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I have a 2007 S550 with weird shift issues. It sometimes revs up when it's changing gears and feels like a smart car has rear ended me at a slow speed.
It's never gone into Limp Home Mode nor has it just sat there revving and not moving. But it does the Hurka-Jerk sometimes when it shifts, oddly enough around 1500 RPM.
From what I have read the dealership won't fix or repair the Conductor Plate on a 2007 (722.9) with TCM version VGS1.
According to the dealer they need to replace the valve body to allow a TCM VGS2 or 3 to be installed, then they re-marry all of the security stuff.
The cost is somewhere around $3500 IIRC.
So my question is this: Can MB service just reprogram my TCM or will they have to R&R the valve body, stick a new Conductor plate on and have to reprogram it?
TIA,
Sal
Check out Circuit Board Medics, if you remove your valve body and conductor board, they can rebuild it and send it back to you for 500 buck, no reprogram needed, the will even rent you the scanner to erase any codes after reinstall
Thanks, I've done a lot of research on CBM and discovered that they are about 20 miles from my home.
They also suggested an Independent Transmission Repair Shop (Not Affiliated) that sends them a lot of work also here in Greenville, SC. This shop seems to have a lot of experience with the 722 Transmission.
I believe they can tell me exactly what is required and they can also replace the valve body with an upgraded TCM if required and "Marry" the new parts with the cars security system.
Whatever the outcome I will report back with my findings because definitive data will help us put together a better diagnostic database.
I'm pretty sure it's programming, because changing from Comfort to Sport Mode and vice-versa seems to settle the transmission a lot. Then it starts to shift odd again, more so when it's cold. As of a month ago I haven't really driven the car much. I live 10 minutes from work and just drive my truck or ride my motorcycle to work. Time is in short supply for me ever since we bought a 2nd home up in the North GA Mountains about 5 years ago, so every other weekend I have to leave to go up and do maintenance and cut 3 acres of heavily slopped front yard.
Thanks to all for the advice and I'll keep "All Ya'll" up to speed.
I had a similar issue, but my car did go into limp mode. Changing between C/S modes did nothing and it wouldn't shift gears at all and was revving high...Had the dealership diagnose a TON of electrical/tranny codes, they ended up getting a new transmission conductor plate. $2300 later I was back in business. Apparently even my independent shop couldn't do anything because of all the "security/anit theft" stuff only MBZ could do the repair.
Does this happen on your first drive of the day ?
or
while you are driving at any speed on any gear?
It does seem worse when the transmission is cold, but it does still have issues when it's warm just less so.
At interstate speeds it seems to not be present. Most notably the problem manifests itself in the 1st 3 gears.
A few days ago I gassed it hard at about 50 MPH and it started to take off then revved up like I had shoved my foot into the clutch and revved without any forward motivation.
It almost feels like it's a programming issue, the transmission doesn't really know what it's supposed to be doing.
Sure wish there was a way to stick a GM 4LE80 in this car and keep the security BS.
Meanwhile my 2004 F250 Powerstroke Diesel has 250k miles on it and no problems. My wifes Audi Q7 TDI is rock solid and never seems to have an issue.
This MB transmission sure isn't as robust as either of those vehicles.
I feel like mechanically these cars are rock solid. Most likely you have nothing wrong with the tranny. It's just the programing. Electronics wear out, sometimes for no good reason. At least it's just a board/plate and not a $7k tranny job (hopefully)
Thanks Avalon,
Was your experience that the Valve Body had to be replaced in order to install a Conductor Plate with a higher version TCM?
I get so much differing information on the Inter-Webs.
It seems that our 2007 cars had a VGS1 version and from what I read the valve body has to be replaced to a newer type in order to run a VGS2 or 3 TCM.
Does that ring any bells? Maybe that was part of the repair bill that you paid?
I haven't been driving the car over the past month, rather I'm driving my truck. I'm about 10 minutes from home to work and every other weekend I'm 2 hours away in the North GA mountains cutting grass at our other house.
A second vacation\retirement home seems like a great idea until you realize it's twice the maintenance.
My plan is to make an appointment in the next 3 weeks to take the car to MB.
Hopefully that will be the end of the trans issues, other than that the car is exceptionally nice and low mileage (82k) for it's year.
Thanks again.
Arrgh!
One of my clutch packs lost a retainer spring and tore itself up. Metal particulate matter all through the trans.
A remanufactured trans is going in today. The upside is that it comes with a new Torque Converter and the latest version of the valve body and TCM.
The downside is $7300.
My old diesel F250 has 200k on the trans and I changed the fluid and filter about 100k miles ago.
Then again the maintenance on a Cessna 150 is a lot cheaper and easier than it is on an F35.
My grandkids will all be getting packs of Ramen Noodle soup for Christmas this year!
07-18-2018, 10:30 AM
