My S580 Clunky Transmission - NO MORE!
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Mines not bad. It does get a little confused sometimes. Mainly when rolling like through a green right turn and you pause and look for traffic and then go, it doesn’t like that pause and usually is in the wrong gear. That’s not unlike other multi speed transmissions I’ve had in other cars though. 9 gears is a lot to sort through.
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In MB's defense however, the Macan I driven exhibits this exact behaviour with a loud bang (my family member has one, I hate it, but that is a story for another time), it has a DCT obviously (so different type of transmission) but other than that, that transmission is the smoothest DCT I ever experienced other than that confusion that I experience with MB transmissions when coming to a rolling stop and accelerating again, I hate almost everything about the Macan other than the transmission. For those who want to read about what I hate about the Macan: https://mbworld.org/forums/general-m...ml#post9039663, others, please feel free to ignore the link.
To prevent that (both MB and Macan) I usually come to a rolling stop then give it 3 seconds even if the traffic light turns green or at least feather the throttle until the computer knows I want to accelerate then normal throttle. Obviously, safety first, if you notice a dangerous situation, floor the car away from danger and don't bother feathering the throttle, your life is more important than the occasional bang from the transmission.
To prevent that (both MB and Macan) I usually come to a rolling stop then give it 3 seconds even if the traffic light turns green or at least feather the throttle until the computer knows I want to accelerate then normal throttle. Obviously, safety first, if you notice a dangerous situation, floor the car away from danger and don't bother feathering the throttle, your life is more important than the occasional bang from the transmission.
Last edited by W205C43PFL; Jul 21, 2025 at 10:09 PM. Reason: 5 seconds changed to 3 seconds
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Joined: Jun 2015
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From: Maryland
2024 S580
Yes that is when it bangs, basically what is happening is, the vehicle thought you were coming to a stop and the computer has prepared the vehicle for a full stop, it is taking its time to downshift but the command you gave the car confused the vehicle as the vehicle has to go from downshifting back to upshifting again.
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In MB's defense however, the Macan I driven exhibits this exact behaviour with a loud bang (my family member has one, I hate it, but that is a story for another time), it has a DCT obviously (so different type of transmission) but other than that, that transmission is the smoothest DCT I ever experienced other than that confusion that I experience with MB transmissions when coming to a rolling stop and accelerating again, I hate almost everything about the Macan other than the transmission. For those who want to read about what I hate about the Macan: https://mbworld.org/forums/general-m...ml#post9039663, others, please feel free to ignore the link.
To prevent that (both MB and Macan) I usually come to a rolling stop then give it 3 seconds even if the traffic light turns green or at least feather the throttle until the computer knows I want to accelerate then normal throttle. Obviously, safety first, if you notice a dangerous situation, floor the car away from danger and don't bother feathering the throttle, your life is more important than the occasional bang from the transmission.
To prevent that (both MB and Macan) I usually come to a rolling stop then give it 3 seconds even if the traffic light turns green or at least feather the throttle until the computer knows I want to accelerate then normal throttle. Obviously, safety first, if you notice a dangerous situation, floor the car away from danger and don't bother feathering the throttle, your life is more important than the occasional bang from the transmission.
I love the 9G-Tronic.
MBWorld God!
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The DTC in our Macan S was more of an annoyance than anything, to be honest. It was so jerky in everyday traffic. The BMW ZF 8HP is nearly as quick, but also luxuriously smooth. Totally agree with your other statement about Macans, and could even add to your list
I love the 9G-Tronic.
I love the 9G-Tronic.
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Regulations also comes to play, most likely if MB doesn't have to satisfy EPA and European regs, it will be smoother.
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From: Costco
2025 AMG GT 63
I talked to my service advisor about this and he says it’s possible but assured me the transmission fluid level is fine, especially for a new car, and suggested a transmission adaptation, which I’ve already had done with little success.
So, maybe the OP is on to something, and if that is the case, then this has to be one of the most dumbest oversight from the factory considering how seemingly widespread this issue is.
So, maybe the OP is on to something, and if that is the case, then this has to be one of the most dumbest oversight from the factory considering how seemingly widespread this issue is.
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MBWorld God!
