Transmission problem and car sometime wont start

[Chris_c200]

Hey, Im having problems with my 1998 C240. Yesterday, the car would not shift out of first gear. This problem was resolved by turning the car off and then back on.
Is this a normal rare occurance for us 202 drivers? or am I looking at a bigger issue?
Also, and I dont kow if this is related to the transmission problem but some times the car wont start. It will sound like its going to but only cranks for two clicks.
If I hold the key in the start position, it will crank twice then pause for about 4 seconds, then crank twice and so on. What the hell??
And one last but nevertheless annoying issue im having is a shaky idle. the revs fluctuate very slightly and I get what feels like pulses of vibration running through the cabin.

Please guys any help would be most appreciated. If not im going to just have to bite the bullet and take it to the stealership.

[JRE320]

Best thing to do is take it to the stealership.

[svt ricco]

do you hear grinding noise? if you're hearing that, be ready to spend some big bucks!!! how many miles do you have?

hi jun!!!:)

[xvvvz]

>>If not im going to just have to bite the bullet and take it to the stealership.<<

Nooooo. Best thing to do is start researching now to find a good independent Mercedes mechanic that has decent diagnostic tools and prices!

[Chris_c200]

Ive done 85,000kms so 51,000 miles. There no grinding noise other than my guard rub thank god. Im stumped as to whats wrong with it aye.

[ryhi]

i duno if this will help, but when i took my car in for a new tranny, they test drove it and it kept stalling. i dont know what they did to fix the problem.. but i came the next day and it was fine.

[svt ricco]

rhyi-did you bring it to the stealership?

[Chris_c200]

I took it to an independant merc mech, and all he did was lube up the starter motor. :) So that fixed my starting problem,

AS for the shaky idle, that was due to misfiring of 3 injectors. And also, I needed a new water pump, You can tell if you need a new water pump because the engine fan 'wobbles' when in motion

[svt ricco]

how much did it cost you to fix this? you're lucky it wasn't the tranny :)

[Chris_c200]

It was something like $40NZ so about $30US to lube the starter motor, the three injecters and waterpump came to a total of $1150NZ (about $820US) . Yea i know ive gotten off reasonably lightly with my 202's im on my third one now - started with a c200, then a c240, now ive got a c280. how is your c43 tranny?

[svt ricco]

so far so good!! ;)