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View Full Version : In shop for 3 wks, some fixed, some not, going back in...



mis-u-jerr
02-27-2004, 02:41 PM
OK, got my car back from 3 weeks of warranty work.
99 C43, 42K miles. The main complaints that I had were down on power; whiney 2nd gear, clunky shifts, not shifting in time and hitting the rev limiter; and various noises coming from the rear end (amongst other smaller problems).

The main reason I am writing is to get your guys input about things that are still wrong, because I am taking it back in on Monday. The transmission still slams up against the rev limiter before shifting, but unfortunately, only intermittently. So this gives the guys free reign to beat on my car. Oh well, gotta get it fixed somehow. The tech said that he will order a new ecu for the transmission and see if it fixes that problem.

But now there is a new problem. When on the power, at higher rpm’s, say above 4K, there is a high pitched whine coming from the transmission. He is not really sure what that is coming from. He said that he replaced most of the parts in the trans, and the housing and shaft were about the only things left that are original. This is really why I am writing, anybody have any clues about this??

It used to have a clunky 3-2 shift, that seems to be better, but the 1-2 shift now seems clunky.

The rest of this will talk about what was done; maybe it can help someone out, or at least add to the knowledge database out there.

Transmission:
The bearings in the freewheel unit were literally falling out – replaced that.
Replaced the front pump and valve bodies while he was there. (Valve bodies have been linked to transmission failure on another mbworld thread). Also adjusted clutch packs. The 2nd gear whine still is the same. He drove another tech’s C43 and said it sounded about the same. (Luckily a tech there has one for comparison.)

Engine Down on power, not running right – Bad MAS, running too rich. Man, I knew it was down, but I couldn’t believe the diff it makes. ½ throttle now is about where full throttle was.

Whirring noise in engine - Someone else had a thread once that said his engine sounded like a weed-whacker. I don’t remember the outcome of that one, but mine had a whirring sound that just wasn’t right. Turned out that the cams were scored. He says he has seen this before. Due to aggressive programming? I don’t remember. But it sounds somewhat better now.

It seemed like the door drain plugs were…plugged. There was water pooling up in the door wells when it rained. He found that there were pine needles plugging the drains coming from the sunroof. Which is kinda weird because I (thought that) I always close mine.

When I would back up, there would be a “boink” noise under load, he replaced the sway bar links and it doesn’t do it now.

The rear seat would not fold down. There are 2 screws that are under the rear deck (inside) that were loose, tightened up.

Bad driver’s side seat switch, replaced.

The fake-ass faux CF B-pillars were fading, (have seen this a lot), replaced.

Replaced pass. side windshield washer, was leaking.

Oh yeah, he found 2 leaks that I hadn’t seen, in the rear diff and in the oil pan, replaced the seals.

OK, that is enough for now, I think… Sorry for the cross posts, but I wanted to reach as many people as possible with my questions.
Thanks for any input.

Andrew C280
02-27-2004, 04:09 PM
I had my tranny replaced a few months ago at really high rpms it makes a sound kinda like a turbo hum, i just figured its suposed to do that, let me know if there is a problem that need to be corrected

mis-u-jerr
02-28-2004, 07:38 PM
Yeah, it's kinda sounds like a supercharer whine, thought that maybe he installed a Kleemann w/o me knowing it :p
But seriously... it didn't make THAT noise before, and the tech sounds unsure as to what it could be. That is why I was coming here for opinions...


Originally posted by Andrew C280
I had my tranny replaced a few months ago at really high rpms it makes a sound kinda like a turbo hum, i just figured its suposed to do that, let me know if there is a problem that need to be corrected

Andrew C280
02-28-2004, 07:49 PM
maybe it needs to be broken in? or its the syncros in the tranny i think i better ask my mechanic he will know right away.

mis-u-jerr
02-29-2004, 11:17 AM
Hmm, my guy said that it didn't need to be broken in, but I drove easy for a couple hundred miles, just to make sure. I really don't know what it could be... :(

mis-u-jerr
03-04-2004, 10:15 PM
Originally posted by mis-u-jerr
I really don't know what it could be... :(
Apparently, neither did he...

I brought the car back in Monday. The service writer I had been dealing with was out sick this whole week. I knew it was a bad sign, when this other writer said "So....is this car Starmarked? It's out of warranty..." I contained my rage well enough to tell him the story.

So today, I go down to Park to pick up the car, they found nothing wrong... :mad:

Elliott, (the tech) bless his heart, stayed over and worked on my car after hours, because the service writer apparently said, it's out of warranty, we aren't going to do anything. Elliott said that he took the trans apart (again...) and didn't see any funny wear that would cause a noise. All I know is that it wasn't making that high pitched whining noise before, and now it is.

In re: the over-rev problem where it hits the limiter, he drove another tech's C43 and said that one did it too. Well, just cuz another one does it doesn't mean it's right... It looks like the tech certainly went out of his way to try to make things right, despite MB being the typical assholes that they are...

So that is where it stands today, out of warranty, and now I feel like I have to baby it so it won't bust. Or I could just say screw it and drive it normally, if it busts, it busts... Or do like I did with my 993, it's out of warranty, get rid of it quick! At least the 993 still had some value to it when I sold it... :(

Denlasoul
03-10-2004, 12:33 PM
Sorry for the late reply, but why were your cams replaced?

Thanks

mis-u-jerr
03-10-2004, 04:53 PM
Hi Den, no prob...
There was a sound that I thought was a belt whine, but the tech immediately pegged as cams, they apparently were scored up, and since he had seen this before, they gave him the OK to go ahead and replace them. Here is what I said above.


Originally posted by mis-u-jerr
Whirring noise in engine - Someone else had a thread once that said his engine sounded like a weed-whacker. I don’t remember the outcome of that one, but mine had a whirring sound that just wasn’t right. Turned out that the cams were scored. He says he has seen this before. Due to aggressive programming? I don’t remember. But it sounds somewhat better now.