2nd to 1st clunk fixed by reprogram, now dealer says front transmission pump is going
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
1998 GS400
2nd to 1st clunk fixed by reprogram, now dealer says front transmission pump is going
We had the "2nd-to-1st clunking" on the tranny when it down shifted, fixed by a $141 reprogram. Now he is stating the front transmission pump on my 06 e350 will fail and to replace very soon costing $2,200. Stating there is a high pitch noise that I have never heard before. Anyone have any insight?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 3,083
Likes: 88
i had the same problem back on my 05 E500 - tcu was bad and tranny ended up being shredded - MBUSA bought the car back - ended up doing a tranny replacement for like $15K but at least it wasn't mine when the repair was done.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 992
Likes: 11
From: Illinois
GL550, C55, 335i Coupe, vintage Mustang
$2200 for just the pump is expensive, however, the estimate is probably way off. I have seen firsthand this failure 3 times. Each time, the bushing on the sun gear of the front pump spun, welding itself to the torque convertor. When that bushing does that, it creates friction on the gear, which starts to walk around in the pump housing and against the mating surface of the aluminum bell housing. All 3 cars needed a bellhousing and a torque convertor in addition to the pump, and if that happened to my car, I would definately replace the filter while I had the transmission apart. Each of the 3 people who's cars I have seen fail have an exagerated tendency to "get in and go" before the car even gets it's idle situated, giving the transmission and engine oils time to start circulating.
Nick
Nick
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,567
Likes: 180
From: Indiana
'94 NSX,'99 NSX Z,'12 C63 Black Series (Prior: '07 E63, '08 CLK63 Black Series,'14 E63-S & 16 C63-S)
Is this problem exclusive to a certain model or model year? I ask because I have been thinking that my '07 E63 has a bit of a clunk when downshifting, but was not sure if it was normal or not.
Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 248
Likes: 2
E55 AMG Kompressor
$2200 for just the pump is expensive, however, the estimate is probably way off. I have seen firsthand this failure 3 times. Each time, the bushing on the sun gear of the front pump spun, welding itself to the torque convertor. When that bushing does that, it creates friction on the gear, which starts to walk around in the pump housing and against the mating surface of the aluminum bell housing. All 3 cars needed a bellhousing and a torque convertor in addition to the pump, and if that happened to my car, I would definately replace the filter while I had the transmission apart. Each of the 3 people who's cars I have seen fail have an exagerated tendency to "get in and go" before the car even gets it's idle situated, giving the transmission and engine oils time to start circulating.
Nick
Nick
Trending Topics
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 796
Likes: 0
From: Raleigh NC
2007 E63, 2006 C55
RE: trans gear whine
Not sure if this is relative to your issue, but I had an 05 E500 several years ago, and it always had some low speed whine in 1st gear at light throttle.
I went through a few MB software updates to address the slowdown to 1st gear jerk/clunk issue, it was ultimately mostly resolved.
However, the 1st gear whine was there until the day I traded it, it never got better or worse. Never really thought or worried about it until I got my 07 E550 and realized how much quieter the transmission was. I may have had a bad transmission in the 05?, or perhaps it was just how the early 7G's were made.
Good luck with it.
I went through a few MB software updates to address the slowdown to 1st gear jerk/clunk issue, it was ultimately mostly resolved.
However, the 1st gear whine was there until the day I traded it, it never got better or worse. Never really thought or worried about it until I got my 07 E550 and realized how much quieter the transmission was. I may have had a bad transmission in the 05?, or perhaps it was just how the early 7G's were made.
Good luck with it.
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
10 Most Reliable Mercedes-Benz Models You Can Buy Used
Verdad Gallardo
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 992
Likes: 11
From: Illinois
GL550, C55, 335i Coupe, vintage Mustang
I have seen it on an 05 ML350, a 2004 SL500, and an 06 E350. Not exactly a specific model, or transmission(5 and 7 speeds were involved). This was not for a clunk or shifting issue, but just for the whining noise at all rpm levels, regardless of whether the car was in gear or not.
Nick
Nick
