2008 ML 320 CDI clunking/transmission?
#1
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08 ML 320 CDI (W164)
2008 ML 320 CDI clunking/transmission?
Hi All,
My ML had this clunking when feathering the accelerator, most noticable around 20 and 50-60 km/hr when in traffic, coming up to intersections etc.. Have had it to dealer 5 times now. They have (in order):
1. Software upgrade - a little better
2. Valve body replacement - sort of better but then haywire
3. Stripped the transmission, all OK so rebuilt it - still the clunking
4. Many hours of adaptations?? Whatever that means - gear shifts very smooth, but still this clunking when feathering the pedal, both off and on the pedal
5. Now told it is normal, that the diesel motors are "torquey" and that the clunking is the slack being taken up from the transfer case, diffs etc.. (wonder if the AMG and other V8 configurations have the same issue as they too are "torquey")
The technicians have always driven car with me and faulted car.
My problem is that I think it is unacceptable to have your head slammed into the head rest when feathering the accelerator in traffic etc.
Has anyone else had the same/similar issues and if so, were they resoved and how?
One very annoyed new Merc owner.
My ML had this clunking when feathering the accelerator, most noticable around 20 and 50-60 km/hr when in traffic, coming up to intersections etc.. Have had it to dealer 5 times now. They have (in order):
1. Software upgrade - a little better
2. Valve body replacement - sort of better but then haywire
3. Stripped the transmission, all OK so rebuilt it - still the clunking
4. Many hours of adaptations?? Whatever that means - gear shifts very smooth, but still this clunking when feathering the pedal, both off and on the pedal
5. Now told it is normal, that the diesel motors are "torquey" and that the clunking is the slack being taken up from the transfer case, diffs etc.. (wonder if the AMG and other V8 configurations have the same issue as they too are "torquey")
The technicians have always driven car with me and faulted car.
My problem is that I think it is unacceptable to have your head slammed into the head rest when feathering the accelerator in traffic etc.
Has anyone else had the same/similar issues and if so, were they resoved and how?
One very annoyed new Merc owner.
#2
Super Member
Most people with this issue had it fixed by doing numbers 1 and 2 that you mentioned.
Next step try a new dealer to redo number 4 (Adaptation). There is a special procedure to do this, and a few techs are not aware of it. I think it has to be done with very very light (feathering) throttle pressure, and any torque or moderate acceleration will cause the adaptation process to fail.
Keep us posted. And FYI, my CDI was fixed by numbers 1,2 and 4 after six months of ownership and 2 dealers. Now the shifting is "Mercedes" like.
Next step try a new dealer to redo number 4 (Adaptation). There is a special procedure to do this, and a few techs are not aware of it. I think it has to be done with very very light (feathering) throttle pressure, and any torque or moderate acceleration will cause the adaptation process to fail.
Keep us posted. And FYI, my CDI was fixed by numbers 1,2 and 4 after six months of ownership and 2 dealers. Now the shifting is "Mercedes" like.
#3
Are you refering to the ubrupt down shift into 1st when coasting down? Mine does this. Always has. If I have my foot on the brake it doesn't do it. This is the only automatic I have so the down shift has never really bothered me?
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08 ML 320 CDI (W164)
It used to have the abrupt downshift you're describing, MB said this was not correct and have eliminated this. If I drive the car like I stole it, the gear changes are very smooth, both up and down. It is when light feathering of accelerator that it has issues.
Used the manual paddles and that seemed to magnify the problem.
Used the manual paddles and that seemed to magnify the problem.
#5
It used to have the abrupt downshift you're describing, MB said this was not correct and have eliminated this. If I drive the car like I stole it, the gear changes are very smooth, both up and down. It is when light feathering of accelerator that it has issues.
Used the manual paddles and that seemed to magnify the problem.
Used the manual paddles and that seemed to magnify the problem.
