S-Class (W222) 2014-2020

Thump when shifting transmission into gear

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Old 02-26-2023, 11:01 PM
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2015 S550, 2014 640i
Thump when shifting transmission into gear

I've noticed a slight thump when I switch into drive or reverse sometimes. Especially noticeable at first start when car hasn't been driven for a while. I changed the transmission mount hoping it would help but it's still the same. Any ideas what it could be? Car has 46k miles on it.
Old 02-27-2023, 01:18 AM
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Last 5 years: S560, X7, X5, Accord; Sold:15'S550, 20'BMW X7; 19'BMW 530e; 20'Lincoln Navigator,LS460
Originally Posted by Rmayrap
I've noticed a slight thump when I switch into drive or reverse sometimes. Especially noticeable at first start when car hasn't been driven for a while. I changed the transmission mount hoping it would help but it's still the same. Any ideas what it could be? Car has 46k miles on it.
I have been shopping for an S560 for 6-8 months now until I found the one, during those months I test drove 10s of S-class vehicles. I can say that almost 9 out of 10 cars I tested had this issue. Sounds like normal “design flaw” and Mbenz is known to have the worst transmission behavior on the W222 for quite sometime now. I also had this issue in my 2015 S550. My new-to-me S560 still didn’t show this behavior but I’ve only had it for 2 days now and I won’t be surprised if it does as many other S560 cars I test drove had this transmission thumb on reverse.
Old 02-27-2023, 08:47 AM
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1984 W126 300SD & 2013 W221 S550
W221s display the same issues as they have the same transmission, less two extra gears, but all are shifted by the same mechanism: the Intelligent Servo Motor (ISM). The ISM is responsible for shifting into gears and emergency operations such as forcing the car into park, if the driver's door is opened in gear and rolling is detected. With that being said, the internals of the 9G Tronic (W221s are the 7G Tronic) are the same to ~70% of transmission on the market and use the same principle for locking the transmission and driveline while in park. This method uses a parking pawl that engages on a thick toothed gear present on the output shaft to prevent rotation. Thus if the vehicle is resting even at a slight angle significant forces are present on the parking pawl and gear. To prevent this and by proxy extend the life of your ISM (even on the slightest angled surfaces): hold the brake pedal, set the parking brake, then engage the transmission into park. 90% of this thump will go away as the forces are present on the rear parking brake not the parking pawl.

However, if this thump is present on very level surfaces, your ISM and/or Transmission Mechatronics needs to be synchronized or calibrated! I forgot what it is officially called, as I haven't performed the procedure in years, but it is a very simple process with a Xentry system. I will see if my Mercedes Work Shop Information System has any documentation for the procedure.
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Old 02-27-2023, 01:41 PM
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Originally Posted by w126w221
W221s display the same issues as they have the same transmission, less two extra gears, but all are shifted by the same mechanism: the Intelligent Servo Motor (ISM). The ISM is responsible for shifting into gears and emergency operations such as forcing the car into park, if the driver's door is opened in gear and rolling is detected. With that being said, the internals of the 9G Tronic (W221s are the 7G Tronic) are the same to ~70% of transmission on the market and use the same principle for locking the transmission and driveline while in park. This method uses a parking pawl that engages on a thick toothed gear present on the output shaft to prevent rotation. Thus if the vehicle is resting even at a slight angle significant forces are present on the parking pawl and gear. To prevent this and by proxy extend the life of your ISM (even on the slightest angled surfaces): hold the brake pedal, set the parking brake, then engage the transmission into park. 90% of this thump will go away as the forces are present on the rear parking brake not the parking pawl.

However, if this thump is present on very level surfaces, your ISM and/or Transmission Mechatronics needs to be synchronized or calibrated! I forgot what it is officially called, as I haven't performed the procedure in years, but it is a very simple process with a Xentry system. I will see if my Mercedes Work Shop Information System has any documentation for the procedure.
great info. Yes i always use the parking brake on any inclines. Mine does the thump on a level driveway so looks like i need to try the calibration through Xentry

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