car shifting out of gear

**mykg4orce** · 07-16-2009, 11:16 AM

would the smoke test be a dealer specialty or any benz shop could do it?

**Cru328prod** · 07-16-2009, 11:59 AM

Anyone who can smoke test it. I really recommend you run whatever bg products they have...44k is some great shit...

**mykg4orce** · 07-19-2009, 08:34 AM

My first todo was to check the TCU. I took off the carpet and the back plate (to which the TCU is attached). The entire area was shining no trace of oil.

So I continued to remove the plate, when I touched the harness my fingers slipped. It was covered evenly with reddish oil!!! My finger tips were covered with it.

Where is this oil coming from?

I traced the harness back to the side compartment where all the harnesses are kept; I saw no trace of oil. The oil covered about 12 inches of the wire harness and then stops. There the foam was also covered with a little bit of oil.

What do I use to clean this?

**xvvvz** · 07-19-2009, 03:22 PM

The fluid wicks internally within the harness and probably into your computer, so that is why you don't see it from the outside.

I have put up some posts about cleaning and changing the connector, so you might search.

I would use cans of CRC electrical contact cleaner (or any decent brand but I was able to pick it up at the auto parts store) to flush out the harness, opening up or pulling back the sheathing if possible. I would also disconnect and open up the TCU, then carefully/gently spray it down if you see fluid has entered into it.

**mykg4orce** · 07-19-2009, 04:38 PM

I am back...finally... Unfortunately the results of the initial cleaning did not turn out well. I took the cover off the TCU and checked the contacts with a que tip. They were dry. I sprayed some cleaner anyways on them.

I repeatedly sprayed the harnesses letting it dry in between.
Spent 6 hours doing this...

Took it for a drive afterwards and thought it was better, but upon higher acceleration 3rd to 4th started acting up again. Came back and re-sprayed the harness, I will put it back together in the morning.

What I noticed was that the thick padding (carpet) which is a huge piece was literally soaking with oil (reddish). I took some paper towel to dap it and it turned completely red. This piece is the rectangular one stick out probably 2 inches. And it would be touching the other foam underneath the kick panel (where the TCU was mounted).

Itâ€™s hard for me to believe that such a large quantity of oil managed to wick up from whereâ€¦.? I still donâ€™t understandâ€¦

I took off most of the carpet (passengerâ€™s side) and saw NO trace of oil. It was completely try. I opened all the wire harness compartments and could not trace back any oil.

**Cru328prod** · 07-19-2009, 05:58 PM

Hey try disconnecting your battery for like several hours

**mykg4orce** · 07-19-2009, 06:34 PM

will found out in the morning. The battery is disconnected.

**xvvvz** · 07-19-2009, 07:07 PM

A few hours is BS. A few minutes, and maybe just a few seconds, is going to do just as much.

We really don't have that good idea of what you have done, so I will mention the following just in case:

So did you disconnect the harness at both ends and clean/flush from both ends? If you didn't, I doubt you did much good and I am worried that you shot cleaner down to the connector in the direction of the transmission connector which we already know is not fully sealed to the transmission.

Did you open up the TCU enough to expose the circuit boards? The problem comes when there is enough of an oil coating across the board(s) that it diverts the signals to the wrong place and thus the odd shifting problems. If you just cleaned off the connector terminals, that may not have been enough.

**mykg4orce** · 07-20-2009, 05:31 AM

So did you disconnect the harness at both ends and clean/flush from both ends?

So one end of the harness is connected to the TCU. When I trace those wires back to the side compartment they split off into several other harnesses. How do I trace the other end of the connector? Where is it?

I am worried that you shot cleaner down to the connector in the direction of the transmission connector which we already know is not fully sealed to the transmission.

Dont understand how the cleaner was shot in the direction of the transmission. I merely sprayed the harness 12 inches back from the TCU. This was as far as I could trace the oil residue and was also as far as I could trace the harness as a whole. Before it split up.

Did you open up the TCU enough to expose the circuit boards?

As I mentioned, I did open the TCU and checked it throughly. There was no trace of oil anywhere except the pin conenctors that are exposed outside the plastic housing. I cleaned the connectors from the inside of the plastic housing as well.

