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So my 2021 S580 with 26k continues to have a jerky transmission. They have addressed several times, four in total. It is always better after the flush and do the stand still test. My question is this, should I worry about it or just accept the situation. The car has been kinda problematic . Had an issue with a catalytic converter over heating and melting part of the wiring harness. They had to pull the engine and trans to replace it. Still love the look and ride after 4th gear. Any comments?
Last edited by Peppin2023; 05-04-2024 at 01:44 PM.
My 22 S580 has a horrible 3-2 downshift, which is ironically most pronounced in Comfort mode. Sport + actually has the smoothest shifts for me. My car is at the dealer now for the 3rd time with the complaint. Both times prior they've told me "they are all like that from the factory, nothing we can do."
I've noticed that it takes a long time for the transmission to get up to normal operating temperature. Ours noticeably smooths out a bit after about 30 minutes of driving. You can monitor the tranny fluid temps in one of the performance menus.
Thanks for the photos of the front sub-assembly removed.
2022 S580, Range Rover full sized, retired (Ferraris, lamborghini, Bentley, RR, Porsche etc, etc...)
OMG those pictures are truly horrific. Your patience is to be admired.
I have been very fortunate in that my 22 S580 is pretty smooth on the downshift (and obviously upshift). Could it be smoother? Yes, however it’s quite reasonable considering what I’m hearing about other experiences.
The S-class ICE variant are behind me. I really think I'll never ever get back to the S-class ICE. Can't wait for a full EV S-class (but not the EQS). I might consider the W223 PHEV facelift later on, because I am yet to see any of the 6-cylinder engine owners complaining about the transmission in their W223 or W222. This has been an on-going issue for way too long now and it's a shame that Mbenz hasn't figured it out. There is a solution, I feel based on my experience, but I also feel it's a fix that will need to be re-done maybe once every 10K-15K miles as the transmission wears out again and need to be re-learnt it's shifting points. I don't know. Literally the only drivetrain related thing I hated in both S-class cars I had was how it shifts, even though the facelift was great but still not as good as my BMWs when it shifts. The pre-facelift W222 was a disaster before I fixed this same issue. Mbenz for almost a decade now have been saying this will fix this for everyone, but obviously they are clueless.
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
MB needs to get out of the transmission business and contract with ZF to supply their gearboxes.
To the OP: IF you can get MBUSA to repurchase the car, you REALLY should go for it. Your car has undergone major surgery and needs to be sent on its way down the road. Buy another new one if you must, but this one has got to go!
MB needs to get out of the transmission business and contract with ZF to supply their gearboxes.
I can understand why Mercedes wants to maintain its vertical integration. Giving up such development and vertical integration also means giving up potential class-leading performance in the future, as well as profits of course.
Mercedes’ transmission is absolute rubbish. It should be an automotive engineering lesson on how NOT to build a transmission for mechanical engineering. MBA curriculum can follow up on Mercedes’ ignorant decision to keep using it. The blind leading the blind.
I can’t believe (maybe I can 😔 ) the MB transmission saga continues…are the 24’s having issues as well?
Back in MY 17 when the 9G came out I was hopeful they finally got their transmissions right, as my new S550 coupe at the time shifted perfectly, but alas it appears overall it was not to be according to what I’ve been seeing here.
The ZF units in some of our other vehicles are smooth as glass, shifting up or down.
I just ordered a CLE53 AMG coupe for the wifey last week which has their traditional torque converter trans so I’m concerned, although it is massaged by AMG. Furthermore I’m looking at a leftover new SL63 and am now thinking I’m making a mistake (even though that’s a different kind of trans) based on MB’s sketchy trans rep.
There’s always been a discerning group here so thoughts are most welcome/appreciated.
My thought is you'll probably make it through the warranty period without too much drama; if that's enough, and you want the car, you don't have much to worry about.
My thought is you'll probably make it through the warranty period without too much drama; if that's enough, and you want the car, you don't have much to worry about.
I just ordered a CLE53 AMG coupe for the wifey last week which has their traditional torque converter trans so I’m concerned, although it is massaged by AMG. Furthermore I’m looking at a leftover new SL63 and am now thinking I’m making a mistake (even though that’s a different kind of trans) based on MB’s sketchy trans rep.
Go drive the SL63. They are practically giving them away with huge discounts. The AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT and MCT 9-speed are different animals, especially the MCT. They are built for feedback, responsiveness and quick, snappy shifts, especially in manual mode. I love the 9-speed MCT in my '19 C63S coupe. One of the best sports transmissions I've owned. I come from driving manual transmissions for over 20 years, and the MCT feels closest to a manual transmission. I also drive it mostly in manual mode. It's rewarding and engaging to drive. Not the smoothest thing for a city car due to using a wet clutch in place of a torque converter, but an AMG is a bit misplaced in the city. These things are for the open roads and twisty canyons, but if you modulate the throttle properly it drives smooth. If you are looking for a dull and smooth commuter, though, an AMG is not gonna be it. I'm honestly a bit puzzled about the issues some are having with the regular MB transmission. I've driven several regular MB loaners over the last 5 years and they all shifted smoothly.
