I have a 2008 GL320 and I've noticed two items that bother me about the car and was wondering if anyone else had these issues:

1. When in rush hour traffic the transmission downshifts hard and the car is very herky / jerky when i apply the gas and brakes.

2. On the driver and passenger front side window, condensation always forms on the outside of the window exactly where the side mirrors are, from the a/c. I am always having to roll the window down and back up every few minutes as the condensation will completely block my view from the side mirrors. Is there something I'm missing on the climate system?

That's it - wondering if anyone else here has noticed anything like this - admittedly minor stuff ...Wigwam

 

Dealer has lots of technical bulletins regarding this transmission behavior.

 

Yeah, GL's transmission is still not perfect. I had a bunch of problems when I first got it but most of them have been fixed. I also can notice downshifts sometimes but it is few and far-in-between so I can live with it. Go to the dealer and have them take it on a test drive with you so they can experience it. Like Kent said, there are TSBs galore on transmission issues.

The condensation you are describing should not be happening. I am wondering if you have air coming out of the defrost vents on the door. If it happens all the time then take it to the dealer and show it to the them. It's lot easier to fix something that happens all the time vs fixing intermittent issues.

And, if you think your issues are "minor", just hang around a bit longer. We specialize in agonizing and hand wringing over every little, well larger than an atom but that's the limit, detail/issue. Take my word for it and wait till the posters here get their 550

 

I had the same harsh down shifting issue when I first got my GL450. I was told that the transmission learns your driving habits and that it would "smooth" out over time. To me it actually has smoothed out and I really don't notice it anymore or maybe I just got used to it. In any regard I know alot of people on this forum have gone to the effort of having the transmission updated and what not. I would give it a little while and see if it gets any better and then go from there. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the posts regarding these two items - I appreciate the additional information on this and this is a great forum - lots of information on virtually everything.

 

I've had that condensation happen a couple times and I assumed it was a a combination of temp and humidity on those mornings. I always leave the a/c on at all times regardless if I use the heater to dry the air.

 

I have been fortunate and never have had any issues with the transmission.


The condensation forming on the OUTSIDE, as you indicated, is a normal posibility if the right combination of inside temperature and outside humidity are present. Such a condition can even occur on house windows when the home is heavily air conditioned and the outside temp/humidity is at the right point. Condensation on the INSIDE of your windows would not be normal.

 

I've had the condensation on the outside next to the vents. It happens on warm, humid days when the cold air-conditioning coming from the vent that's on the door hits the window. I just close the side vents on both sides and the problem goes away.

And yes, I agree that you should not have to close the vents in order to see the outside rear view mirrors on a $70k vehicle on damp days. The problem is the skinny vent that's mounted on the door. If anyone knows how to shut it off without shutting off the dash-mounted vent, I'd like to know how. They seem to be controlled together.

 

That is where I suspected the problem is. On mine, skinny vent and dash vent are not coupled together. I believe the skinny vent is meant only for defrosting. So, it might be that some skinny vents are blowing cold air when they are not supposed to. A trip to the dealer might be in order and take a peek in one of the GLs on the lot to confirm the vent behavior. Else dealer is liable to tell you that your vents are working as designed

 

I'm not sure that any vehicle out three at any price will function any differently......if you want it cold inside and the atmospheric conditons are right, then condensation is going to form at points where the coldest air hits the glass. ( can't change physics!) The only solution would be to heat the glass ( like the rear window and side mirrors )....that would prevent it. I would be surprised if Maybachs or any of "ultimate" class cars have that.