E55amg0220

Ok guys heres the deal after working with dealer for the last 3 monthes an such on my 2003 e55 amg .... was able to get a brand new mb torque converter, new transmission all the way from Germany (that took forever) which has a new conductor plate an matching valve body ..... the car is shifting great! So that part is all good an runs well plus has a nice 2 year warranty but I am somewhat upset that it really shifts identical to the way i brought it in to them 3 monthes ago.

Now for the confusing part ..... i still have a weird delay only when goin from reverse to drive it takes like 8 to 10 secs to go into drive this is the only prob that i still have thats not explained, an i know its not a dirty plug .... nor is the plug dirty at the tcu .... i have also changed the tcu .... my original one took a crap an i bought one that was tuned by euro an had never been installed. It is a newer style one than mine .... cus my old one the steering wheel controls only wked in manual an now they wk anytime.

ItalianJoe1

Watch the actual values when it happens, does the trans actually see that reverse is engaged? The delay has to be mechanical or electrical. I'd assume it's a hydraulic leak if it's not the conductor plate/solenoid, but that's still way less likely. If the valve body is all new and came with everything, I would suggest, swapping it out with another one as a test. That's about the only way to rule it out. If it's still there, you know it's not hydraulic (vb-wise anyway). It would then have to be a leak internal in the trans, not able to build the pressure needed to engage reverse, but I think if that was the case you would have more problems. I'm not a transmission rebuilder though so I could be wrong there.

Hulk

Please check the level of the trans fluid and also swap tcu with someone to rule that out

E55amg0220

I dont think its a internal leak or the valve body they are both literally brand new 2 days old an it did it with the old trans an valve body etc etc

E55amg0220

I will also switch out the tcu an see if that fixes it only other thing i can even think of is the shifter. But i HIGHLY doubt a brand new trans with a brand new valvebody conductor plate an solenoids etc would have a internal prob already. An like i said this happened with my old setup before they swapped everything out for the new parts.

SICAMG

"So stop looking for a problem with the transmission" Your not going to see the same problem on two different transmissions. No way. Start looking at electrical and of course just make sure it is full.also does it make a difference hot or cold?

Shifter

Shift linkage rod out of adjustment.

Devilsfan72

If you have a DAS, reset adaptations for the trans and see if that helps

E55amg0220

Hot and cold doesnt make a difference. Fluid when i checked was quite over full ..... i took out 1/2 quart an still was over the line so may take a lil more out.

I dont think its the trans, torque converter, valve body, adapter plug, or conductor plate. I dont know about the tcu it may be the problem the tech at mercedes seems to think it is. But i have also heard the shifter so gunna try an find a used one for cheap to try.

SICAMG

Like Hulk said swap out the TCU .....very easy to do.

E55amg0220

I hve to get one to swap out but thats the plan

s.i.f.i.

mine did the same thing, but for a shorter amount of time, before we adjusted the shift rod. since the whole thing's been replaced, i kinda doub that this is the problem but it is easy enough to check, long as you can get it on a lift.

cmpcpro

I had the same issue and it was the dealer installing the wrong valve body. They installed one for an earlier car. The same year, but they have different ones depending what vin you have. Meaning after say the 35000th car you use this valve body..

E55amg0220

This whole trans has been changed with one that was ordered for my vin now i have had a few guys say the shifter assembly could b the prob since this is the same issue with 2 trans, an it has a new torque converter as well. But all the bad shifting is gone .... i will find a used shifter assembly an install to give it a try. I cant say its the tcu since this is an original problem an ive changed the tcu since then an the original did it too. Im at a complete loss cus i hve brand new trans, valvebody, conductor plate, adaptor plug, converter, all ordered with my vin an the trans shifts perfect an all only problem is shifting to drive from reverse it has a small 8 to 10 sec delay .. thats it.

rapidoxidation

How did you check the fluid level?