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2008 ML320CDI
Have a 2008 ML32cdi with lot of miles. I have driven Memphis to Tulsa and back about every week or 2 this last year and now have over 125,000 miles on the vehicle. Transmission Failed at 122,000 miles. It had shifted fine all its life, but suddenly started very hard downshifting into first gear when slowing. Then it drove like there was a lot of drag on the transmission until it got past 1st gear, then it drove normal. I put up with it for about a week and had been talking with my dealer in Memphis, which indicated it could be some sensors, which sounded like something controlled by computer, and would require a transmission tear down, i had planned on taking it to them once i returned from Tulsa. I drove to Tulsa and it still drove normal once you got past 1st gear, driving like you were drag racing through first gear got you past the problem, but still in normal driving around town slowing down for a light it would slam into first. Not wanting to risk returning to Memphis I took it to the Tulsa MB dealer, and was told the transmission had failed, cleared the fault codes and faulted again and they had consulted with MB, and that the only fix was complete replacement. MB built another transmission in Germany and sent it over...took a couple of weeks. and almost $9,000 later i have a new transmission with 24,000 mile warranty. Unfortunately I couldn't find any shop outside of MB that could work on the transmission. Since I drive so many miles I just hope I haven't arrived at a common problem before other people. We had changed transmission fluid at 40,000 and 80,000 miles so service shouldn't have been an issue. As a sidebar, the transfer case failed at 92,000 miles at a cost of around $4000 after mercedes gave me a break because this was the 4th ML I've owned. Had a transfer case failure on my 02 ML320, but was at about 150,000 miles (my son is still driving it with 190,000+ miles), my wife still drives our original 98 ML 320 with 230,000 miles, have had to replace alternator and water pump on it, transmission and engine still original, and our highest mile ML was a 99 ML450 driven by one of my salesmen, he did have a transmission failure at 102,000 miles but then went on to drive it to over 350,000 miles before trading it on a different vehicle and the 99 was supposedly shipped to saudi arabia. still original engine and the second transmission. have always used synthetic oil in my vehicles, mobil 1 at minimum but usually Amsoil, but need to get something better than OEM for the transfer case and transmission. Hope i'm the unusual one though on the 08. or else it will be a Very expensive vehicle to drive for long term. REplacing the little side marker light on the front headlight assembly cost over $100 labor on a couple of dollar bulb, seems they have to partially remove the front bumper to get to the bulb, quite a feat of German engineering on that one.
My suggestion to any car manufacturer is to provide vehicles free to their design and engineering people, but on the condition that they have to repair the vehicles themselves. A lot of problems would become much easier to fix.
My suggestion to any car manufacturer is to provide vehicles free to their design and engineering people, but on the condition that they have to repair the vehicles themselves. A lot of problems would become much easier to fix.
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#9
Same issue different model
Hi All,
My ML had this clunking when feathering the accelerator, most noticable around 20 and 50-60 km/hr when in traffic, coming up to intersections etc.. Have had it to dealer 5 times now. They have (in order):
1. Software upgrade - a little better
2. Valve body replacement - sort of better but then haywire
3. Stripped the transmission, all OK so rebuilt it - still the clunking
4. Many hours of adaptations?? Whatever that means - gear shifts very smooth, but still this clunking when feathering the pedal, both off and on the pedal
5. Now told it is normal, that the diesel motors are "torquey" and that the clunking is the slack being taken up from the transfer case, diffs etc.. (wonder if the AMG and other V8 configurations have the same issue as they too are "torquey")
The technicians have always driven car with me and faulted car.
My problem is that I think it is unacceptable to have your head slammed into the head rest when feathering the accelerator in traffic etc.
Has anyone else had the same/similar issues and if so, were they resoved and how?
One very annoyed new Merc owner.
My ML had this clunking when feathering the accelerator, most noticable around 20 and 50-60 km/hr when in traffic, coming up to intersections etc.. Have had it to dealer 5 times now. They have (in order):
1. Software upgrade - a little better
2. Valve body replacement - sort of better but then haywire
3. Stripped the transmission, all OK so rebuilt it - still the clunking
4. Many hours of adaptations?? Whatever that means - gear shifts very smooth, but still this clunking when feathering the pedal, both off and on the pedal
5. Now told it is normal, that the diesel motors are "torquey" and that the clunking is the slack being taken up from the transfer case, diffs etc.. (wonder if the AMG and other V8 configurations have the same issue as they too are "torquey")
The technicians have always driven car with me and faulted car.
My problem is that I think it is unacceptable to have your head slammed into the head rest when feathering the accelerator in traffic etc.
