Except I was getting on the highway during heavy traffic and the transmission would not provide any power. Asa result I almost got rear ended by a dump truck. Luckily, I didn't get hit but got me scratching my head. I pulled over to the shoulder and I was still in "D" and no power. I did not take any actions, after a minute the power came back. Knock on wood, this was the only incident. No resolution, it just never happened again.
The EXACT same thing happened to me about a month after I got me E500. Except I was getting on the highway during heavy traffic and the transmission would not provide any power. Asa result I almost got rear ended by a dump truck. Luckily, I didn't get hit but got me scratching my head. I pulled over to the shoulder and I was still in "D" and no power. I did not take any actions, after a minute the power came back. Knock on wood, this was the only incident. No resolution, it just never happened again.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 67
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From: Spain
'03 E320 CDI Avantgarde '00 Renault Mégane Coupé 1.6 16v (wife).
The chief of mechanics has called this afternoon. They have found NOTHING to be wrong with the electronics of the car. He will personally test the car and try to reproduce the incident with the test computer attached, to see if any parameter related to tranny is near the out-of-spec limits.
Maybe we are in front of a - rare to occur - bug in the tranny software.
Talked him about the "drift to the right" issue and told me all W211 do that, anyway will test if it is out of specs. But no hope, cause he says it is designed to be as it is.
Keep you posted.
Maybe we are in front of a - rare to occur - bug in the tranny software.
Talked him about the "drift to the right" issue and told me all W211 do that, anyway will test if it is out of specs. But no hope, cause he says it is designed to be as it is.
Keep you posted.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,915
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From: San Francisco
Honda Accord EX V6
Juanjo i have the same problem before. It only happens to me one time. I was slammin on my brake and turn right suddenly when i step on the gas the car won't accelarate (it's just like when you step on the gas on neutral position) somehow i have to pull over and turn off my engine. Hopefully, It never happened again after that.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 636
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From: New Jersey, USA
W211 & Q7
tranny is no good
if you stop on a slope (30 degree up) without pressing brake, your car will slip back (in D gear S mode) -- give her a brake, this is in "D" gear? Do I drive a manul car? give me a break. (solution is using "W"inter mode, but I am NOT happy w211's tranny at all.)
if you stop on a slope (30 degree up) without pressing brake, your car will slip back (in D gear S mode) -- give her a brake, this is in "D" gear? Do I drive a manul car? give me a break. (solution is using "W"inter mode, but I am NOT happy w211's tranny at all.)
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Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 67
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From: Spain
'03 E320 CDI Avantgarde '00 Renault Mégane Coupé 1.6 16v (wife).
Car is back
This afternoon called the dealer and went to get the car.
Talked to the chief of mechanics about the issue and He said no problem nor strange values were registered while he drove the car.
Anyway he wants to replace a piece, an electro-hidraulic actuator he thinks could be the piece who produced that problem. I´m appointed for next Monday.
He seems very proffesional - You know german engineers come here (V.V. Motors, Granada, Spain) to test the cars. I saw the W211 wagon in October 2002 when I was to order mine.
Talked to the chief of mechanics about the issue and He said no problem nor strange values were registered while he drove the car.
Anyway he wants to replace a piece, an electro-hidraulic actuator he thinks could be the piece who produced that problem. I´m appointed for next Monday.
He seems very proffesional - You know german engineers come here (V.V. Motors, Granada, Spain) to test the cars. I saw the W211 wagon in October 2002 when I was to order mine.
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I am not sure if we have the same tranny but...
I just bought an e55 1999 with 55k on it. When driving it home, I went to pass at about 60mph the trans attempted to downshift and then bam nuetral. I had to coast across four lanes of traffic as there was no left lane shoulder. I put the car in park and then drive and it drove fine. Also when manually shifting from 1-2 there is a great hesitation almost a nuetral situation for a couple of seconds and then it kicks in.
I read about this problem in another forum and the owners there stated the fix was corrected with a new clutch pack and software config. You may want to bring this up and or suggest a possible fix of this nature. Please let me know what their response is as I would like this problem correct too.
I just bought an e55 1999 with 55k on it. When driving it home, I went to pass at about 60mph the trans attempted to downshift and then bam nuetral. I had to coast across four lanes of traffic as there was no left lane shoulder. I put the car in park and then drive and it drove fine. Also when manually shifting from 1-2 there is a great hesitation almost a nuetral situation for a couple of seconds and then it kicks in.
I read about this problem in another forum and the owners there stated the fix was corrected with a new clutch pack and software config. You may want to bring this up and or suggest a possible fix of this nature. Please let me know what their response is as I would like this problem correct too.