E55amg0220

I bought the trans dipstick from online source an got it warmed up driving it for 45 mins an it was quit a bit over the 80 celcius mark

Hulk

Trans oil must be on spot or it can cause issues

E55amg0220

Yeah thats the first order of buisness is get the trans fluid perfect an then move on to the other things. Its got to be something electrical

MACEDON

You mean the dealer didn't get the fluid perfect??? Fluid level is crucial in these trannies, though I doubt it is what's causing the delay.

It has to be electrical.

In the meantime try a sneaky ECU reset:

Car off
Turn the key to the position that lights up your whole dash and the ac comes on (before the car will start)
Press gas pedal fully and hold for 10 seconds
Dont let off gas, turn key all the way to left
Then let go off pedal
Sit in your car for a bit over 2 minutes, don't touch ANYTHING, even your door

Start car and drive

E55amg0220

Yeah i dont know how the dealer dont get the fluid right lol but ill get it right .... i havent done the ecu reset yet but i will today. I have a suspicion its the shifter being its electrical an if someone spilled a drink down there before i got the car it could be causing this issue.

If i had sort of internal leaking well then it would be crazy that 2 rebuilt mb trans had exact same issues lol. Not to mention i would think it would be in other shifts as well but its only when u go from reverse to drive nvr any other time.

I know people have said the tcu but this was an original problem it had with the original tcu an i have since changed it. I honestly am at a complete loss an dont know where to look just throwing around ideas an such. An only silver lining is i have a brand new transmission, torque converter, valve body all with a 2 year warranty.

BoostedAero

*Damn Autocorrect killing my post*

My money is on the solenoids if they were not replaced. Secondary solution would be a valve body with sticking transitional valves. Tertiary would be a wiring issue. I will have a spare known good valve body / solenoids in about a week of you do not find a solution by then. As others have paid it forward to me and my quest to resolve some of my issues I have no hesitation doing the same. Let me know if you are interested in trying it out to eliminate that as an issue.

Also, drop pan and make sure the filter didn't pop out of its seating, that can cause issues as well (though I am unsure about 8-10 seconds)

You could also change shift solenoids around to see if the issue moves with the solenoid.

For whatever reason, electrical or hydraulic relations it is taking it a long time to build enough pressure to actuate the shift.

When it does shift, is it a harsh or smooth engagement, or is it more of a "bump"?

Harsh "garage shifts", D To R or R to D or P to D/R can be caused as well by an improper clocking of the 1-way check valve in the B2 piston.

I hope this this gives you some direction. The shift linkage possible could be off as well as mentioned not allowing full actuation of the manual actuated valve. That along with the filter is the easiest to check. Swap Valve Body. Then go after your electrical gremlin.

E55amg0220

Believe me this is along the same lines as I thought as well ..... but here let me run it down from the beginning

When I bought the car several monthes ago it came with a new MB rebuilt trans and torque converter installed my a dealer in Vegas. It had 19k on it and was just over 2 years old so just past the warrenty they give u ..... 2 year/24000 miles.

It had a harsh engagement especially 1-2 and sometimes 2-3 shift as well as a almost double shift or flare shift. It also was having a sporadic delay but only when the car would go from reverse to drive. So then my quest began to fix this issue ..... I was told internal trans leakage, valve body, conductor plate, maybe TCU, and adaptor plug. So of course i try simpliest first the adaptor plug .... it was slightly wet so I changed it to no avail. Then I checked the TCU to see if fluid had wicked up to it and it had a lil bit up there so I took it out and while cleaning it with electrical cleaner I noticed it had seeped inside so I was able to buy another one. I bought a new one from a guy that was eurocharge tuned, I called and verified it was a good one and had never been installed. I installed it and it worked great but the same problems were there ... still delay but only reverse to drive and bad shifting.