Has anyone else had the same/similar issues and if so, were they resoved and how?
One very annoyed new Merc owner.
My 2007 R320 119k has been doing this for the last 25k miles. It is very noticeable and I've had non-car people asking me if my car was ok when riding with me.
This is different than the infamous hard downshift to 1st or the very noticeable hardshift of the gears.
Feels like there is a trans mount or an engine mount missing/broken.
When you're in a highway(example) and you take your foot of the gas and you let the vehicle coast and you press the gas pedal again the is a huge thump noise that comes from under the car like there is a gap.
Went to 2 different dealers that had 2 different opinions and a MB independent shop and this is what I've done so far with unsucessfull results
1 - changed the transmission and motor mounts
2- changed drive shaft
3- changed a hub connector(don;t know exact name) between the drive shaft and the trans.
4-changed transfer case
Did you ever get it fixed @andrelle? I can't take this anymore is driving me nuts
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bassfreak (11-29-2017)
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W208-CLK200K, W163-ML55AMG, W164-ML320CDI, W251-R350-4m, W205 C350e
My 2007 R320 119k has been doing this for the last 25k miles. It is very noticeable and I've had non-car people asking me if my car was ok when riding with me.
This is different than the infamous hard downshift to 1st or the very noticeable hardshift of the gears.
Feels like there is a trans mount or an engine mount missing/broken.
When you're in a highway(example) and you take your foot of the gas and you let the vehicle coast and you press the gas pedal again the is a huge thump noise that comes from under the car like there is a gap.
Went to 2 different dealers that had 2 different opinions and a MB independent shop and this is what I've done so far with unsucessfull results
1 - changed the transmission and motor mounts
2- changed drive shaft
3- changed a hub connector(don;t know exact name) between the drive shaft and the trans.
4-changed transfer case
Did you ever get it fixed @andrelle? I can't take this anymore is driving me nuts
This is different than the infamous hard downshift to 1st or the very noticeable hardshift of the gears.
Feels like there is a trans mount or an engine mount missing/broken.
When you're in a highway(example) and you take your foot of the gas and you let the vehicle coast and you press the gas pedal again the is a huge thump noise that comes from under the car like there is a gap.
Went to 2 different dealers that had 2 different opinions and a MB independent shop and this is what I've done so far with unsucessfull results
1 - changed the transmission and motor mounts
2- changed drive shaft
3- changed a hub connector(don;t know exact name) between the drive shaft and the trans.
4-changed transfer case
Did you ever get it fixed @andrelle? I can't take this anymore is driving me nuts
#12
I know this is an old thread, but did anyone have solutions to these problems.
My GL320 is having the same issues. The clunking is getting worse, which is worrying. I've changed the front and rear diff oils and these were clean. I've bought a transfer case chain as this is about the only thing I can think of that is introducing slop in the drive line.
My GL320 is having the same issues. The clunking is getting worse, which is worrying. I've changed the front and rear diff oils and these were clean. I've bought a transfer case chain as this is about the only thing I can think of that is introducing slop in the drive line.
#13
Junior Member
I think a common transfer case chain stretch symptom is skipping, more like a ratcheting noise vs a single thump. I was trying to sort a noise and was told my transfer case was making all the sound, so i rebuilt it. it was totally fine actually, ended up being a wheel bearing even though he assured me it wasn't. Anyways, a heat gun will make your transfer case rebuild much easier if you do all the bearings while you're in there. A warm case and cold bearings or warm bearings and a cold shaft makes it an enjoyable job vs one filled with pounding and pullers.
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alive19 (11-30-2022)
#14
Thanks. Yeah it isn't a skipping sound. Definitely sounds like something big flapping around under rotation.
Anyway I flashed the transmission to the latest software version. The sound of impending doom has disappeared. I'm massively skeptical that this could be such an easy fix, but it was highly repeatable sound that I could get by feathering the throttle. This morning after flashing I can get the sound.
Anyway I flashed the transmission to the latest software version. The sound of impending doom has disappeared. I'm massively skeptical that this could be such an easy fix, but it was highly repeatable sound that I could get by feathering the throttle. This morning after flashing I can get the sound.
#16