Super Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 957
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was '03 E320 - now - '04 S4
This happens to me fairly often. If I'm in a situation where you floor the accelerator and then back off quickly I think it confuses the shift program and it can't decide if it wants to upshift or continue in the lower gear.
I don't think the tranny is going to neutral - it does *feel* that way though. My theory is that the tranny programming is just like the brake pedal programming. Overdone.
I don't think the tranny is going to neutral - it does *feel* that way though. My theory is that the tranny programming is just like the brake pedal programming. Overdone.
Newbie
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 7
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I had the same thing on the german autobahn yesterday.
They were working on the road, so i was driving very slow.
After that i did a kick down and the car got into neutral.
Its my third time in 30.000 km now.
The dealer allready changed the computer but it's still the same
My car is a 220 cdi c class automatic
They were working on the road, so i was driving very slow.
After that i did a kick down and the car got into neutral.
Its my third time in 30.000 km now.
The dealer allready changed the computer but it's still the same
My car is a 220 cdi c class automatic
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,281
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From: Longmont, CO
04 E320 4 Matic, 95 Audi S6, 99 Carrera 4 Cabrio, 12 Fiat 500 Sport, 00 BMW R1200C 10, BMW R1200R
This has not happened to me. YET! However, this sound like a real problem!!! If this happened to my car I would leave it at the dealer and tell the head mechanic to keep the dam thing until it happens to him.
But, since that is kind of stupid; this is what someone has to do:
Have a camera that can take short video clips. Most little digital cameras now can. Keep it in your call at all times. If this happens, then record a short clip of the shifter's position "D" and then pan over to the dash. While still recording, film the MFD showing that the tranny is in "D" and then make sure the rpm gage is visible. Then rev the engine a few times and prove it them!!!! While still filming, put it in park (and make sure the camera gets it) and then show them that the tranny engaged again. They will never duplicate it when they test the car it is Murphy's law.
But, if you bring a video without any scene cuts, then they cannot argue with it. My 1991 300E had a tendency to start right up and then stall immediately when it sat for one hour and it was hot. The dealer in Tampa said that everything was fine! I filmed it doing it 10 times with the time and date stamp. Then they fixed the DAM problem.
Video says a lot! This transmission problem is a safety hazard and could easily start a recall! If this happens to you, try to film it.
I personally started a recall on the 2001 Porsche Boxters :-). Long story
Steven Aguirre
But, since that is kind of stupid; this is what someone has to do:
Have a camera that can take short video clips. Most little digital cameras now can. Keep it in your call at all times. If this happens, then record a short clip of the shifter's position "D" and then pan over to the dash. While still recording, film the MFD showing that the tranny is in "D" and then make sure the rpm gage is visible. Then rev the engine a few times and prove it them!!!! While still filming, put it in park (and make sure the camera gets it) and then show them that the tranny engaged again. They will never duplicate it when they test the car it is Murphy's law.
But, if you bring a video without any scene cuts, then they cannot argue with it. My 1991 300E had a tendency to start right up and then stall immediately when it sat for one hour and it was hot. The dealer in Tampa said that everything was fine! I filmed it doing it 10 times with the time and date stamp. Then they fixed the DAM problem.
Video says a lot! This transmission problem is a safety hazard and could easily start a recall! If this happens to you, try to film it.
I personally started a recall on the 2001 Porsche Boxters :-). Long story
Steven Aguirre
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 51
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From: L.A.
S550, GL450
It happened to my 2003 E500 3 times!!! First time it happened I brought it to the dealer and they have found no error code registered and couldn't do anything. The second and third time happened one week apart was about two month after the first incident. Then the dealer said they have received other customers complaint about the exact same problem. They changed the valve body inside the transmission. It has been one month after the repair and it has not yet re-occur. Keep my finger cross!!
Dlau
Dlau
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 224
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From: New Jersey USA
2014 E350 4Matic/2011 E350 4matic / 2003 E500 /2000 CLK 430
I just got mine fixed from MB, it was happening quite a bit, apparently a leaky seal in the transmission was causing fluid to mess up the electronics that control the shifting...they replaced a lot of components in the transmission and now its fine..
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From: Longmont, CO
04 E320 4 Matic, 95 Audi S6, 99 Carrera 4 Cabrio, 12 Fiat 500 Sport, 00 BMW R1200C 10, BMW R1200R
Originally Posted by michael10128
I just got mine fixed from MB, it was happening quite a bit, apparently a leaky seal in the transmission was causing fluid to mess up the electronics that control the shifting...they replaced a lot of components in the transmission and now its fine..
