Hey everyone

2011 E550... when i'm parked and reverse out of a spot, going into drive I sometimes get a bit of a 'stutter' almost as if the car can't settle on a gear and starts too high, then it lugs for a second and kicks down into 'the right gear'.

Known issue? Is this how it's supposed to be? I've had the car two weeks and only really noticed it the last few days but it may have been there all along, hard to tell.

 

Do you put it in Sport Mode(S) or is it always in Comfort(C)?
Comfort starts in 2nd gear and can feel laggy at times, especially when shifting from reverse.

 

Well in my car it's either "S" or "E" and I always leave it in E. I do get the impression it's just sort of "laggy at times" as you described and I am aware that "E" starts in 2nd gear.

It was more a surprise because I haven't noticed it until now, but quite possible it's been happening all along.

I typically only use "S" when i'm driving home on the turnpike and want to pass people

 

Valve body

Get it checked ... This is a sign of it going to pasture

 

Good to know. I have the car under CPO warranty for another 3 years so i'm not too concerned... will I see it get worse and worse or is this the extent of it?

 

It Will get worse and will also get worse with shifting between other gears but it's hard to tell how long it will take to get that way .. Not a terribly uncommon thing in these vehicles with the 7G Tronic

 

Well thanks for the feedback. It has become definitely more noticeable just in the two weeks i've owned it. I guess i'll wait for it to get a bit worse and then complain to the dealer...

 

I have the same issue with my 2011 E550 but it is very sporadic and has done it maybe ~12 times in the 44,000miles I've owned it. The most recent times have been exactly as described - reversing out of a spot then shifting into drive - on flat ground.

 

I actually get a stutter sometimes when reversing out of a parking spot and turning the wheel at the same time. Seems like a low idle to me. But mine is fine when shifting to drive which is where your problem starts.

Something I read on here once made me think it could be related to the transfer case on my 4matic but it happens sporadically. Could not get the tech to replicate the issue. Same thought as you - that's what the warranty is for.

 

@fisch, could be clogged steering pump.

Everyone has different experiences. Too often people do burnouts and put bad gas in cars and wonder why its breaking, then turn it in for a new lease. 550s are driven hard by people who own them, or babyd the hell out of them by old people (who hit curbs and accidentally throw it in R while driving). Neither end of the spectrum is good.

Be VERY nice with the key(s); theyre fragile and if the edges of the tip of the key wear down, it WILL wear the ignition lock (1800+). Break the ignition system or whatever, never fun. Let it click twice, fuel pumps go on, gas needle goes to the right spot, then turn it on. Never swift-turn the key past both lock spots.

Second, always always always wait for the car to be ready to accelerate when siwtching from R to D and vice versa. This could be a mechanical issue but still, always good to remember even after fixing "it".

Two weeks barely the tranmission has begun to learn your style. IT always takes multiple months, possibly sooner with daily tiptrnic usage, to begin doing what you expect it to do. Its meant to be in YOUR hands, under YOUR instructions always. That way, if you expect a learning curve for the computer and for yourself, youll get alot of love from it forever. (with proper maintenance, no burnouts and no dropping the tranny into D from N with the gas pressed )

Ive had 7 years of driving this 7 speed and im barely beginning to learn to teach and train it to be exactly how i want at all times. Even yesterday I picked up a new nuance about the way it likes being driven in tiptronic, and braking is smoother if your in a higher gear and let it do the downshifts itself; Like driving in '3 setting, and holding the shifter to the right when tis time to stop (redlight/cars/etc). I stopped using the shifter for slowing down and it jerks WAAAAAY less in auto. I mean your essentially factoring into the calculation a downshift from 4-3-2 at whatever mph, and it WILL do it one day and surprise you =D

 

Does it learn in "E" mode AND "S" mode?

 

I agree with the valve body assessment; have seen it before and the indications are spot on.

 

Just wanted to update this thread... I took the car in for my wood replacement and mentioned this problem to them.

Apparently there's some kind of software update they applied and I have to say it's MUCH better. No more stutter in the same situation and overall it just seems "snappier" going into Park/Drive/Reverse. I'm very happy.

I'm under CPO warranty and in this case sort of regular warranty so there was no charge, but it is worth paying for depending on what they charge out of warranty imo.

I'll update if the situation gets worse again but for now it's GREAT.

 

Coming up on my 40k service. Did they have to witness the issue or take your word and update the software?

 

I'm honestly not sure because I just dropped the car off and mentioned it was an issue, then saw they did a software update on the sheet they gave me when I picked the car up.

I didn't actually show them myself but for all I know they drove the car and experienced it. All I know is there's been a huge improvement.