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I talked to my service advisor about this and he says it’s possible but assured me the transmission fluid level is fine, especially for a new car, and suggested a transmission adaptation, which I’ve already had done with little success.
So, maybe the OP is on to something, and if that is the case, then this has to be one of the most dumbest oversight from the factory considering how seemingly widespread this issue is.
So, maybe the OP is on to something, and if that is the case, then this has to be one of the most dumbest oversight from the factory considering how seemingly widespread this issue is.
Newbie
Joined: Jan 2025
Posts: 7
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W223
How did you got them to top the oil in the transmission? I asked the dealer here in Slovakia and got a quote of 700€ for that. Itemized offer shows 200€ for the oil itself, and 300€ worth of parts like oil pan, plugs, screws. They said it’s not possible to top it up, rather they need to replace the oil and it’s a whole procedure.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 96
Likes: 50
From: Boston area, MA
2021 S580
700€ seems a little excessive! The fluid is checked/added thru fitting(s) that attach to the transmission pan itself. You definitely do not have to perform a complete transmission service to check/add fluid, since that is what my dealer did for me--
Last edited by TheBlackPanther; Aug 14, 2025 at 10:37 AM.
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W223
Was the procedure on the video at an official service centre?
I showed it to the tech which I've been talking to and got a very polite and detailed response mentioning that to correctly measure the level one needs to have precise temperature, engage all the gears and other step done and it looks like the topping up was done using drain plug and pressure filler. He also remarked that while technically possible, it's not an official or approved procedure.
I think they are really afraid of doing anything outside prescribed procedures. Frankly, I don't blame them and understand that it's a business decision - the place is always booked weeks ahead, so they don't need to complicate their lives with custom requests.
I showed it to the tech which I've been talking to and got a very polite and detailed response mentioning that to correctly measure the level one needs to have precise temperature, engage all the gears and other step done and it looks like the topping up was done using drain plug and pressure filler. He also remarked that while technically possible, it's not an official or approved procedure.
I think they are really afraid of doing anything outside prescribed procedures. Frankly, I don't blame them and understand that it's a business decision - the place is always booked weeks ahead, so they don't need to complicate their lives with custom requests.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Apr 2025
Posts: 96
Likes: 50
From: Boston area, MA
2021 S580
Was the procedure on the video at an official service centre?
I showed it to the tech which I've been talking to and got a very polite and detailed response mentioning that to correctly measure the level one needs to have precise temperature, engage all the gears and other step done and it looks like the topping up was done using drain plug and pressure filler. He also remarked that while technically possible, it's not an official or approved procedure.
I think they are really afraid of doing anything outside prescribed procedures. Frankly, I don't blame them and understand that it's a business decision - the place is always booked weeks ahead, so they don't need to complicate their lives with custom requests.
I showed it to the tech which I've been talking to and got a very polite and detailed response mentioning that to correctly measure the level one needs to have precise temperature, engage all the gears and other step done and it looks like the topping up was done using drain plug and pressure filler. He also remarked that while technically possible, it's not an official or approved procedure.
I think they are really afraid of doing anything outside prescribed procedures. Frankly, I don't blame them and understand that it's a business decision - the place is always booked weeks ahead, so they don't need to complicate their lives with custom requests.
The device in the video plugged into the bottom of the transmission oil pan is the ultrasonic tool used to measure the exact fluid level in the transmission pan—done while the engine is running (you can her the engine running in the video) and at operating temperature. The other device is the MB diagnostic computer plugged into the car. That tool takes the temperature of the transmission fluid, notes the range that the temperature must be taken at (and likely compensates for that temperature given the fact that transmission fluid expands when it gets hot--just because the engine is warmed up, doesn’t mean the transmission is fully warmed up) and displays the fluid level range of acceptable values.
In summary, the ultrasonic measures the fluid level, the diagnostic tool takes the temperature of the fluid making sure it is in the proper range, makes sure the engine is running, and when those two criteria are met (there might be other criteria as well), uses the temperature and fluid level to calculate the lowest acceptable fluid level, the highest acceptable fluid level and the “specified” or midrange value.
The fluid in my transmission is now approaching the higher end of that acceptable range—and it seems to have made a world of difference in shifting behavior.
MBWorld God!
