Rascal

Took a nice drive up to Mississipi sports car roads. Back in Louisiana for a pit stop, the car went crazy - in drive, it was in neutral. I was about to call AAA, when I found that if I used manual, the car would work, so I made it home. THIS SUCKS! 425 miles - I only got 50 on the last one.

This is my second 55, the other one was replaced.

lisamcgu

What are you doing to the cars? Now that you mention the transmission, are you playin the stereo so loud you aren't noticing that you have accidently hit the paddles on the back of the steering wheel (throwing the car into manual) and redlining it til you kill it???

Rascal

Nope, top down with stereo off and following the break-in guidelines. Get real.

lisamcgu

What did the computer say happened?

Yellow R1

Your car needs its electronic transmission module replaced. I had the same problem & got it swapped out (they Fed Expressed it from the east coast). Not a single problem since.

So, its an electronic module that MB outsources to their subcontractor(s) (such as Bosch, or Delphi, etc). MB admits to have not keept tight enough quality control on some of its suppliers, thus, we see some field failures on rare occasions. In an case, its a pretty easy fix. Just tell the dealer your think its the tranny module ECU & they can get a replacement & advise you when to bring it in (I'd recomend getting them to flatbed it to your dealer once they advise the module has arrived to minimize you being inconvenienced further. They "should" agree to the above diagnoses if your tranny goes into N while you are just driving normally down the road).

Good luck,
-Matt

Leef

A similar thing happened to my '05 SLK55. It went into N while I was cruising abt. 30 mph. Engine revved to abt. 4k RPM. It acted funny until I could stop, turn engine off, and restart. No problems since (that was abt. 500 mi. ago when car had 1,500 mi. on it).

Rascal

Update: Just picked the car up from the dealer. Yes, the electronic module was replaced. They scavenged one from an SL 7-speed still in the crate, then did the SCN program. Everything works fine. I appreciate the quick turnaround - this dealer has been stellar in its service.

For the record, there was no malfunction display, only the check engine light. The check engine light was off when the car was driven to the dealer, but there was a couple of "clunks" in the transmission at the start of the drive there.

As I have stated before, MBUSA saw fit to replace my first 55 because of a computer failure in the stability systems that could not be resolved. This was after a total of 200 miles, all of which, except for about my 50 miles, were test miles. And the car was in the shop for over six weeks. That car barely reached 70 MPH and never over 4,000 RPM. I never had a chance to load my favorite Rippintons CD which apparently might have put me at risk of misusing the paddles.

For anyone to insinuate that the driver is defective, not the car, is to ignore the fact he/she might be so enamored of this car marque so as not to accept the fact that the vaulted three pointed star might indeed be tarnished by quality problems. This car now is my fifth Mercedes-Benz. Only the last two have had problems.

lisamcgu

... Or, it could be that it is very rare for one go thru TWO cars, and both just after dlvry. Then, you add to that the problem being the transmission, knowing that it is too easy to accidently hit those ill-placed paddles, and it becomes very easy to ask what is up with the driver.

Rascal

Wow. I wonder what the odds are of a good driver following all the break-in guidelines going through two cars and just after delivery? Must not be possible, huh? Maybe I should try the lottery.

Besides, your remark begs some questions: Even if there is an excursion to high revs, why should that immediately cause the transmission to fail? Has anyone redlined their car?

Or, say, I'm going down the road at 60 MPH and tap the (yes, ill placed) paddle to suddenly downshift as far as the transmission will allow. Wouldn't I be thrown toward the dash by engine braking and immediately let off the gas? Might even squeal a rear tire? And then I should expect transmission failure? How does anyone get away with doing any track days in this car?

dsb

I agree with the idea it is most likely the car and not the driver. As mentioned before, if you were to accidentally downshift, the car is designed to NOT engage a gear that would exceed redline. Therefore, there should be no real damage to the vehicle.

lisamcgu

Downshifting is not usually the problem as most are right-handed

Florp

So... your position is that UPshifting too soon destroys the transmission? And that this is the DRIVER's fault? Seriously, you're going to stand by that?!

lisamcgu

Huh? This is about hitting those d*mn paddles on the back of the steering wheel causing your SLK55 to think you want to start shifting manually. From first gear, if you have your stereo really loud, you won't notice your engine squealing, desperate for you to upshift. It's about NOT upshifting AT ALL. Perhaps a pair of reading glasses ...

Rascal

I also misinterpreted your post meaning that the inadvertent use of the paddle was while driving at speed. I see what you mean, but even if that happened, you're assuming the driver is going down the road oblivious to the fact that he can't gain any speed. And never looks at the tach (which I constantly do).

And what do you mean by "kill it"? Should this still necessarily harm the electronic control module? Do you have some evidence of this or are you just making a supposition?

I think you're position is tenuous at best and I still don't appreciate your condescending tone.

Cheers.

lisamcgu

Sorry about my condesending tone. I just can't believe you've been thru TWO SLKs!

As for facts ... do you think if you put your car in manual and took off, flooring it and never shifting, car moving, going faster and faster, and doing this to the car again and again, your transmission would be okay???

Florp

The transmission would be fine. In fact, it would probably last longer than with normal use, since it's not being put through its most stressful job: engaging and disengaging the clutch.

Your ENGINE, on the other hand, would waste little time before crawling out from under the hood and clubbing you to death with its throttle arm.

Rascal

Why are you so fixated on hypotheticals that have nothing to do with my experience? I don't see how you have contributed anything to this conversation.

Believe me, I suppose M-B also has a hard time believing that I have gone through two SLK's. For the first car, it was an anomally that only one another car in Chicago went through, I am told. And both cars will never be sold to the public. The Jacksonville rep drives my old car now, and has 5,000 miles on it, after repeated trips from technicians from New Jersey worked on it. Again, this is a very rare occurence. So forget the first car.

I am really enjoying this car. Pewter is beatuful, not the brown that I was expecting.

Only positive posts from here on out.

lisamcgu

Never thought of it like that - gulp, I think you're right!!

Lady Wolf

If you do not shift the car in manual mode, it will bounce off the redline and upshift, I had this happen a few times in manual mode when I did not hit the paddles quick enough. Wolf

lisamcgu

What's not quick enough

And will it keep bouncing, reving, waiting for you to shift each time?

This may explain something that happened to me ...