So I just bought a 2005 E320 CDI with 204,xxx miles and I have a minor transmission Shudder. The car was maintained to the book on every service and is in excellent shape. It never happens on hard acceleration or moderate acceleration. Only happens every once in a while when driving about 25-35 MPH around 1200 RPM. It's a mirror shudder and goes right away when you start to accelerate again. It seems to happen when coasting in stop and go traffic.

Question?
-Should this be something to worry about?
-Is it even possible for my car to gave glycol contamination being that its a 2005 (04/04 build date)
-Possible culprit?

 

If you really want to know and can spend the money, there are many non and road trip transmission tests within DAS Xentry to help answer your shift issues.

But of course that means a dealer or and indy with knowledge and tools--

My guess----- an issue with a solenoid and or does the TCU have the most current version of software!!

 

Not sure on the TCU with the latest software. I know the guy before me had it serviced at an indy mercedes shop regularly but have know knowledge if the softwate as been recently updated. I was planning to go a full flush on the transmission this weekend but I doubt its related to old fluid in the transmission. I was also going to check and see if there is any fluid leaking and the sensor port on the transmission.

 

If the indy had the correct tool and it was used on the cars transmission the indy would not have been able to complete the test without being advised that an update was available---do you want to install---yes or no.

There is no sensor port on the transmission unless you are suggesting that the transmission conductor plate connector is a port.

Sounds like you are definitionaly confused and if you relate that information to an indy he will not know what you mean and you will get pissed off because he did not solve your problem--don't try to baffle him with what you have read---just advise that you believe there is a shift problem(define the problem) and let him use his experience to define the problem and estimate what it will cost to fix the problem!!

 

Definitely not confused at all. No need to bash me here on the forum. Just looking for suggestions not criticism. I am very knowledge when it comes to car maintenance, learning from my father who is a 35+ year mechanic and I myself have 4 years of shop experience. I have a lift in my garage and I do all maintenance that I can on all of my cars and trucks. I was rather looking for advise on possible reasons for the shudder and try to help diagnose before sending to a shop with a Mercedes scanner and dropping $$$$$$$ when I could possibly easily fix the issue myself (If it is even a issue). I only have a OBD II scanner so of course I'm not able to do software updates if that is potentially the problem. Of the 5 Mercedes my family owns, I have never encountered this shudder. I was referring the the port where the conductor plate electrical connection is. From what I have read this "PORT" can leak and transmission fluid can leak out into the electrical connections causing this symptom that I am taking about. I have never really dove into one of these 722.6 transmissions other than regular tranny flushes so I don't have a vast knowledge typical problem spots.

 

So I went a did a full tranny service over the weekend and the fluid was pretty nasty very very dark. Took about 13 of the Shell 134 ATF before I started seeing nice red fluid coming out of the hose I connected to the banjo fitting on the right side of the transmission. Also did new MANN filter and gasket. No debris or metal shavings in the bottom of the pan which is good. The flush got rid of the tranny shudder BUT NOW I HAVE A COLD START PROBLEM that didn't happen before the flush???. The car is is holding gears on the cold start and will sometimes jolt or shimmy forward when trying to downshift. At one point I believe the transmission went into neutral when coasting and when I gave it some gas it came out of it. The transmission is only going this when cold. Temps around here are dipping well below freezing at night now. Once the transmission is up to temp it shifts beautifully and downshifts much better than before the flush. Not sure why the transmission is doing this. Help would be greatly appreciated

 

Added about 1.5 quarts of transmission fluid and the it shifts perfect now. its right on the 80C mark on the dipstick after a spirited driving sesson.

The car went into neutral a handful of times upon a moderate to heavy acceleration before I added the 1.5 quarts of fluid. I pulled over put the car in park and then drive and it would be fine. when the transmission was low and gave me a P0730 code. Question is did I damage the transmission or is this a safety measue the these transmissions do

 

You should not have a problem!!!

 

No leak. I just didn't add the correct amount of fluid when flushing the transmission by mistake . After completing the flush I was having the transmission going into neutral on hard acceleration (say it happened about 5 times) then I added the 1.5 quarts like 5 days later and its fine now

Do you think this did any damage running in low 1.5 quarts for about a week of driving to work?

 

I seriously doubt that damaged has been done. 1.5 qt. is a small percentage compared to the total volume. Our car holds 8qt. of motor oil. If you short of a qt. of oil for a week, no harm will come to it.