PortAxePlayer1

Hey Guys,

I was under the impression that the issue of coolant leaking into the transmission was something that could only happen with 03 and 04 models.

Maybe not anymore.

While driving my MY06 E350 yesterday i felt a slight slip from 2nd to 3rd. The car would rev for a second with a feeling it was in neutral. Everything else worked seamlessly the way it always did back from 2005 till now (no sounds, vibrations or even the dreaded 1-2 jerk)

Went to my trusted Indie that told me the Radiator was leaking water into the transmission and that it "mixed" with the oil, the result was a whitish cream-like liquid.

He then went on to replace the radiator and do a full flush of the system several times and finally added oil and told me to come back after the weekend to change the oil again and clear the codes if there were any.

1- Now how can a MY06 suffer from the same problem as the Valeo-infested models? Or is not the same?

2- Is there a possibility I might have to change the transmission for such a small issue? Or is it maybe the Valve body?

After the flush the car had improved a bit and wasn't slipping all the time.

Car has 69K miles and had its Trans oil changed back @ 37K.

Any input would be helpful! Thanks!

N_Jay

Radiator leaks between the Trans and engine cooling paths are not that uncommen on may cars.


Some cars (sounds like early W211s) are more suceptable.


It is never good for the transmission, but if the coolant was clean (so you did not dump a lot of particles and corrosion residue in the transmission),
AND,
you caught it quickly, (so the clutch material did not have time to absorb much water and glycol, and the metal parts did not have time to start corroding),
THEN,
all should be well after a thorough flushing of the transmission and one or two more fluid changes a few days/weeks apart. (To remove any residual water and glycol as it finds its way out of the clutch material and small spaces in the transmission.


Sounds like you did find it quickly and your indie shop is doing the right things.


Just rub that lucky penny for the next few months.

PortAxePlayer1

Thank you for the quick reply! That's really comforting even though I can't know if the coolant was clean enough. Fingers-crossed then! Should I Normally have more symptoms if the situation was worse?

N_Jay

Hard to tell.


Just give it some time and see if you notice anything.


There is not much you can do but wait

PortAxePlayer1

Update: Changed Oil and topped it off, reset transmission, now it's jerking even more with rougher changes. Any suggestions? I read somewhere that ATF should be inserted as a specific temperature, would a failure to lead this procedure result in these symptoms?

N_Jay

Did the guy who did the trans fluid changes KNOW how to do an MB transmission?


If not, get it filled properly.


If so, you have a problem.

PortAxePlayer1

Well problem is how can I be sure? He's a Mercedes specialist and he's been repairing my Mercs for decades now.

He filled it before and it didn't cause any problems so I would assume he knows what he's doing. What do you think?

He stated there's nothing more to do and that the gearbox is shot. Any tests that can be performed to check if the Torque Converter or the Valve Body are the issue?

N_Jay

There are loots of threads on changing the fluid. The fill level is temperature sensitive.


If he know what he is doing, I guess you trust him.


If the core is worth the same as is, or totally trashed, you can try driving it gently and see if it gets better or worse.

PortAxePlayer1

After a day of testing the Transmission needs to get replaced.Oh well at least it'll work!