anerbe

Hey guys,

I posted in another thread but decided to create a new one, as this issue may be coming up to more in the near future!!

Car is a 2003 E55 with 51,000 miles on it. Its in the dealership right now, with the diagnosis that the radiator and transmission are mixing their fluids (issue with In tank transmission oil cooler). They say it's a $3,000 fix.

Any other people with this problem. If so, what was the conclusion?

Any TSB's available for this? I'd like to build a case against MB, as I have seen a few others on this board with the same problem. This would be especially useful if other parts go bad (transmission)

If anybody had the radiator replaced, anybody have the part # for the radiator assembly?

Thanks for the help guys!

Ernie

boohooramblers

This is an issue that has plagued early model C32'ers (not me though).
The problem was defective Valeo radiators that resulted in the leaking of coolant into the transmission (due to shared lines).
The fix for the C32'ers was to replace the radiator with updated Valeo or Behr radiators. Some C32'ers had their transmissions serviced/replaced as a result.

Yacht Master

100% correct, C32s had this condition and some VW Phaetons and Audi A8 this will ruin a transmission in short order.

C43AMG

...as well as some of the early 2k S-class

MB_Forever

There's a sticky thread under the W211 section with all the TSBs and re-calls I think. Make sure they flush all fluid lines as well.

konigstiger

P-B-27.20/78
P-B-27.55/50g

If the vehicle is CPO or you have an extended warranty (MBUSA or otherwise) repair may be covered. If not, some owners have negotiated discounted repair cost (i.e.: labor and/or parts) with dealer and MBUSA assistance. I can provide DTB copies if you want - PM your email address.

anerbe

As always, this site comes through! Thanks for the great replies.

Ernest

e55,,

Can somebody tell me what are the symptons for coolant leaking into the tranny lines. Im having to top up coolant every month. thanks

shardul

iTrader: (1)

harsh shifting and adding coolant. you should not be loosing coolant at that rate

e55,,

I only get harsh downshift from 2nd to 1st in sport mode and manual mode! Is that normal? my car is an 2003.
Are there any other symptons?

REDE55

the problem has been around till '04.... this issue occurs with the valeo
radiators. i guess yours is on an early stage that you can get away with
just a radiator and a good flush with new trans filter. it can greate
problems like burning the clutches in the trans if you dont fix quick.
as far as part # the new ones are upgrated so you will be fine!!

shardul

iTrader: (1)

Maybe you can use a dip stick to check the color of the transmission fluid, to see if coolant is mixing.

The more I read threads like this the more paranoid I get.

REDE55

there is no dipstick.only at the dealer can check the level. as far as the mixing they do a glycol test and they know how bad it is. if its extreamely
bad it looks like tomato juice!! otherwise you cant tell

e55,,

The thing that got me thinking today was i did some check ups on the engine and i had to top the coolant up 1/2 a litre.
The last time i topped up was march when i replaced the pump.

Its only when i am in sport mode and manual mode when i downshift from 2nd to 1st i here a thump noise.

plus i dont know if its me or the car, Its feeling a bit slow on on 1st launch the esp light flashes alot more than it used to.
Normally when it starts to feel slow i do the ecu reset. my car is stock except for cm30 pump.

shardul

iTrader: (1)

i know there is no dipstick, you can purschase the dip stick to check the level, but were are not checking the level here we are checkng the color you you can also insert a wire hanger to check the color of the fluid

e55,,

I will check the fluid tmrw, I know it should be red slightly thick and smells strong, anything else i should check or look out for. thanks

izzyz28

When you apply 500 lb-ft to the tires suddenly there will definitely be either a thump or lots of tire smoke, or if you mean downshifting while slowing down.....then it will still be pretty harsh due to the speed difference between 1st and 2nd gear. As far as the ESP light goes, the more it flashes the more you're spinning and the slower it'll feel. If you leave ESP on it'll always feel slow in 1st unless you're on an awesome concrete surface that grabs. Only thing I'd do is keep an eye on the coolant.

anerbe

update - they may have updated the radiator, but I get stuttering now in 4th and 5th gear accelerating. Also get a buzz/vibration in the driveline randomly. Indy says it's probably the Torque Converter.

This is complete BS. If the TC needs replacing, the dealer is definitely going to hear about it. It's a design flaw, which the supplier of Mercedes is required to provide at least a 100K mile warranty on the part, and MB will benefit from after warranty repairs.

REDE55

i think that you will need a torque converter according to what you're
experience

NLRL

I have a 2003 C230k with 20,000 miles and I have a similar problem.
I bought the car new in North Carolina and was always garaged and driven very carefully.
We moved to Illinois and California and the car was transported in a mover truck.
Two weeks ago the car started to shift very strangely and the dealer told me that the transsmision radiator had a leak, the transmission oil got contaminated and the transmission should be replaced .
Questioning about how is it possible after 20,000 miles to have an issue with the radiator, I was told that there were the Valeo brand which generated a lot of problems, but MB did not accept any liability. The cost of the repair will be $7900 same as the blue book value of the car.
Does anybody knows more? Could I complain to MB? Do you know the address where I should sent a complaint?
Pleas help as I am in a big bind.
Thanks

CynCarvin32

I dont know where you hear about a 100k warranty from the parts supplier but its not correct. MB might help you out on the cost but you are in for some repairs on your AEMX sadly. Its a 03 car. That is a 6-7 year old car and thats why old cars like this are a risky bet. They are a great deal but as they age you need to have a slush fund ready to keep the beast on the road.

Good luck. The sad part is if you dont catch this problem early on it will eat your transmission and torque converter for breakfast.

Good Luck.

anerbe

I used to work for a major German OEM Tier One supplier, and all our systems supplied are definitely required to be held past a 4 year/50k mile warranty. Whether the OE continues this warranty to the consumer is up to them.

Bottom line, it's a design flaw. The part was updated. This design flaw should be captured in a DFMEA between the supplier and MB, where the effects on other parts of the vehicle should have been captured. It was most likely inputted and addressed into the new (updated) part, as the failure modes and effects could lead to a new transmission.

I don't care if they are a great deal now. I purchased it new at MSRP in 2003 hoping to keep the car for a long time. A $90,000+ car should not need a new transmission after 50,000 miles, never-the-less a new radiator. If a radiator fails before the coolant even needs changing, and the flaw is written out in a TSB, it's wrong. I'm sorry.

Random failures are one thing. It is not a cracked rubber hose, mount, airbag, etc... that is expected to fail due to use. If a problem can be traced to a known design flaw, I don't think the consumer should pay for it.

MJ50

if it was a recall, shouldn't it be covered even if u r out of warranty?

gnma

Your absolutely correct. Unfortunatly, nobody cares. Do a search for "glycol contamination", and u'll see this problem from the C-S classes. Its a real shame that Mercedes did nothing for this.

Now to really get you riled up, if you think MB messed up with their choice of radiators, then do a search for "SBC failure"..... .

At least they have given a 10 yr. unlimited mileage warranty on the SBC unit, but what good is that if you slam into something (or someone). I will say my E500 has been flawless for the past 2 yrs, but reading some other owners' exp. with the SBC is just frightening....

TopGun32

anybody know how we can check if we have the old radiator vs the new one?

A few years back I had the service tech check for this and found nothing wrong. But I just need to make sure.

I remember my first trans fluid change I did on the car, the color of the fluid was not red. it was a bit greenish.

Since then I had a gasket leak on the trans and dealer replaced the gasket and fluid under extended warranty.

Since I have new fluid, i'm not worried, but would like to know if I need to do something about it before its really a problem again.