Hi all,

I'm new here and hope to learn about what could have happened to my 2005 SL65 AMG.

A couple of days ago:
I had the transmission in manual and from a rolling start, drove to the redline in 1st. When I hit the steering upshift at 6,000rpm, I lost all gear engagement and it displayed '5th gear' in the instrument cluster. I am certain I was in neural since I was able to free-rev the engine. I could not engage any gear and so decided to pull to the shoulder and turn the engine off. Upon start-up, everything returned to normal.

Today:
Rolling start in 1st gear and floored the throttle until the redline. Hit the upshift and the same problem occurred. This time I heard a big thud coming from the transmission and quickly proceeded to pull over again. I was on a slope and realized that even my 'P' was not engaging. The only way to keep my car from sliding downhill was to apply the parking brake. The engine would turn off and on with no problem, but I was unable to engage any gear. There was also a grinding noise coming from under the car. The message center displayed: "2 malfunctions, see dealer" and the ABS warning light was displayed.

I had my car towed to my dealer but probably won't hear from them until early next week. I have a extended warranty with zero deductible so I am not too worried. Would like to hear if any of you have had or heard of similar problem? What could have gone wrong or possible be damaged? Also, I do believe that I experience the torque converted/clutch slipping on quite a few occasions over the last month. Any thoughts and advise would be most appreciated. Thanks.

 

As strong as the 5 speed transmissions are, with 604hp and 738 ft/lbs of torque, you can still destroy them.

Sounds like you broke something in the drivetrain.

Luckily you have that warranty.

 

A couple of months before the problem, started, I discovered a leaky solenoid connector on the transmission - allegedly a common problem on the 722.6xx transmission. Had the solenoid connector replaced.

My 2008 SL55 did something very similar - not in manual mode, but accelerating out of an on ramp the transmission acted like it was in neutral - shift lever and the dash still showed in drive. The first time it happened I had to shut off and restart. The second time all I had to do was shift to park and things went back to normal.

After the second time I arranged to take the car to a friend who's a tech at a (not so) local dealership. Trans fluid was about 1/2 quart low, and the transmission controller kept returning "unknown version" when tested. Replaced the trans controller, updated the software, and topped off the fluid and it's been fine since.

 

So initial report from my dealership ... I snapped my drive-shaft in two. Has anyone else have this happen? It also seems that there is no inventory either here in the US or in Germany. Personally, I still think that there is something wrong with the transmission, since I experienced quite a bit of slippage before breaking that rear-end.

What do you guys think?

 

theres some on ebay. there is probibly many around at different parts dealers if you look.