01 e430 rought shiffting tranny

[llietuviss]

hello, i have an 01 w430 (non 4matic), and it has 85K miles. Lately if been having these tranny issues, were if i put pedal to the metal the car shift really hard (or doesnt shift at all) from 1 to 2nd. All other gears have some jerk too but not as bad as the 1st to 2nd... Now its started about a month ago? Wat could it be? and what should i take a look at? or any help at all is helpfull. i also have hesitation from the start sometimes.

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[Musikmann]

Have you ever serviced the transmission? You are well past the mileage when it should have been done. If not that's the first thing I would do. Look at the fluid in the pan to check for metallic particles. Hopefully your transmission is not so bad that it needs to be rebuilt or replaced.

[llietuviss]

thanks... will get in to it asap. wat about the hesitation?

[saintz]

Drop the transmission pan, change the transmission filter, replace the fluid. Run it for a week. If it's still rough, change the fluid again. That should fix the sharp 1-2 shift and also the other shifts.

[llietuviss]

if that works u r the man...

[Musikmann]

Originally Posted by llietuviss

thanks... will get in to it asap. wat about the hesitation?

That sounds like something transmission related too. 85000 is past due but I haven't read of trannys going out until somewhere after 100000 (some much higher) so you might have caught yours just in time. You should also change the filter and pan gasket. Measure what you drain very carefully so you can replace with the same amount. Level is pretty critical and your car doesn't have a dipstick. You might consider buying one (dealers have but there are several other sources). If you use a dipstick you'll have to break a lock pin on the tranny fill tube so buy another one to replace it.

Bear in mind with this method you are only replacing about 30% of the ATF. Some people have done it a couple of times so they replace more if it. 3 times gets you to about 75% In fact, even if the first service seems to help after a week, I'd probably repeat the steps 1-2 more times but only the fluid the additional times, not the filter and gasket.

Good luck.

[llietuviss]

wat kind of ATF u suggest?

[Musikmann]

Originally Posted by llietuviss

wat kind of ATF u suggest?

Safest bet is to buy it OEM from a dealer. I don't have the numbers handy but they should be on top of something this simple. There is the original and a couple of improved versions. From what I've read you can use the newer ones and it is safe to mix them with what you have in there now.

[ohlord]

www.autohausaz.com carries it free shipping.
I have the dipsticks,diy complete or partial fluid change is on www.benzworld.org w210 diy section. Work safe,work clean.Another good diy on www.peachparts.com resource section diy articles.
Have fun

[saintz]

I would definitely suggest getting the dip stick. Check autohausaz and parts.com to see who has the cheapest price for the fluid.

[llietuviss]

so how do u do the full atf change instead of the partial? could someone at the dealer do it (not that i will take it there, i just know somoene who works there)? im a bit confused.... help out a noob or give me direct link to the diy because i couldnt find it amongs all fo those on the benzworld

[Theropode 430T]

In Germany there are some places where they "rinse" the whole system, pipes and the cooler. Maybe you can find somone who is able too, in your area! After the transmission of my car has been "rinsed", the oil changed, it worked like new, and still does!

[patrick_y]

This transmission fluid change can be easily solved at the dealership. For about $300, the dealership should be able to change your transmission fluid. It's a two hour job, so they might even be able to do it while you wait.

I believe I had this done on the E320 at around 50K miles. You're a tad bit late for doing it at 85K miles. After I did this transmission fluid change at 50K miles, I had the transmission fluid changed on the other vehicles in the household around 30k miles.

[saintz]

There are three ways to remove oil:
-From the pan drain hole (this will only remove about 1/3 to 1/2 the oil, what's in the pan)
-From the torque converter drain hole (this is only available on 1999 and younger cars, not on newer cars, and it removes the remaining fluid not in the pan)
-By flushing (using a machine, hooked up to the transmission lines, to pump new fluid in and expel the old fluid).

Shops that only flush are bad. The flush stirs up the fluid and forces particles through the filter, clogging it. If you do a flush, make sure they also change the filter (which requires dropping the oil pan and manually draining most of the oil anyway), preferably changing the filter after they flush it.

On 2000+ cars, where you can't drain the torque converter, your best bet is to either machine flush and then change the filter (expensive, uses a lot of fluid, but gets it 100% clean), or drain the pan and change the filter, run the car a little, and then drain the fluid again (uses less fluid, but gets it only 75% clean). 75% plus a new filter is probably good enough to get back smooth shifts, however.