**mykg4orce** · 07-20-2009, 07:59 AM

Originally posted by Cru328prod
Hey try disconnecting your battery for like several hours

btw no change this morning, after leaving the harness to dry and battery disconnected for about 12 hours.

**xvvvz** · 07-20-2009, 08:21 AM

I am not sure we are on the same page with things, and since it makes no sense for me to retype the same stuff over, here are a bunch of links with a better discussion of the problem I was describing.

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/...d.php?t=234219

http://mbclub.co.uk/forums/engine/12...g-problem.html

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r170...ml#post2287316

http://mbca.cartama.net/showthread.php?t=11488

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w202...-problems.html

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w202...-question.html

http://web.mac.com/motorwerks/German...Leaking.html#1

**mykg4orce** · 07-20-2009, 09:18 AM

thank you for gathering those links...

I do recall reading a few of those over the weekend. The first link with picture shows the TCu located under the hood. Mine is located under the passenger's side foot well.

**xvvvz** · 07-20-2009, 09:26 AM

>> The first link with picture shows the TCu located under the hood.<<

Correct. It is an E Class if I remember right.

>> Mine is located under the passenger's side foot well. <<

Yep, that is it.

**mykg4orce** · 07-25-2009, 04:53 PM

Update:

today I set out to clean the MAF. I had to buy the Security Torx set for this. Was surprised to see oil on the sensor....well maybe not.

Below some pictures...

I also cleaned the air intake housing.

The difference was noticeable. Accelerate was much smoother. Unfortunately this cleaning did not solve the trans problem.

After all of this, I do want to know how to properly adjust the throttle cable linkage. I did adjust it, when it was very loose 3rd to 4th felt a little smoother. When I tightened it shifting 3rd to 4th was harder.

**Cru328prod** · 07-25-2009, 05:06 PM

LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

YOU NEED TO PULL YOUR INTERCOOLER OFF...AND WASH ALL THE SHIT OFF!!! i had to redo the whole intake side...i bought a gallon size of purple stuff and had at it....its that 1 little stupied hose that goes into the air box that causes that!

buy a new MAF!

**mykg4orce** · 07-25-2009, 05:37 PM

Okay...okay

This explains why there was oil on the air filter. Why did the oil dump out here?

Can you describe in a little bit more detail what you did?

Also you think this causes the shifting problem?

**Cru328prod** · 07-25-2009, 06:06 PM

who knows really...but it looks like you need a new MAF. Everyone here will tell you the stupied stories about my 23k...and how much abuse it took....one time i sprayed nos, froze up my MAF...car wouldn't start..keep stalling, shift weird, etc

DO NOTTTTTTTTTTTT BUY EBAY CHEAPOS
they will throw a code!
OEM....... buymbparts.com talk to rusty he'll hook you up.

well if you have a wet vac, disconnet both ends of the intercooler...and pour the purple stuff with some water...and then suck out the water. take off all the piping and clean them...purple stuff is pretty good....dawn will work also..... its really not hard to do...

you don't even need that once piece in your air box...mines is off, well its because of my CAI

**xvvvz** · 07-25-2009, 06:14 PM

You need to check the system for recirculating the crankcase fumes/vapor. Maybe one of the check valves or the oil separator is malfunctioning. It could be another cause but I would start there first.

**mykg4orce** · 07-25-2009, 06:23 PM

thanks guys.

I feel like im getting closer...

**Cru328prod** · 07-25-2009, 06:57 PM

yeah i'd order new a "pcv" and hoses (they dry rot) also along with a new MAF...you have to take off the fuel rails, intake manifold, fuel injectors, etc etc to get to it... honestly it'll take half a days worth of work...but theres alot to gain from it. Buy alot of carb cleaner spray...you're gonna need it lol.

**mykg4orce** · 09-02-2009, 07:49 AM

UPDATE:

I had the trans oil, filter and gasket replaced yesterday. The shop also flashed the trans computer. The car drove better instantly. Shifting form 3rd to 4th was like before. I think the ECU needs to re-adapt to driving behavior again before it becomes optimal again.

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