New MB S55 AMG owner question.
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2006 S55 AMG
New MB S55 AMG owner question.
I’m wondering if the steering is right on my new (to me) S55 AMG? It is a little tougher to turn than I’m used to in American sedans. Also tries to track a bit on the asphalt at lower speeds. Is that normal? I also feel a little bit of shutter just before the transmission shifts, more the harder I drive it. I also notice that even in DC setting it takes to like 1600 rpm to shift into 2nd. Let me know if this is normal.
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'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Well, it’s been a LONG time since I’ve driven any American sedan, so I can’t comment on that. If the car is new to you though, and you suspect steering issues, first and foremost go get an ABC service at your nearest dealer. That fluid also runs your power steering and is probably long overdue for replacement. Same for the transmission fluid. Those two services will probably run you about $1500 (including dampers). DO NOT SKIMP on those services. What state are you in? Maybe people can recommend good independents who can save you some money.
maw
maw
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From: Phoenix
222 S-65
Fresh fluids are always a good starting point OP!
FWIW many to most 'Merikanski type cars steering assist is of the flavor that one could give the wheel a good twist and have it spin to the lock with exactly zero zip nadda feedback through the wheel while driving. That is not how it goes in your German car.
As as for it wanting to follow road crown or wandering on crummy pavement.... Be sure all suspension goodies are in good shape... That tires are fresh and aired up... That alignment is good... And enjoy the car.
FWIW many to most 'Merikanski type cars steering assist is of the flavor that one could give the wheel a good twist and have it spin to the lock with exactly zero zip nadda feedback through the wheel while driving. That is not how it goes in your German car.
As as for it wanting to follow road crown or wandering on crummy pavement.... Be sure all suspension goodies are in good shape... That tires are fresh and aired up... That alignment is good... And enjoy the car.
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'03 S55 (79K miles)
DC mode starts you off in 2nd gear.
assume you know that DC mode setting of the transmission starts you off in second gear instead of 1st? And then weakest (or reportedly the most frequently broken shift solenoid) is the 2-3 shift. If it’s not working right, it might explain odd behavior of “the first” shift you notice. So you might want to research the repair kits for the 722.6 transmission valve body.
Shudder before shift can be symptom of a weak spring in a valve body, or a sticky or loose valve body in its sleeve. You can also find a resleeve repair kit for the trans.
Shudder can also be indicative of a worn out transmission mount’s rubber isolator that fastened into the center cross brace. Not too hard to swap that one.
Another weak component is the circuit board attached to the valve body. If you drop the transmission pan and valve body, you should also swap in a new circuit board. And the electrical connector socket that usually leaks.
Shudder before shift can be symptom of a weak spring in a valve body, or a sticky or loose valve body in its sleeve. You can also find a resleeve repair kit for the trans.
Shudder can also be indicative of a worn out transmission mount’s rubber isolator that fastened into the center cross brace. Not too hard to swap that one.
Another weak component is the circuit board attached to the valve body. If you drop the transmission pan and valve body, you should also swap in a new circuit board. And the electrical connector socket that usually leaks.
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'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
@GrepAwk, have you seen new fluid clear up sticking solenoids and/or some of those other VB complaints you highlight? I’m assuming anyone servicing the trans would get to a leaky trans plug since you can’t miss it. If the new fluid didn’t clear it up, you’ve given him all the rest. Great answer, BTW and very thorough.
Cheers,
maw
Cheers,
maw
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'03 S55 (79K miles)
@maw1124 :
I didn’t do a fluid change to clear anything wrong. I did have an old Ford Crown Vic 30 years ago with a stutter vibration that did clear up after a fluid change.
my experience on the S55 was:
56k miles I swapped trans fluid/filter when I figured the time was about right for preventative maintenance on what was supposed to be a “lifetime fluid”. (Later determined by MB USA to be a crock of horse feathers).
77k I replaced trans mount, and the front guibo/flex-disk on drive shaft front end when I felt a vibration developing at 2.2k RPM. That helped clear it up.
84k swapped trans fluid, filter again. Also replaced the connector at that time because it had a persistent small leak.