[llietuviss]

Originally Posted by saintz

There are three ways to remove oil:
-From the pan drain hole (this will only remove about 1/3 to 1/2 the oil, what's in the pan)
-From the torque converter drain hole (this is only available on 1999 and younger cars, not on newer cars, and it removes the remaining fluid not in the pan)
-By flushing (using a machine, hooked up to the transmission lines, to pump new fluid in and expel the old fluid).

Shops that only flush are bad. The flush stirs up the fluid and forces particles through the filter, clogging it. If you do a flush, make sure they also change the filter (which requires dropping the oil pan and manually draining most of the oil anyway), preferably changing the filter after they flush it.

On 2000+ cars, where you can't drain the torque converter, your best bet is to either machine flush and then change the filter (expensive, uses a lot of fluid, but gets it 100% clean), or drain the pan and change the filter, run the car a little, and then drain the fluid again (uses less fluid, but gets it only 75% clean). 75% plus a new filter is probably good enough to get back smooth shifts, however.

ok my decision is i want 100% new oil... so i know it might be a stupid question but, would a dealer be able to perform the full flush? and i need about 10L of atf right?

[saintz]

100% sounds better than 75%, but bear in mind the way they get the extra 25% out is by spraying fluid in there, and can lead to particulate being dislodged. In other words, a lucky flush is better than a drain, but an unlucky flush is a new transmission. There's no such thing as an unlucky drain.

The total capacity is around 9.5 qts. A normal drain is 5 qts, so if you want to drain and refill twice you need 10 qts. A flush can take a lot more fluid because if you do it right you need to flush the whole system (9.5 qts), flush a little extra because the machine isn't perfect (1-3 qts), and then you need to drain and drop the pan to change the filter (5 qts). So, a proper flush should use 15 to 20 qts. Anything less and they're either not flushing it fully (defeats the purpose) or they aren't changing the filter after flushing (bad).

Your dealer probably has a flush machine, but you can always ask.

I will say that changing the tranny oil is only marginally harder than changing the engine oil. If you have the basic tools (ramps, hex wrench, torx bits) and basic mechanical sense, you can change it in 2 to 3 hours the first time. That will cost you $100, $150 possibly with new tools. Compare to probably $300 to $400 at the dealer. If I had to change it a second time, I think I could do it in 20 minutes. It's that easy, once you realize it. You just get intimidated the first time because it's a transmission... oooooooh [ghost noises in the background]. But seriously, not bad at all.

[llietuviss]

Originally Posted by saintz

100% sounds better than 75%, but bear in mind the way they get the extra 25% out is by spraying fluid in there, and can lead to particulate being dislodged. In other words, a lucky flush is better than a drain, but an unlucky flush is a new transmission. There's no such thing as an unlucky drain.

The total capacity is around 9.5 qts. A normal drain is 5 qts, so if you want to drain and refill twice you need 10 qts. A flush can take a lot more fluid because if you do it right you need to flush the whole system (9.5 qts), flush a little extra because the machine isn't perfect (1-3 qts), and then you need to drain and drop the pan to change the filter (5 qts). So, a proper flush should use 15 to 20 qts. Anything less and they're either not flushing it fully (defeats the purpose) or they aren't changing the filter after flushing (bad).

Your dealer probably has a flush machine, but you can always ask.

I will say that changing the tranny oil is only marginally harder than changing the engine oil. If you have the basic tools (ramps, hex wrench, torx bits) and basic mechanical sense, you can change it in 2 to 3 hours the first time. That will cost you $100, $150 possibly with new tools. Compare to probably $300 to $400 at the dealer. If I had to change it a second time, I think I could do it in 20 minutes. It's that easy, once you realize it. You just get intimidated the first time because it's a transmission... oooooooh [ghost noises in the background]. But seriously, not bad at all.

well i am a beginner mechanic for semi-trucks (2 years), so i can take stuff apart and put it back together no problem, but with semis u mostly use a torch and a sledge hammer , but that doesnt work wit cars, especialy i got this phobia for taking apart the germans.... i do have the tools (unless there is some specialty ones). Also im guessing u needs somekind of pump to get that new fluid in there right? and ofcourse the dipstick thats sold separately....

i have purchased already a tranny filter with the gaskets... now im just deciding on wat should i do... whether i should atempt this myself or just let someone who does this often do it.

So wat ur saying is that once i drop the pan ill get about ~5 Q out (50%), so 2 flushes (total 10Q new oil) should be good enough?