Very Interesting, did they say what the problem was they identified?

 

I agree, not pleasant at all to drive in traffic in any mode in mine, OK on a good dual carriageway or motorway but that's about it

 

I picked up a 2024 glc43 on Friday and I can see how some can complain but to be honest, if you know how to modulate the throttle properly it’s unbelievably smooth when taking off from a stop. You just have to wait for the clutch to engage before giving more gas. This may come easier to those who have driven a manual in the past but you wanna give it as much gas as you would if you were letting the clutch out yourself on a manual car as you reach the friction point on the clutch. This has been one of my favorite transmissions out of all the cars I’ve driven in the past 20 years

 

Indeed you are right as you mention as it takes some getting used to like a manual transmission . We all like the smoothness of an auto but this is not so automatic

 

I've pointed this out often. There can be issues with particular implementations and the adaptations going wrong, but other than that, you are absolutely right. The nature of this transmission is very different from a typical automatic. As somebody who has driven manual transmissions for over 25 years, this is also my favorite automated transmission thus far. It feels most like a manual transmission while offering the convenience of an automatic transmission when desired, but you do have to understand that it doesn't have a torque converter in order to drive it smoothly. I've driven and owned several cars with dual clutch transmissions and while I like how fast they shift sequentially, they stumble when they have to skip gears and many of them are too smooth for my liking, making them feel clinical. The MCT has the right amount of rawness and character while offering the convenience of an automatic transmission if you just wanna drive along w/o shifting yourself. As I said previously, I drive my C63 mostly in manual mode, but when I just wanna cruise along, the transmission offers the convenience, but it still requires a level of involvement to drive smoothly. I like that a lot. Makes me feel part of the car, rather than being a passenger in my own car and have a computer that sorts it all out. It's not for everybody, but I appreciate that AMG hasn't given in and just slapping the ZF8 into their cars like BMW and Audi have done. It just makes those cars incredibly numb compared to back when they had manual or dual clutch transmissions.

 

I could not have explained it better myself. Happy driving my friend!

 

Yes, they have eventually decided it need a new transmission valve body, yours will need the same as the symptoms are identical, will advise in due course

whether it makes it better enough to be acceptable.

 

I have the exact same experience with my GLC 43- hard shift 2-3 and downshift 7-6. Took it in after my daughter said I was a bad driver and it bucked and almost stalled out a few times. I also went in for the A service since I’m at 7500 miles.

The dealer took this seriously and did the transmission manual adaptation/reprogram multiple times and checked the transmission fluid. They said it was slightly better but still not shifting right. I was happy to hear that the technician verified the shift was not normal (not telling me it’s normal and just deal with it). They said they are waiting for MB to complete a software update. Which I hope comes soon but sounds like many have been waiting a while for this. I don’t know if they are going to keep my vehicle in shop until it comes in or not. I have a loaner CLE C300 with detuned 2.0T and the shifts are literally imperceptible. Maybe this doesn’t have the MCT. Either way, for my GLC 43 the shifting got progressively worse as miles increased. I just want it back to how it was at purchase because I don’t recall it being bad at all for the first 3k. I do appreciate the comments on the MCT driving differently than the torque converter, maybe I need to feather and drive like a manual and I will enjoy it. I didn’t think of that. I love the vehicle except for the quirky shifting. Hope it gets better with the software update.

 

Mine has had the very latest software update, couldn't have made much difference because MB asked for one final test which was done and the outcome is a new Transmission Valve Body has been ordered, should be fitted all next week. hopefully it will be much better, I doubt it though as the dealer tested a brand
new one they have in stock and apparently it was worse than mine! so it is as they said originally a characteristic of the car, although there seems to be degrees of it,
perhaps their new one also needs the Valve body replacing! The one I drove before ordering and the 2 since purchasing have not been as bad as mine.
I think I could actually reject the car, the problem is the only other car I would choose instead is the 2025 Audi SQ5 which is 4-6 months delivery now in the UK

 

Yes the CLE 300 has a TCT not MCT and the engine is not the same M139 in the X254 GLC 43 and the M254 in the C236 CLE 300. Although that is not an excuse to have harsh shifting, thankfully like you said they are working on an update.