Well onto the next thing I got a brand new valvebody from MB on their foremans suggestion, and installed it and while the shifting improved a bit it still had some flare and the same delay was there. I took it back to MB and told them I suspected that it was the wrong VB but couldnt verify cus they had my old one as a core. So they had to take the car for the new fuel tanks recall and so the service manager offered to drop pan and check and if it was wrong he would order me the right one and install on his dime, ok that works for me. They did so, said I had the wrong one and they ordered it off the reman trans number .... which doesnt designate which car only that its a reman. Got it back and while it shifted ok .... kinda slow and harsh .... it now had a weird 2 to 4 second delay going into any gear! So I took the car back and they said it was the torque converter and one thing they noticed was that it had been installed less than 2 years ago and said it was probably the converter and could be changed under warranty. Ok so they did so, it did help the harsh shifting a bit not really anything i could seriously tell when I got it back, but the weird delay and soft shifting was still there. I then asked if i could pay my core charge and get my original VB back, they said yes but that I dont need to pay core they will just let me try it. So I dropped the pan and checked numbers with my original ..... (cause they still hadnt done it ... even though I had asked NUMEROUS times over the last few monthes) so I took it home dropped the pan and low and behold wrong valve body it was for a non AMG a 4 cyl low pressure version. So installed my original and for some reason it stayed in third still dont know why but I bet it had something to do with me romping on it with a VB designed for a 4 cylinder, so called the dealership and took it in. They gave me a loaner andwe talked about a new trans and I figured that its got to be an internal leak and that i needed a new trans. After all the problems they offered to pay for the labor to install the new trans for me and got it ordered for a discount. Well took 10 working days to get here and then they installed it and I got it last fri so was only able to drive it home before I had to go out of town til sun. I did have a chance to check fluid and it seemed over full. Was able to use my extractor and take out a 1/2 quart and still showed over the top line will do more today. Car does shift good bout as well as before and the flare is still there harsh ****ing is better main problem problem I have is the same original one where it has a delay shifting from reverse to drive other than that goes right into gear. I was bothered they would even give it back to me knowing it still had this problem

I find it VERY hard to believe that 2 transmissions both rebuilt would somehow have the same delay as well as the second VB I got which was new with new solenoids, and the trans comes with a brand new VB as well with new solenoids and conductor plate. Changing around solenoids, VBs, conductor plates, adaptor plugs, torque converters, 2 remanned transmissions from MB, and I have changed one TCU and the delay has always been there from reverse to drive. Only one time has this changed and that was when a non AMG VB was installed into the last transmission and the thing that changed was that it delayed in every gear 2 to 4 secs and still had a long delay when going from reverse to drive.

Now theres the up to date loooooong version and why im so confused

BoostedAero

Ok, awesome history brief and proof of your dedication to the car!

I am dealing with similar problems but I am confident it is a worn out trans I beat the crap out of. It had 166k on it when I showed it in as a test box to see if I was going to keep my auction purchase. After a bunch of drives in the mountains driving it hard and some highway pulls after 18k miles I now have delayed shifts into the next gear. My newly built trans will go in this weekend, newly refurbished VB, newly refurbished high stall tq converter and etc.

I diagnostically right where you are now with that history you just gave. Wiring from shifter to TCM or wiring from TCM to 13pin connector. All that in and out may have damaged the distal end of the 13pin connector into the pilot bushing.

I would also also take the 13pin connector out and make sure it doesn't have a pin pushed out a little making weak contact or high resistance. You could also verify you are not showing high resistance on one wire showing a ground fault.

Other than that, I would inspect the shift linkage.

Jack it up, place it on jack stands on all four corners, make sure it is stable as a rock. Start the car and get a helper to engage the gear forward and reverse. You may be able to gently push it or pull it further and see if it engages quicker. If it does you are on to the culprit. If not then go after the wiring... at least that would be the way I would go after the problem. I love learning so if anyone else has a suggestion I would love to hear it.

E55amg0220

Im starting to think its got to be something along those lines as well an will have to do the same. Sucky thing for me this is a daily haha so got to make it work quickly.

I dont have any delay goin into any gears while driving at all though shifts good.

sliver 126

My vote goes with shifter.
Sounds like the shift linkage wore a little before new transmission and no one adjusted it. Easy overlook when wrapping up a big job. Could even be a worn bushing but linkage adjustment will rectify.