R500 hard shift
 

Hi guys,

I enjoy the R, but I'm experiencing some hard shifting when my R500 slows to zero-5mph...almost like the transmission is hard shifting down to 1st gear.
Usually I usually drive in "S" mode...and I will try it in "C" mode.

I should note, this problem could be even more obviously if I decide to accelerate at that point - I literally hear a think as the transmission gets in gear. Have any of you experienced this?

My dealer in the past has said this was "normal" - but I wanted to get everyone's input. Further, I want to make sure that the transmission doesn't fall part AFTER the warranty expires.

Look fwd to your input. Thank you.
Patrick

How many miles do you have on? Have you changed trans fluid at 39k ? Also search for numerous posts on this very subject regarding replacement of valve body.

Thx for tip - will search for "valve body."

As for transmission fluid, yes - it was changed at 39k when we bought the car CPO from MB dealer. The car currently has 67k so still a while before 78k miles to do again. As mentioned, the shift is HARDER/CLUNKIER than before, and it was like this even when car just had 39k trans service. Therefore, I'm inclined to think it's other issues.
Patrick

Fluid needs changed once only at 39K for the lifetime of the car. Probably valve body issue.

I'm the one that had the valve-body replaced on my '08 R350. Long & short. Our car has been shifting exactly like the Op's since we bought it last year CPO w/ 25K miles on it. It was weird because we test-drove 4-5 R-Class cars, everything from '06-'09 R350/500's and our '08 was the smoothest, newest feeling so we bought it. About a week into ownership we noticed the trans would buck, or kick as you slowed to a stop.

Under some situations, say if you had to get back on the gas as if you slowed almost to a stop but then had to take off because the traffic light suddenly changed then there would be a thunk or large kick as if the trans selected the wrong gear and corrected itself. Very annoying and embarrassing when your friends that own BMW or Lexus are riding in your $50K Mercedes that is shifting like a 1985 Camaro.

Anyway, we sent the car back to the dealer three times having them re-flash this and that, smoothing the shifting out for a couple days each time. We then switched dealers and complained at a different dealer and they replaced the valve-body. This made the most difference, but after about three weeks the car was back to it's old self of shifting poorly. At this point I'm tired of dealing with it, and somewhat learned to live with the characteristic.

I personally feel that the dynamics of this transmission is unacceptable for a car of this caliber and price point. If anyone else out there has had any permanent success with this I would love to hear your results. I am convinced the problem lies in the adaptation of the transmission as every time we take it in, whether they reflash it, replace a part, or change the fluid the jerk action returns about a week after.

we have the same behavior in our 07 CDI. When coasting to a stop with the foot slightly on the brake pedal, the car will slam into 1st. I just took it in and they did a SW adaption which seemed to have helped a bit.

I figure, I should be pushing for a transmission replacement at some point.

Hard Shift
 

I own a 07 R350 with the same problems you described in the thread.Went to the dealer maybe 2 or 3 month ago and they flashed/reprogramed the transmission which helped at the beginning. A few days ago i turned on around in a parking lot and the car shifted very hard into 1st gear and at every stopsign/trafficlight it jerks in 1st gear. Tomorrow I'll go back to the dealership and see that they fix the crapy transmission,finally.

I think we're all on same page on what happens...and this DOES NOT happen on the other 7 spd cars, including GL or the other models.
PL

Let us know if you make any headway on this with your dealer.
Maybe this is part of the character of this car. Ours is under warranty until 2014 so we will have lots of time to figure this out.

I sure do miss the old 4 speed tranny from my C36 AMG.

Dropped the car of at thedealer and took a 20 min testdrive with the shopmanager and guess. Nothing, no jerking,hard downshift and I felt so st.... They still have the car to check it out again when the transmission is cold. I will post an update as soon as i know more, they also will replace one hinge of the left passenger door due to corrosion.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HJ1967 (Post 4308936)

Dropped the car of at the dealer and took a 20 min testdrive with the shopmanager and guess. Nothing, no jerking,hard downshift and I felt so st.... They still have the car to check it out again when the transmission is cold. I will post an update as soon as i know more, they also will replace one hinge of the left passenger door due to corrosion.

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This is the same thing that happens with mine, to be honest there are days where it shifts buttery smooth, and there are days that the jerky shifting and bucking from 2-1 gear happens frequently and days it doesn’t.

My car has dealer phobia too, meaning when I take it in it never acts up Just like my power rear hatch that sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. It will do it when we use it but never for the dealer.

If you can take the shop foreman out for a drive, and you drive him around. I know in my car the passenger can clearly feel the kick and rough downshift. Also my R350 will almost do it on cue if you drive around a parking lot or shopping center. Dealers will often drive your car out on the freeway, or at highway speeds which will keep the trans at a constant speed. Where the 7-speed gets confused is when it has to constantly go from 3-2 or 2-1 in a short period.

Also it's not just the R-Class, We had a brand new rental GLK350 for a week while our valve body was being replaced. It was a lot smoother than our R350's transmission, but I could feel the 2-1 downshift kick in it too but it was very subtle and that car had 4K miles on it. Also my old '08 C300 did something very similar and a client of mine has a 2008 S550 and says his car has a rough 2-1 downshift that the dealer hasn't been able to fix. I also read a thread on this forum in the W212 forum where a guy was complaining about his jerky trans.

Got a call from my dealer that my car is ready to pick up. Unfortunally they couldn't get the transmission to jerk. I don't know what i shall do now? At least they fixed the hinge on warranty. Any advice?

My father has a loaner from the MB dealer last year when his C-Class needed work. They loaned him a brand new MB for about a week while his was in the shop. He found that even the brand new MB had shifting "issues". Basically at this point, I think all newer (year 2000 and newer) MBs are over engineered. They put too much damn technology into the car. A simple gearbox and shifting mechanism would work just fine. Forget all this fancy software that malfunctions and you need NASA to fix it. Love driving my R-Class but I've just learned to deal with the shifting issue as commonplace (unfortunately).