mondo

Hey guys, have noticed something that is more annoying than anything else at the moment, but want to find out if i should be more concerned.

Car is a 2003 W211 E55.

While driving at cruising speeds in top gear (sports mode) the transmission seems to hunt or surge as if it wants to change gear when i apply slight acceleration up a hill or to overtake on a motorway etc... but if i drop back to 4th it doesn't do it? There is also a slightly audible drone noise while it does it.

The car only has 60k kilometers on it (37k miles) and the transmission fluids were changed at 42k when i purchased the vehicle 16 months ago.

i tried doing a search but didn't come up with anything so thought i would put it to the brains trust?

TIA

SICAMG

Sounds like the converter. Do you have a Star system to log into the trans?

mondo

no, i don't have access to STAR. pretty isolated where i live too so access is unlikely.

torque converter makes sense actually. i had another car that did similar about 20 years ago and it was the converter. i'd forgotten about that one. should it cause me concern in the short term?

the car is about due for a service. the place i take it to is a Euro specialist about 3 hours drive from home. i'll ask if they think they can diagnose it.

StarvingArtist

2003 had the bad radiators that mix coolant with transmission fluid. Has yours been dealt with already?

E55Greasemonkey

This ^^^^ ...and torque converter shudder is the first thing to present itself when the trans. fluid gets contaminated with glycol. You cannot see the glycol in the trans. fluid in the early stages, it has to be tested for it.

mondo

well i did contact MB Australia when i bought the car to ask if it had had all the mandatory recalls done and was told it had. i will chase this up again for sure.

i'm guessing if it is that it is already too late?

*edit - just spoke to the lovely Amanda in the service dept. of the closest dealership (65miles away!) who has taken the details of my car and is going to chase up the History on whether the radiator was actually changed out or not.

mondo

hmmm. turns out the radiator was not a recall item her. my car has had two recalls done, air pump relay and another which i have already forgotten what she said it was.

i thought the radiator and fuel tanks were both recalls too? were they in the US?

lseguy

fuel tanks, yes. Radiator im not sure? But info in this thread may help https://mbworld.org/forums/w211-amg/...ans-lines.html

KAMG

I don't think the radiator was ever a recall. The US currently has the fuel recall and recently extended the SBC warranty

tw2

Radiator is not a recall item. Check your lock up times with STAR.

E55Greasemonkey

Radiator was not a recall.There was a technical bulletin issued about the glycol contamination for several different models sometime I think in the early to mid 2000's.

tw2

Glycol contamination is easy to test. Search legit street cars on YouTube. Alex had an episode on this and a link to test strips in the last 12 months. I remember they were quite cheap. I can find the video later if you need.