Steve
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 67
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From: Spain
'03 E320 CDI Avantgarde '00 Renault Mégane Coupé 1.6 16v (wife).
Problem solved (touch on wood)
The problem has not repeated since the dealer replaced don´t-know-what in the tranny. And that was 17 moths ago. 
I think they had an internal service bulletin related to that issue.
If not, they couldn´t fix it properly at first try.
I think they had an internal service bulletin related to that issue.
If not, they couldn´t fix it properly at first try.
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 24
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S55L AMG
Just had this happen to me, braking down from 75mph to about 35 mph, them back on the gas and no drive, car was in neutral. put it into neutral with the shift and back into drive and was ok.
Any news on why it happens?
Rob
Any news on why it happens?
Rob
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From: Chicago, IL
Real Cars
Had this happen yesterday in my '03 E55. There was salt on the road and it was quite slippery. I was coming out onto a 45mph road so I had to get on it a little to get with the flow of traffic, the ESP kicked on and off about 4 times and after the 4th time there was a clunk and no power - as if the car was in neutral. Thankfully I was in a situation and at a speed where there was no harm done, so I pulled over and slowed down to a stop. Without touching or feeling anything change, all of sudden the car was in gear again. It probably got back into gear after it had to downshift to slow down.
I didn't think it was as big of a deal as you guys did, but it could have been an issue. I don't want to take it to the dealer have them waste a week and tell me the counldn't replicate it. This is the first time I've had it happen.
-m
I didn't think it was as big of a deal as you guys did, but it could have been an issue. I don't want to take it to the dealer have them waste a week and tell me the counldn't replicate it. This is the first time I've had it happen.
-m
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2
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From: Istanbul, TR
'94 C180/ '04 E200K
This looks real serious. Just the other day the same thing happened to my dad who was driving, pretty slow too, i think in second gear. When he shifted down using the stick car got into neutral and back into gear after a few sec. Sounds scary since many experience this. Car's built 06 04' by the way.
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 60
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From: Madrid, Spain
This problem never happened to me, but here goes a thought.
I know that if you are not moving (for example at a traffic light) in “N” position, and you try to accelerate the car just some milliseconds after sifting the gear to “D", the car will rev, but mot move.
(This has to be done in a very precise way, otherwise the gear will be engaged and the car will move).
This, I believe, happens as you try to accelerate while the gear has moved out of “N” but not yet entered into “D”, therefore the computer does not allow you to get onto “D” for some technical or reason (engaging gears at high rev from Neutral, or whatever).
If you apply this to a situation in which you are braking to get to a curve or road work, and the transmission downshifts because or RPM are low (not because you change gears by suddenly accelerating), and in the exact same moment the car is downshifting because of low RPM, you hit the gas, it is possible that the same things happens.
I actually have no idea, but it is something to think about. The traffic light issue happened to me once, but gave it no importance since it happened to me as well with my previous car (99 Sebring LXI), so I thought it was done to avoid other problems, as for example engaging gears at high revs, causing some problems in the gearbox.
I know that if you are not moving (for example at a traffic light) in “N” position, and you try to accelerate the car just some milliseconds after sifting the gear to “D", the car will rev, but mot move.
(This has to be done in a very precise way, otherwise the gear will be engaged and the car will move).
This, I believe, happens as you try to accelerate while the gear has moved out of “N” but not yet entered into “D”, therefore the computer does not allow you to get onto “D” for some technical or reason (engaging gears at high rev from Neutral, or whatever).
If you apply this to a situation in which you are braking to get to a curve or road work, and the transmission downshifts because or RPM are low (not because you change gears by suddenly accelerating), and in the exact same moment the car is downshifting because of low RPM, you hit the gas, it is possible that the same things happens.
I actually have no idea, but it is something to think about. The traffic light issue happened to me once, but gave it no importance since it happened to me as well with my previous car (99 Sebring LXI), so I thought it was done to avoid other problems, as for example engaging gears at high revs, causing some problems in the gearbox.
Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 197
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From: St. Louis, MO
2005 E55 Sedan (Peuter)
Sorry to bring up this old thread, but this exact same problem happened to me this morning in my 05 E55. I was turning right onto a freeway onramp and gave it full gas up to about 80 mph, then coasted down to 70. Then I gave it a little gas to maintain speed and it didn't drive the wheels at all. The motor spun up freely as if it was in neutral. Gear shifter was in drive and instrument cluster indicated "D". Does anyone have an update on this? It would be greatly appreciated!