Re: Transmission recalibration: I don’t think it does much for me. Doesn’t seem to hurt but doesn’t make it feel any different. Relearns your average driving after another bunch of days regardless. So drive like you want to drive. Floor it if you can afford to fix it.
I didn’t do a fluid change to clear anything wrong. I did have an old Ford Crown Vic 30 years ago with a stutter vibration that did clear up after a fluid change.
my experience on the S55 was:
56k miles I swapped trans fluid/filter when I figured the time was about right for preventative maintenance on what was supposed to be a “lifetime fluid”. (Later determined by MB USA to be a crock of horse feathers).
77k I replaced trans mount, and the front guibo/flex-disk on drive shaft front end when I felt a vibration developing at 2.2k RPM. That helped clear it up.
84k swapped trans fluid, filter again. Also replaced the connector at that time because it had a persistent small leak.
Re: Transmission recalibration: I don’t think it does much for me. Doesn’t seem to hurt but doesn’t make it feel any different. Relearns your average driving after another bunch of days regardless. So drive like you want to drive. Floor it if you can afford to fix it.
Last edited by GrepAwk; Feb 11, 2020 at 01:53 PM.
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'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
I think it definitely works. Whether you should do it and how often I believe is a function of how you drive. On this point I want to ask a question. When you drive in Manual mode, I don’t think the TCU “learns” the same way it does in C or S. Is this true? If so, the TCU reset doesn’t really matter for me because I drive almost exclusively in M mode. I don’t see a reason to drive any other way. Thoughts?
@GrepAwk: I change my fluid often too, and have done all mounts. My question, however, was do you think changing the fluid clears up the valve body issues you highlighted?
maw
@GrepAwk: I change my fluid often too, and have done all mounts. My question, however, was do you think changing the fluid clears up the valve body issues you highlighted?
maw
Last edited by maw1124; Feb 11, 2020 at 01:52 PM.
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'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
@Jdfreak2012 ,Steering gear was changed at 45k miles?!?! That's a new one on me. Dealer under warranty or some distant second option service provider who may or may not know what they're doing? Can you tell why?
If you have the VMI and/or CarFax, posting those may help folks here help you.
maw
If you have the VMI and/or CarFax, posting those may help folks here help you.
maw
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2006 S55 AMG
I do have the service history and it’s been well taken care of. All MB dealer services. It was originally owned by a couple of car services. I’m finding out it has a leak in the abc system. I think it was low on fluid when I bought it (2weeks ago). I just added an entire 1.06 qt jug of MB power steering fluid. Just drove it and it rides like a dream, the steering doesn’t follow the crown in the road, smooth as silk.
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'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
Good. Have the dealer give you the VMI — Vehicle Master Inquiry — for your files, which will show you all dealer work done on the car, as well as build date, options, engine and transmission numbers, warranty info, etc. It’s the least they can do for their rate.
As far as this thread goes, two lingering questions I have about this car are:
(1) whether trans fluids now come with cleaning additive packages similar to engine oil which helps valves and springs in valve bodies move more freely. My guess is Yes, but I haven’t dug deep enough to confirm this. I use redline type F racing fluid in my 500E with a new valve body and can tell the difference. Maybe I’ll talk to them directly about it’s use in this car; and
(2) whether the TCU learns anything when you’re driving in M mode. My guess is No, for logical reasons. Still need to confirm that.
Otherwise, once you get over the ABC hump, the car is plug and play, easily one of the most reliable and easy to maintain cars I’ve owned (but mine deleted all the parktronic, keyless go, distronic and other gadgets).
maw
As far as this thread goes, two lingering questions I have about this car are:
(1) whether trans fluids now come with cleaning additive packages similar to engine oil which helps valves and springs in valve bodies move more freely. My guess is Yes, but I haven’t dug deep enough to confirm this. I use redline type F racing fluid in my 500E with a new valve body and can tell the difference. Maybe I’ll talk to them directly about it’s use in this car; and
(2) whether the TCU learns anything when you’re driving in M mode. My guess is No, for logical reasons. Still need to confirm that.
