djneils

I have a W212 E350 estate and I find that when I am stationary and want to pull away quickly I cannot because when I put the car into gear there is this slight delay between pressing the accelerator and the car moving off. It's only a brief delay (less than a second) but it makes pulling away quickly and smoothly impossible. if you press the accelerator down more than a little there's a delay then suddenly off you go really fast.

I've learned to live with it but I wish it wasn't like this.
I did have the car serviced by Alex Crow in stowmarket who said there was nothing wrong but to me it is just a bit odd and I loaned the car to a friend who also commented on it.
I've searched the internet for similar issues and found this thread that seemed to describe a similar issue with the 7g gearbox (but mine is 9g I think?) and they said there might be a software update?
If anyone owns one of these cars (mine is 2010 model with column mounted gear selector) - what is your car like to pull away promptly in?

and does anyone know what i mean and if there is a fix?

thanks in advance!

Arrie

I think it is a 7g box.

You have the “granny” learning issue. The transmission learns your driving habits and develops this annoying delay no matter how you drive, at least four of the cars I had with the same gearbox do (did).

You can reset it by a simple procedure:

1. get in car and close doors.
2. Turn key to pos 2 or press start button twice.
3. Floor the gas pedal and hold 10s.
4. Turn key off.
5. Release gas pedal.
6. Wait two minutes. Do not touch anything, DO NOT OPEN DOORS. TIME IT!!! Two minutes.
7. Open door.
8. Done.

Go drive and enjoy.

I hope I remembered the steps correctly.

The reset works great but it will not last long and you need to do it again.

I installed a Sprint Booster that pretty much completely removes the problem. Best $300 investment you can do for these cars.

I installed SB on my 2011 E350 and 2010 E550, does wonders on both.

PeterUbers

Like @Arrie said - the sprintbooster is amazing and I love mine on my 212

djneils

can you tell me a bit more about this sprintbooster and what it does for the car?
thanks

djneils

i did the adaptation but it's not much better.
I have also just discovered the brake hold function which is quite cool. I wonder if it is safe to leave the car in D with the hold function on for more than a few seconds?

also - can you tell me a bit more about this sprintbooster and what it does for the car?
​​​​​​​thanks

bzcat

You can use the hold function as long you are comfortable leaving the transmission in D while stationary. It just holds the brake down for you instead of you keeping the foot on the brake.

Spring booster is an alternative programming box for the gas pedal. The vast majority of the cars are drive-by-wire now meaning the gas pedal is not connected to the throttle. When you press the gas pedal, it sends an electronic signal to the controller (basically a computer) and it determines the throttle input based on the programming. Spring booster somehow bypass the OEM controller and supposedly make the gas pedal respond better.

Your transmission is a bit lazy because it adapted to the way you drive. Mercedes builts pretty good transmissions but they are a bit "too smart" sometimes. I seem to have the opposite problem as you... my transmission snaps off the line sometimes and the car launches like a rocket... again, it is because the transmission has learned the way I drive and adapted.

PeterUbers

https://mbworld.org/forums/w212-amg/...-mct-e63s.html

Quint22

The sprint booster is similar/same to what they offer on many vehicles. The computers and torque management, traction control, other nanny stuff keeps them from operating like the normal cable controlled vehicles of yesteryear. It was extremely annoying on my ram truck. Got a booster for that thing and it was night and day. They changed some of the stuff in later years on my truck so people didnt have to get it but most non sports car vehicles now a days really pays to do this to it. The other option is get it tuned and be sure to get a transmission tune to allow it to operate without the delays. I assume there are emitions present tunes for these things that allow you to adjust the trans parameters as well.

nc211

Do the reset bit hold the gas peddle down for 60 seconds instead of 10. On mine doesn’t matter if door is open or not.

