Hey CT,
I have a 2017 e300 mercedes thats had transmission issues since i purchased it a year ago. It shifts incredibly hard, especially from 2-3 or 4-3 and tends to get stuck in 2nd and 9th gear. On a few occasions its made a metal on metal grinding sound when shifting from reverse to drive. The dash will light up with ‘transmission malfunction’ and it throws obd codes related to this (p061b). Its also had an SRS malfunction on a few occasions. Unsure if this is related.
Its been at the dealer 5 times for these issues and on the last visit the dealer determined my transmission was overfilled by a quart from the factory. They drained the extra fluid from the transmission, however the transmission problems now seem to be worse. Last week this nearly caused an accident when the car got stuck in 9th and I was unable to accelerate to merge for a lane closure. The car lurches and makes very loud slamming sounds before eventually finding an appropriate gear. I had to pull off onto the shoulder to avoid being hit by a tractor trailer. This is happening so frequently now that my girlfriend won’t even ride in the car with me–its turned into a total deathtrap.
Is it possible that this transmission really was overfilled from the factory? This seems like a very implausible scenario to me. Could driving 20k miles with an overfilled tranny cause this significant of damage to the transmission? Or was the dealer incorrect and my tranny is now under-filled by a quart?
Since the car is under warranty, it is M-B’s problem and not yours. If the trans shifting problems continue, M-B is on the hook to fix it as well as any “premature” failure down the road. You have this on record as well as 5 visits to the dealer to fix the same problem. I don’t know where you live, but in some US states, 5 trips to unsuccessfully fix a problem means the car is technically a “lemon” and M-B may have to buy it back.
Yeah, its a colorado car and I think merc is likely on the hook to buy it back now. The car has been at the dealer for 2 of the 12 months i’ve owned it.
A buyback is a slow process and might leave me without a car for a few months.
More out of intellectual curiosity I’m wondering if its really possible the car was overfilled from the factory. Seems like such an unlikely outcome.
I agree that internal damage from overfilling is unlikely, but may still be possible. I can’t say if the dealer is making excuses for the transmission problems by fabricating a story or not.
My response to them would be, well, then, after 20,000 miles of being over filled, the transmission MUST be damaged so I think you should install a new one right now.
You should WRITE a specific demand and send it, certified mail with receipts requested, to the dealer, Mercedes Corporate and to the State agency that regulates motor vehicle dealers and repairers. Make sure you list all those addressees at the end of the letter you write, so everyone knows you sent a copy to the 3 places. When you fill out the card forms at the Post Office be sure you put a note in the corner of the receipts you keep and a similar note on the card that will come back to you like “claim letter of 2-20-2018”, so you can prove what they got and when you sent it and they got it. Attach the receipts to your copy of the letter.
You should demand a replacement car, and you should emphasize the safety issues. You should demand an equivalent loaner car, at no cost, while they process the transaction. You do not want a lender Toyota Yaris, you want a car just like your own.
You should give them a deadline for a reply, and you should insist they reply in writing.
If you let them quibble and make excuses, they will. Don’t be nasty, be clear.
Checking the transmission fluid on this vehicle is a little bit involved
You have to check it a very specific temperature, and a dipstick is NOT involved
you have to rack the vehicle and remove a plug with the engine idling, and then “gauge” whether it’s correct, over- or under-filled, based on the thickness of the fluid draining out. This is common for many vehicles nowadays
I’m kind of leaning towards the guy checking it didn’t adhere to the procedure 100%. If you make a mistake here, you’ll be wrong about the actual fill level
That said, 1 quart over-filled will not do any damage, in my opinion
I’ve seen plenty of transmissions overfilled by WAY more than 1 quart, and with no ill effects. And these other transmissions I’m thinking of, the manufacturer also claimed overfilling would cause an apocalypse. Didn’t happen
Without even being there, it sounds as if your transmission may be going into “limp home” mode. When that happens, it usually has sky high pressures . . . to protect the transmission from mechanical damage . . . and the result is that it will literally slam into gear, and it also won’t shift into all gears.
I agree with the others . . . your car sounds like the perfect candidate as a lemon buyback
