So I took my '99 ml430 for a checkup today after experiencing discrepancies with my transmission for the past month or so. Occasionally 4th gear is rough on upshift and acts like it wants to slip but it doesn't quite do that. In fact several months ago the transmission the transmission slipped completely on a mild kickdown. I restarted the car and all was normal.

I got a written diagnosis which states exactly this:
- Road test vehicle and inspect for unusual driveability and advise: (Check transmission fluid level) Fault detected transmission sporadic impermissible transmission ratio, transmission oil temp, starter lockout faulty. Recommend replacement of transmission.

To make matters worse engine and transmission mounts need replacement. All of this adds up to $6000+ worth of repairs. I cannot say i didn't see this coming, the beast now has close to 252k miles. However once i got the confirmation from the mechanic, it sounded like hearing the doctor telling you a family member won't make it. I ACTUALLY CRIED a little. I forgot exactly why he said he couldn't just change transmission oil other than that it might have an adverse effect. They said the oil was at the right level but that the transmission was slowly getting toasted.

 

Now the main point of this is to ask you guys:

What you would do, how long you think I can keep driving until the transmission gives up in your experience. The mechanic told me i could drive her till she dies or consider a trade in for a used W208 CLK or something.

On the other hand I had one of my aunts on the phone who advised I leave the car alone until my Spring 2014, wait and see if my grades are good, then she'll attempt to help (i'm in Community college). My issue with this is even if she could cover the repairs, I imagine i will soon encounter other mechanical failures due to old age. Plus i absolutely DREAD taking the bus to go to school/work. I have yet to let her know of my objections btw.

 

If I were you, I'd change my driving behaviour to go easy on the transmission. What is a "mild kickdown" anyway, one where you don't have the pedal to the metal?

 

Yeah sorry for the confusion.
I accelerated from a standstill at a light. The lane was going to merge into one so i decided i would go ahead of the car next to me. I then gave it 70%ish throttle, dropped down a gear or two before seeing the tach needle quickly soar to redline -.-
With that being said I'm taking your advice under consideration

Update: I called Mercedes Benz of Sacramento (i live in SoCal now) to get an idea of the most recent service done on the car when my uncle owned the car. In 2011 he also reported rough shifting, yet the transmission wasn't serviced apparently.
So i scheduled another checkup for next friday, this time at my local certified MB dealer for a 2nd opinion. The service consultant pulled up that 2011 record from their database, so I assume they're going to use that as a reference point.

P.S The first checkup was at a different local shop that specializes on German cars.

 

So there was the discussion with family/ dealership of getting another car or replacing the transmission for my '99ml430. I want to go with the latter option.

I quickly schemed through Ebay, looked up the 722.6 for my car and found a few with at least 6months warranty. Now excuse me if my questions sound newbie-ish but I have almost zero experience with dealing with car shops. I'm 21 and this is my first car. Is it possible for me to have the new transmission shipped to their shop to replace on my car? Last time I brought my car in they said rebuilding/ getting a brand new transmission would be at least $5000. My budget would be $2500, maybe even 3000. If I bought the transmission for $700-1000 on ebay, I want the labor to be no more than around $1000. Any tips?

Here are a few links:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TRANSMISSION-MERCEDES-ML-CLASS-1329291-00-01-02-03-04-05-5-0L-AT-106K-/351042624148?fits=Model%3AML430http://www.ebay.com/itm/Automatic-Transmission-2000-Mercedes-Benz-ML430-W-88K-722-663-/121229823958?fits=Model%3AML430

 

that's what I do. usually you can find ones that give you a year warranty.
Usually they should have local guys around you that will do this also. They will locate the trans for you and install it. Find a local trans shop that does complete replacements with a warranty.

 

MB's listed work time for this job is 7 h 10 min, but it's not appropriate to approach workshops and tell them how much you want to spend on labor. You ask them to quote on the job, and if the price exceeds your budget, you ask elsewhere. Each shop will have their own calculations for hourly rate and estimated time.

As the previous poster said, it's better to have the shop source the replacement gearbox and then they will provide a warranty. If you bring your own 2nd-hand part and have them install it, if it goes bad they're not going to pull it out without charging you again for their work.

 

Thank you.
My roommate just borrowed my car to run errands today and the transmission gave up.
I ended up getting the car towed to AAMCO, they specialize on transmission services. I followed your advice and had them handle the trasmission selection process. The guy said he'll make phone calls and source a used one.

Will there be any problem if he got the transmission for the newer ML430s (2000-2001)?
I have a 1999.

 

Problem? The newer the gearbox, the better. Lower mileage will mean more distance until it gives up.

Obviously lending your car to your roommate wasn't the best idea. Now the car isn't driveable, you don't have a choice of workshop. Either you accept AAMCO's quote or have it towed elsewhere.

 

I'm not the biggest car parts nerd but i'm not stupid neither, especially when it comes to a car i'm VERY familiar with.The few shops have been doing a little too much upselling for me to believe this bs.

Symptom for my car is that the fluid is dark as ****, resulting in the tranny is acting funny. It's been the case since I brought the car in around January.

Even when this happened, it was due to certain conditions i.e: Power load, fluid temperatures, etc. Some mechanic at the local Benz dealer took my car for a test drive and didn't know what I was talking about when I told him about the discrepancies. I'm not surprised since most of the time the transmission was acting normal until these past 2weeks. Therefore this lead me to believe it is the FLUID itself that needs to be changed. To top things off, these guys did not really do anything about my transmission. They only went as far as looking at the fluid (it was ALL about the fluid) and jumping to the conclusion "yeah, your fluid is dark so we'll rebuild you a transmission for $5-7k, please." None suggested trying out a fluid change, let alone sourcing a used transmission which is a cheaper alternative.

So I called AAMCO Friday morning and told them to cancel the used transmission search. I went for the fluid change instead of flushing, the car is a 258k miles

Later in the afternoon the chief mechanic called me trying SO hard to advise me not to change the fluid and that it would be a waste of $200. I went over to check the fluid that had been drained, dark as ****. The Chief Mechanic was like "i've been in this business for 25yrs, you're young, you're going to have to trust somebody at some point blah blah blah" All that did not phase me because I told myself that NO MATTER what they say, i'll stick to my plan. I was firm with him and told him to change it. Him and another mechanic giggled in disbelief shaking their heads. Whatever....

I went back to the shop almost 2hrs later when they finished the fluid change and test-drive. The chief mechanic was like "I hate to admit it but the car runs fine for now" So I took the car out and stretched its legs, the powertrain is flawless. I drove down to L.A from Santa Barbara yesterday and the gas mileage has improved too Easily peaking 22mpg on flat surfaces mobbing at 75mph.

Anyways It turned out that the transmission filter was getting clogged because of the transmission residue. There is undoubtedly more laying around so i'll do another fuild drain to slowly get some of it out.

Getting another transmission would have easily been a $3000 mistake had I not listened to my intuition.

 

Awesome. I had a classic range rover back in the day that stopped working. Was quoted insanity for a new trans. Went somewhere else and had a fluid and filter changed and all was well. I wonder how many trans are replaced in the world when all that is needed was a filter.. SMH

 

Mechanics love telling you how experienced they are. My local transmission tech claimed 30 years working on gearboxes. He didn't look that old, so I suspect he counted the first time his dad let him handle a spanner.

Sounds like a nice save after your roommate messed up your car. He must be relieved too.