Car off.
Floor gas peddle and hold it.
Turn car on to where everything comes on (hvac, etc).
Keep gas peddle floored for 60 seconds
turn car off after 60 seconds
take foot off gas peddle

should be reset after that. Might have to do it a few times over the next week or so, but it will help if the trans shifting patterns is the problem here.

my advice - run some fuel cleaner through the tank for the next couple of tanks as well. Might just have some condensation in the tank getting mixed in and pulled in. Most shops I’ve been to seem to prefer the K44 stuff.

djneils

My usual driving style is to stick the car in N at junctions and traffic lights (as you'd do with a manual). But i've also read that it's better to just keep an auto box in D unless it is going to be stationary for minutes.
what are people's views on this issue?

chassis

Please note there is no transmission “reset” procedure. The above steps have floated around the internet for most car brands for the past 20 years.

djneils

huge if true!

chassis

It's true. The only way shifting performance on an MB transmission can be modified is to reset adaptations in XENTRY (XENTRY alone), or to replace components including clutch plates, and conductor plate (solenoid valves and sensors).

nc211

I respectfully disagree (somewhat). I have seen the difference myself quite a few times over the years with mine by doing the reset thing. Seems to make the car hold gearing longer. When I got this car, it lumped/bumped as its previous life was inching along in DC traffic and therefore wanted to go to the next gear as quickly as possible. Where it lives now, suburbia, the reset procedure was the only one that seemed to eliminate the race to the next gear too soon.

That being said, I do agree with the facts about the solenoids getting dirty in the plate. Wish they made it easier to get that tray out and clean up the screens to fix it. My understanding from the shop is that you basically have to buy a new plate for about $1,500 that has all new solenoids in them to fix it. And the part must come from MB directly and preprogrammed to your vin otherwise the car's computer will reject the new plate. Fun times... My theory on how to prolong it? Once you replace the trans fluid the first time, do it again at the halfway mark to the next time. Since the procedure doesn't get the torque convert, just the pan, would seem that the first time you change it, you're basically reseting it back to about 50% (clean pan, dirty TC) as they mix. Diminished returns if you wait until the new is done for again.

Arrie

Then you do not have one of these cars. I have used transmission control program reset numerous times on my E-Class and S-Class with the same transmission and if makes a huge difference in how the car reacts in the press of the gas pedal.

I may have misremembered the procedure but I’ll check next time I’m home.

nc211

Oh he definitely is well versed in these, make no mistake, Chassis is legit! He is right, this is not a permanent fix, only way to do that is to get to that plate and clean those solenoid screens. But this does help the car “learn” your driving style. Eventually you habe to do it again if you’re in a city traffic setting. Once you’ve done it though, you’ll know how easy it is to do so doing it again is not a big deal at all.

i think this works on the new 9g box too. Tried it just last week on my wife’s 2020 GLS after having all fluids, filters and plugs replaced. Immediately noticed that it held 2nd gear in the morning as we creep out of the neighborhood to take the kids to school for way too long, like up to around 3k rpm. Did it a few times and then stopped, after i would command it to shift to 3rd with the paddle, then 4th and so on. It’s never done anything like that ever until right after I did this same procedure in it as I do on this 7g box. Hasn’t done it since either and seems to drive a bit smoother.

Arrie

Chassis says there is no transmission reset in his/her post and if he/she seriously thinks this way then he/she does not know how to do it correctly. Reset really makes a difference on a "well lerned" gearbox used in highway driving, it brings it back alive. The problem is this reset last only a week or two depending on your diving habit, so you need reset again quite fast. Sprint Booster takes care of this nuisance almost completely, surely to the point it is not an issue anymore.

Chassis also says transmission adaptations can only be reset in XENTRY. This is a wrong statement. Adaptations can be reset by the procedure I posted or if I remembered it wrongly I will try and post the correct way when I return from my work trip. I have posted the correct procedure before in these forums but I don't rem4mber the threads. It has been a few years ago.

I do n9ot know h9w to search these forums so it may take a few for me to find it.