Otherwise, once you get over the ABC hump, the car is plug and play, easily one of the most reliable and easy to maintain cars I’ve owned (but mine deleted all the parktronic, keyless go, distronic and other gadgets).
maw
Last edited by maw1124; Feb 15, 2020 at 08:25 AM.
Thread Starter
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2006 S55 AMG
@Jdfreak2012 ,Steering gear was changed at 45k miles?!?! That's a new one on me. Dealer under warranty or some distant second option service provider who may or may not know what they're doing? Can you tell why?
If you have the VMI and/or CarFax, posting those may help folks here help you.
maw
If you have the VMI and/or CarFax, posting those may help folks here help you.
maw
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 443
Likes: 118
'03 S55 (79K miles)
MAW: ATF has lots of cleaning solvents.
Most fresh ATF has plenty of cleaning agents. It should free up stuck valves, but also frees up clogs of junk that can plug things elsewhere on its way back to the pan.
Not sure about your questions on the trans learning while in manual mode.
Not sure about your questions on the trans learning while in manual mode.
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'06 MB S55 AMG; '04 Audi Allroad 4.2; '05 BMW M3 Conv.; '92 MB 500E
It’s not that the transmission isn’t sealed, as much as it is no fluid lasts forever under extreme heat cycling. You’ll get evaporative loss. Same for the ABC fluid (Pentosin) which originally had “no service interval”. Any hydraulic professional will write you a journal in that, and they literally have written volumes. MB originally spec’d both as “lifetime” — which in this industry is 7yrs/100k miles. Well any SClass should last 5 lifetimes, which means you’re going to do something with that fluid. So I change at half-life; 3yrs or 50k, whichever is later, since the car is lightly driven these days. As for the trans fluid level, that’s why all the hubbub over the dipstick, which @GrepAwk or @JohnLane are better qualified to discuss, being more DIY focused. My short answer is when the transmission starts acting like yours it’s probably low, and at half life servicing it should never happen. But I know that’s woefully incomplete for your purposes.
maw
maw
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2006 S55 AMG
Trans fluid
It’s not that the transmission isn’t sealed, as much as it is no fluid lasts forever under extreme heat cycling. You’ll get evaporative loss. Same for the ABC fluid (Pentosin) which originally had “no service interval”. Any hydraulic professional will write you a journal in that, and they literally have written volumes. MB originally spec’d both as “lifetime” — which in this industry is 7yrs/100k miles. Well any SClass should last 5 lifetimes, which means you’re going to do something with that fluid. So I change at half-life; 3yrs or 50k, whichever is later, since the car is lightly driven these days. As for the trans fluid level, that’s why all the hubbub over the dipstick, which @GrepAwk or @JohnLane are better qualified to discuss, being more DIY focused. My short answer is when the transmission starts acting like yours it’s probably low, and at half life servicing it should never happen. But I know that’s woefully incomplete for your purposes.
maw
maw
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'03 S55 (79K miles)
Jdfreak: I just saw your post. Looks like you figured it out, as you ordered a dipstick.
The factory installed filler tube cap had a little red lock tab on it. You need to pinch or twist off that red tab to loosen up the cap for removal.
The dipstick will be pretty long. It probably won’t go all the way in. Don’t worry. It’s not meant to be left in the car like the oil dip stick. It’s only used for temporary measurements. The important thing to notice is when the plastic gauge tip bottoms out in the pan and that’s where the trans fluid level will be read on the end of the stick.
I didn’t replace the red lock tab on the cap. I just push the old cap back on the end of the tube and I check it every few weeks to make sure it didn’t come off.
The factory installed filler tube cap had a little red lock tab on it. You need to pinch or twist off that red tab to loosen up the cap for removal.
The dipstick will be pretty long. It probably won’t go all the way in. Don’t worry. It’s not meant to be left in the car like the oil dip stick. It’s only used for temporary measurements. The important thing to notice is when the plastic gauge tip bottoms out in the pan and that’s where the trans fluid level will be read on the end of the stick.
I didn’t replace the red lock tab on the cap. I just push the old cap back on the end of the tube and I check it every few weeks to make sure it didn’t come off.
