I had this happen on my Mercedes Sprinter(5 speed automatic) a few months ago. It had the incorrect gear ratio code. Took it to the dealer(warranty, had like 2,000 miles on it), they replaced a trans cooler line seal, and topped off the fluid. The SM said the fluid was slightly low, but we're talking less than half a quart. It doesn't take much, and if the fluid is sloshing(especially during acceleration, braking, turning, hills, etc... it can pop into limp mode.

Also, PPI doesn't mean squat. Do you think all of the techs REALLY check everything over? I'd be surprised if they even took the time to throw a dipstick in there and check the fluid level and condition.

 

Wow...I guess I feel better now that I see I'm not the only one. I was about to faint when it happened...lolll

I get the "implausible gear ratio" code....I've gotten it before when I first bought my car. I've heard it's the first sign on failing tranny but I got this code a year ago and the tranny still rocks.

As for the fluid, I changed it out about 6-8 months ago. Maybe it's a good time for another change?

 

It would happen to my old CL600 with Renntech ECU/TCU if the wheels spun too hard for too long. It would kick out of gear before the upshift. I just had to restart the car and it would be good to go. The first time it happened did scare the heck out of me.

 

it's not the fluid or anything you can do about it. don't lose any sleep over it IMO. it has happened to me 3 times since i got my car. the first time i had just purchased the car from SF and i was coming over the bay bridge and played with the car the whole time on the bridge like flooring it on and off continuously. it ended up going into limp mode 3/4 towards the end of the bridge and thank god it was down hill so i thought i blew my tranny and i just rolled down the bridge off to the side. found out it was no big deal. second time i was racing an m3 and had to pull of the freeway. third time was my very first time on the drag strip. floored it and did a burnout, went into limp mode and rolled down the track and ended up doing a 26 second 1/4 mile which i have the time slip to prove (beat that!)

 

Yup, just plain ole limp mode I bet. Had it happen in a lower torquey gear going around a corner and punching it half way through. Car went BANG into neutral in all gears....pulled it over. Restarted and all better.

Tranny over torque....limp mode.

Guy with modded S600 up here said he had it daily as he drove his car like an animal.

 

Something does not add up though...if people are putting down more tq and drag racing why would it not be happening more often???

 

Was the car in Dyno mode?

 

Happens frequently to me, in colder weather that is. Read cooler IATS and MUCH more HP. It's the dreaded limp mode form the tranny seeing TTTTTOOOOOOOO much torque. And oh yeah, scared the crap out of me the first time.

Now it is just annoying when you are beating up on M5's

PS: I have learned to live with it as kind of like a fusable link. Better to have it kick into neutral than break the tranny or rear end, IMHO.

 

Nope, normal.

 

It was your torque limiter, don't worry about it scared the hell out of me the first time it happened to me