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The video was taken by the tech at a Mercedes Benz dealership. The group that owns this dealership owns 30+ Mercedes Benz dealerships world-wide, so I tend to think they are probably pretty good and do things by the book.
The device in the video plugged into the bottom of the transmission oil pan is the ultrasonic tool used to measure the exact fluid level in the transmission pan—done while the engine is running (you can her the engine running in the video) and at operating temperature. The other device is the MB diagnostic computer plugged into the car. That tool takes the temperature of the transmission fluid, notes the range that the temperature must be taken at (and likely compensates for that temperature given the fact that transmission fluid expands when it gets hot--just because the engine is warmed up, doesn’t mean the transmission is fully warmed up) and displays the fluid level range of acceptable values.
In summary, the ultrasonic measures the fluid level, the diagnostic tool takes the temperature of the fluid making sure it is in the proper range, makes sure the engine is running, and when those two criteria are met (there might be other criteria as well), uses the temperature and fluid level to calculate the lowest acceptable fluid level, the highest acceptable fluid level and the “specified” or midrange value.
The fluid in my transmission is now approaching the higher end of that acceptable range—and it seems to have made a world of difference in shifting behavior.
The device in the video plugged into the bottom of the transmission oil pan is the ultrasonic tool used to measure the exact fluid level in the transmission pan—done while the engine is running (you can her the engine running in the video) and at operating temperature. The other device is the MB diagnostic computer plugged into the car. That tool takes the temperature of the transmission fluid, notes the range that the temperature must be taken at (and likely compensates for that temperature given the fact that transmission fluid expands when it gets hot--just because the engine is warmed up, doesn’t mean the transmission is fully warmed up) and displays the fluid level range of acceptable values.
In summary, the ultrasonic measures the fluid level, the diagnostic tool takes the temperature of the fluid making sure it is in the proper range, makes sure the engine is running, and when those two criteria are met (there might be other criteria as well), uses the temperature and fluid level to calculate the lowest acceptable fluid level, the highest acceptable fluid level and the “specified” or midrange value.
The fluid in my transmission is now approaching the higher end of that acceptable range—and it seems to have made a world of difference in shifting behavior.
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Joined: May 2008
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From: Los Angeles, CA
Supercharged CLK500,ML500,S580
I went to the dealership for routine maintenance, and one of the items was a transmission fluid and filter service. I mentioned the transmission jerkiness, referenced this forum thread, showed them the video, and asked if they could perform the same service. They did, and after driving for a week I can report that the jerkiness is gone and the transmission now shifts smoothly.
During the visit, they also performed recall work that updated the software for the fuel system control unit, replaced the ignition coils for cylinders 1 and 2 under warranty (due to a misfire, had no check engine light), installed new spark plugs, replaced the engine air filters, and changed the transfer case fluid. With all of this work done at once, I'm not 100% sure it was the increase in the transmission fluid that smoothed out the shifting.
During the visit, they also performed recall work that updated the software for the fuel system control unit, replaced the ignition coils for cylinders 1 and 2 under warranty (due to a misfire, had no check engine light), installed new spark plugs, replaced the engine air filters, and changed the transfer case fluid. With all of this work done at once, I'm not 100% sure it was the increase in the transmission fluid that smoothed out the shifting.
MBWorld God!
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 32,495
Likes: 6,345
I went to the dealership for routine maintenance, and one of the items was a transmission fluid and filter service. I mentioned the transmission jerkiness, referenced this forum thread, showed them the video, and asked if they could perform the same service. They did, and after driving for a week I can report that the jerkiness is gone and the transmission now shifts smoothly.
During the visit, they also performed recall work that updated the software for the fuel system control unit, replaced the ignition coils for cylinders 1 and 2 under warranty (due to a misfire, had no check engine light), installed new spark plugs, replaced the engine air filters, and changed the transfer case fluid. With all of this work done at once, I'm not 100% sure it was the increase in the transmission fluid that smoothed out the shifting.
During the visit, they also performed recall work that updated the software for the fuel system control unit, replaced the ignition coils for cylinders 1 and 2 under warranty (due to a misfire, had no check engine light), installed new spark plugs, replaced the engine air filters, and changed the transfer case fluid. With all of this work done at once, I'm not 100% sure it was the increase in the transmission fluid that smoothed out the shifting.
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