springerfever

1999 ML430 Original owner.... original transmission. Fluid replacement at 100,000 and 200,000 miles.

Today returning from errands, ML sounded 'different' and I actually thought one of the tires was about to go flat. After visually checking tires, I knew it was a more serious problem. ML in neutral and park makes a distinct growling noise which I suspect is the transmission. Noise goes away in reverse and drive.

I'm scared to drive it and do further damage , so I'll make some phone calls tomorrow to some local shops here in the Atlanta area. Probably have it flat-bedded to the shop I choose.

Couple of questions :

Do these symptoms sound familiar ? One posting mentioned the transfer case bearings.

Can anyone recommend a GOOD source for a rebuilt transmission for my ML?
I am considering this outfit from E-Bay.......seems like a damn good price as opposed to a new factory unit.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Merce...spagenameZWDVW

Anyone got an idea of what standard labor would be to replace the tranny?

Bottom line is....If I have to replace the transmission, it needs to be inexpensive. My ML with the high miles ain't worth a whole lot but is in GREAT condition and I LOVE IT ! Anybody had any experience with the rebuilds ?

Thanks !!

deutscheramg

That is a ton of miles! And you havent had many electric problems you say??? One of the few pre 02 ML's without.
Good Luck !!

AndrewAZ

But yea 260k I think its time to retire the ML... Get a few gallons of gas have a friend steal the car and call the police report its stolen then wait until they find it and recover insurance money. J/K

Good luck with it hopefully its nothing that bad or expensive to fix keep your fingers crossed.

mihir_d

That's close to 40K/year...wow! I put 17K/year, and people keep telling me, that's a bit on the higher end....

My uncle is a civil engineer and takes up jobs all over the state of TX. He puts that kind of miles on his Toyotas..He had clocked 370K miles in 10 years on his camry (station wagon)...before the engine just gave up...and has clocked 195K on his 4 runner in 6 years so far without any major break downs...just the routine maintenance...

If Toyota's can hold up that long, MB's definitely should....when he drove in my ML, he felt, the ML seemed way solid in build and ride quality than his 4 runner or the camry.

I too want to pray for you and hope, your tranny comes back to life with some minor fix, and that you keep putting the miles on your ML, as you have done.

One thing is for sure though....you have gotten your money's worth by all means....assuming you purchased it for about $50K..that's about $0.18/mile...and you probably still have at least $5K in residual value left on it...

m500

The labor to rebuilt might be kind of high, you might want to just drop in a new tranny instead. Its time to upgrade to a performance tranny, hehe.

~ You're ML give me some hope to keep my for years to come. I'm currently has 58k on my 2003.

m500

I hope I can keep my pass 100k mark as I havn't driven any Vehicle over 100k for the last 20 years. I get tire of them after 2 years. I need to find a way to keep them longer as I been spending too much unnecessary lost $$$ just changing vehicle.

MJ50

i'm sure MLs can last 500K+
hope replacing transmission can keep your ML running for another 260K miles!

Riffyb

that is alot of milage... i just bought an 06 tl ive had it for 2 months and theres already 8300 miles on it... i think the MLs are awsome cars and well built

sosh

A Transmission off of E Bay?? You are a gambler and the odds are not in your favor. Go with the MB rebuilt unit and you will have a good warranty and somebody to talk to if you have any problems. However if it was me I would sell the ML or trade for a new one. Reliability decreases with mileage and calender time.Its not really worth anything at this point and if you need a vehicle to depend on thats not the one with all that mileage. Whats going to fail next?? Could be worse than the transmission.

ima55r2

You should contact MB Customer Service. You could be in an advertising campaign and get a break on a new tranmission.

coretexity

I had mine break down at 47k miles or so. I had 4 more weeks before my extended warranty was due to expire, so my luck did me a huge favor.

The dealership (MB Pleasanton, CA) had to order parts from Germany which took about 4 weeks. After that, they called in the truck and re-built the xmission - took them 2 days. I am trying to find the work order to see what they charged (even though I didnt pay a dime, I believe the WO should have the charges listed). I vaguely remember it to be around $6-7k labor included.

I will post the info once I find the work order - I have a a pile as thick as NY telephone directory of the ML Work orders.

Knock on wood, its working fine after that, and now I am at 49k miles.

springerfever

Good news ! Took it to an independant shop in the Atlanta area and looks like it was the transfer case that had caused the problems. I'm having it replaced and the shop is going to drop the pan on the transmission to check it and refill with new synthetic. Damages somewhere in the $2500.00 range.

Will keep ya'll posted on results.........

mihir_d

The transfer case is made in USA (not Germany). I bet you, if you shop around, you might be able to find either a relatively inexpensive rebuilt or a salvaged transfer case.

GDawgC220

If the tranny is still good at the mileage you're at, wow. Definitely keep us posted.

We'll see if our 430 makes it to that much...only about 90k right now. Powertrain wise, pretty solid. Doors are bubbling already, interior trim pieces (trunk specifically) are coming loose. I wouldn't be surprised if the engine and tranny outlast the body :p

Riffyb

believe it or not ive got 175k on my ML and everything is running fine