 

It could be that brand new one on the lot doesn't have the most recent or any updates to the transmission yet and would probably improve when it gets the missing updates installed.

 

The CLE 300 doesn't have the TCT. The TCT and MCT are both AMG transmissions. The full names are AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9-speed and AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9-speed. The CLE 300 like other regular Mercedes-Benz models has the 9G-TRONIC 9-speed. The difference between the TCT and 9G-TRONIC is that the former has AMG tuned software that is more sport focused and the latter is much more comfort focused. The MCT in addition has the aforementioned hardware difference of using a wet clutch instead of a torque converter on top of the AMG software. AMGs and regular Mercedes-Benz are really two different worlds. Whether your AMG has the TCT or MCT, they will be rawer and harsher shifting than the 9G-TRONIC in a regular Benz. The CLE 53 has the TCT, although it's fairly smooth there, because the hybrid system does torque filling to smooth out the shifts and avoid bogging at low rpms by not needing to upshift as early in the name of improving fuel economy.

 

Yes, could well be that

 

I see, appreciate the correction. I thought it has a TCT in a sense it is just a "torque converter transmission" isn't that what it stands for? I especially omitted the speedshift part.
I do realize it stands for torque clutch transmission after all.

 

UPDATE: I picked up my vehicle at MB dealer yesterday. It is a lot better than it was- smoother in all drive modes and in stop/go traffic. I do a lot of in town driving, so maybe that is the driving style that messes up the adaptation? I had a very open and honest discussion with tech, foreman was also involved, they said it is better, but still not shifting as it should. They even sent me a video with his comments on the A service and the transmission adaptation work. They said they did the adaptation 10x which seemed wild, but they said it will be the forthcoming software update that finally fixes the 2-3 shift. The dealer has a list of owners waiting for the software update, and they will reach out with that asap. I’m curious about others here where they are replacing transmission valve body (think that’s what I was called)… how is that going? I’m also curious does this hard shift perhaps impact long term transmission issue ir premature wear? The dealer said no, but wonder what the group thinks.

Lastly, thanks to all for explaining the MCT and TCT differences and the different AMG engine systems- really helpful and great forum for a newer owner like me (only second vehicle).

 

Let us know when you get this software and if it truly fixes it.

 

Yeah, don't take the name literally. Even MCT is somewhat non-descript, because the TCT and 9G-TRONIC have multiple clutches inside of the planetary gearbox. The MCT has just one more.

 

I see.

 

3 months old. 1500 miles. Just brought into dealer. Tried some software patch but didn't help. Said they changed valve body for someone else and will do the same to mine next week. Hoping that works. I'd like to like the car.

 

Same here they updated the tranny but still the same .
A bit disappointed in this car which I'd like to love

 

Never has any warning lights so that is a different problem but mine as as I suspected as others have had the same problem had to have the Transmission Valve Body replaced. It is much better now but will never be a smooth automatic transmission.
Apparently residue from the manufacturing process can sometime get in the valve body during manufacture
Several valve flushes were tried during investigations but the car had done a few thousand miles then
so a new TVB was needed which was fitted last week.
I complained within a few day to the supplying dealer who just did a software update which did nothing so I then rejected the car,
in the UK the manufacturer is only given one chance to fix it after a rejection. That failed, and it as the fourth time that had the car before it was fixed
I am waiting to hear about the rejection / offer any day now.

 

I think you will find it makes quite a bit of difference, it has to mine,...

 

Update: I have 1500 miles since the dealer did the adaptation (multiple times)and it has been perfect! Really happy with city and country and highway driving. Feels like it was at day one. Zero issues at this time. Love this vehicle!

 

8 days later I got my car back. They replaced the valve body and the hard shift into 2nd issue has gone away. So far so good though I think it is shifting into 2nd at a higher rpm than before.

 

Here I go and buy a MB for the first time ever and we have the same problem with our 2025 GLC 43, and on top of the transmission issue the sunroof stopped working it moves in a 1/4 inch increments, I wished I would have done a better research about MB we have 400 miles on it and have to drive to the dealership more often now.