Last edited by superswiss; 05-12-2024 at 11:04 PM.
As near as I could tell, all the S580s have a couple of regular clunks. One is going up a steep hill when it's warm, or just about any hill when it's cold, in lower gears. It will often bang going up or down while shifting on that grade. There's also the no shift torque converter lockup bang, this is only when they're cold and pulling away from a stop or in low gears just after you're rolling. Once the trans gets warmed up it doesn't do it anymore. Then you've got the low gear kick-down bang: This is where you've been feeding in throttle after leaving a stop but the S580 has the super soft throttle calibration and nothing much is happening, eventually you give it a good goose to trying to get the car through the intersection before you get broadsided or shot, and it kicks down to first with a bang.
I figured out that the best way to get out of the clunky shifting is to keep it out of comfort; that mode is flat broken. In sport, it drives like most cars do in economy or normal anyway, and you avoid most of that clunkiness. There isn't much you can do with the cold lockup bang, that one is kinda built in. If you ask me the trans is probably mechanically sound, it's the controls that are whack.
The 2nd gear start in Comfort mode is something the AMG models don't do. They used to with the prior 7-speed, which was a big reason I wasn't a fan of that transmission, but with the 9-speed, AMG came to their senses. Comfort mode is not really broken in the S Class, but it's essentially the Chauffeur mode. You are not supposed to goose it like that, unless it's an emergency. A last second unexpected scrambled downshift is rarely smooth. You are supposed to ease off the line so it stays in 2nd gear and the passengers don't spill their Champaign .
As near as I could tell, all the S580s have a couple of regular clunks. One is going up a steep hill when it's warm, or just about any hill when it's cold, in lower gears. It will often bang going up or down while shifting on that grade. There's also the no shift torque converter lockup bang, this is only when they're cold and pulling away from a stop or in low gears just after you're rolling. Once the trans gets warmed up it doesn't do it anymore. Then you've got the low gear kick-down bang: This is where you've been feeding in throttle after leaving a stop but the S580 has the super soft throttle calibration and nothing much is happening, eventually you give it a good goose to trying to get the car through the intersection before you get broadsided or shot, and it kicks down to first with a bang.
I figured out that the best way to get out of the clunky shifting is to keep it out of comfort; that mode is flat broken. In sport, it drives like most cars do in economy or normal anyway, and you avoid most of that clunkiness. There isn't much you can do with the cold lockup bang, that one is kinda built in. If you ask me the trans is probably mechanically sound, it's the controls that are whack.
Go drive the SL63. They are practically giving them away with huge discounts. The AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT and MCT 9-speed are different animals, especially the MCT. They are built for feedback, responsiveness and quick, snappy shifts, especially in manual mode. I love the 9-speed MCT in my '19 C63S coupe. One of the best sports transmissions I've owned. I come from driving manual transmissions for over 20 years, and the MCT feels closest to a manual transmission. I also drive it mostly in manual mode. It's rewarding and engaging to drive. Not the smoothest thing for a city car due to using a wet clutch in place of a torque converter, but an AMG is a bit misplaced in the city. These things are for the open roads and twisty canyons, but if you modulate the throttle properly it drives smooth. If you are looking for a dull and smooth commuter, though, an AMG is not gonna be it. I'm honestly a bit puzzled about the issues some are having with the regular MB transmission. I've driven several regular MB loaners over the last 5 years and they all shifted smoothly.
can you elaborate on the discounts …
my dealer offered me $25k off a “new” ‘’23 which isn’t great as the ‘25’s are just ~ months away.
can you elaborate on the discounts …
my dealer offered me $25k off a “new” ‘’23 which isn’t great as the ‘25’s are just ~ months away.
Right, you can basically get 5-digit discounts on these. That's kinda unheard of for the true AMGs with the hand built engines. Even on a 25 you can probably get over $10k off. The 63 AMGs historically tend to sell close to MSRP or above. The SL was priced too greedy and it isn't the kind of hot AMG that buyers are after.
Last edited by superswiss; 05-13-2024 at 12:44 AM.
Everyone says that and I'm not buying in; the chauffeur thing is way oversold. The throttle is so stupidly soft you're frequently hung out to dry, and that isn't right on any car, at any time, ever. Nor do all cars shift with a bang in that situation, I've never had one that did before, and I've owned many cars.
To be clear; I'm using words like bang and clunk for a reason, it's an actual mechanical slam, clunk, whang, bang, smack, etc. I'm not talking about an abrupt shift, a hard shift, a shift that want all that graceful. I'm talking about a real clunk: Two things hitting each other.
Right, you can basically get 5-digit discounts on these. That's kinda unheard of for the true AMGs with the hand built engines. Even on a 25 you can probably get over $10k off. The 63 AMGs historically tend to sell close to MSRP or above. The SL was priced too greedy and it isn't the kind of hot AMG that buyers are after.
For the 09 MY $40k off was common for new SL63’s even in places like Miami.
In under 3 years there’s been 4 new MY’s … 22, 23, 24, and shortly the 25’s
05-04-2024, 01:42 PM
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