Suggestion: have a forum for discussing technical problems

**JRE320** · 05-14-2003, 08:56 AM

Originally posted by kameraguy
Three things:

1) Joey...HAHAHAHAHA...NOT FUNNY!!!!!!

3) Jun, Hi! Sorry yet again. I have not been able to see you and finally pick up the trunk lid as almost all my free time has been devoted to getting my car sorted out. Been to Burlingame a record of five times within a seven day period!!

1.) He's a bad boy.... trying to put your car in monster garage...

2.) No problem. As I said just le me know when your ready.

Any update on your car yet?

**kameraguy** · 05-14-2003, 10:36 AM

Thanks for being patient Jun

Well, no update on my car yet. It is still at the shop. Although I don't look forward to the final cost, I DO miss my car!!!

However, it's been a less painfull experience because Zim let me borrow his 300E for the time being. Man, after spending a couple of weeks behind a w124, I have grown an appreciation for the chassis. Solid!

Well, hopefully by the end of the week i'll have it back. Should have been today, but no word yet from Topline......

**Denlasoul** · 05-21-2003, 12:35 PM

Kam:

Any word yet?

**kameraguy** · 05-21-2003, 12:39 PM

Thanks for following upwith me DLS. Actually i called my mechanic yesterday and he said my warranty company delayed approval of the repairs. So technically they finally got to look at the problem yesterday.

What they found is something I cannot remmeber exactly, but it had to do with the automatic clutch or flywheel?! Something along the lines of a doo-hickey responsible for the release and engagement of gears. It sounded logical, and apparently mine was bad....although at this time I do not know if it is due to "normal" wear and tear or just bad luck.

I hope to have more info, if not my car back, by Friday

So I'll definitely clarify this with exact detail when available.

**Denlasoul** · 05-21-2003, 12:59 PM

Kam:

Sounds cool. Hopefully you will get your car back soon without major reconstruction.

Hang in there.

**kameraguy** · 05-23-2003, 04:06 PM

Ok guys, so it looks like my car is ready. i will be picking it up tonight and hopefully the 60 mile trip home will be uneventful....meaning smooth sailing and no tranny issues whatsoever! (corss my fingers and knock on wood).

Will update ya'll when I get home

**714guy** · 05-23-2003, 04:12 PM

good luck

**J Irwan** · 05-23-2003, 04:15 PM

good luck
and tell us the story afterward..

Regardz,

J Irwan

**kameraguy** · 05-23-2003, 10:52 PM

Well, got my car back and all i can say is DAMN!!! And I mean this in two ways:

1) DAMN!!! I'm $2400 poorer!!! Well, temporarily as I wait to be re-imbursed by my extended warranty company.

2) DAMN!!! My car feels SO much better...meaning it feels even better than even when I first got it!!

I will have to read my invoice very carefully, but in the meantime the culprit was due to a damaged K03 package in the tranny. Either you already know what this or you don't. I fall into the latter category. But basically this was a bunch of gears that were f'ed up and needed dire replacement. Took 20 hrs to fix!!!

I'll have to clarify more, but i'm so tired at the moment and i'm still at work!!! But once I get some shut-eye, i'll be more able to relay the details of the problem gears.

But in general, the car is definitely fixed. And as I stated, my car feels freaking great. I was actually suprised at the increase of power to the ground. Before i could barely chirp my tires at a stand-still...but now it doesn't seem to be a problem.

Tranny feels much smoother too. Maybe this is just me missing my car, but I do feel a positive difference overall.

Mid-gear acceleration is much snappier too.

So I suspect my car was already having issues prior to my purchase.

As far as if this was due to mileage, or pre-mature defect, I do not know.

But so far, so GOOD!

I'll have to drive it more this weekend. I actually cannot wait. It's like I have a whole new car.

It certainly feels that way coming from the 300E i've been borrowing.

When I first drove away in my car, I practically spun out by accident because the 300E's throttle was so stiff and non-responsive compared to the C36....I think everyone at the shop was like 'ahhh, so that's why his car was messed up...he drives it like a maniac!!" LOL!!

Well, thanks for your support guys. I will post more details as i get the chance this weekend

**pnsji** · 05-23-2003, 11:20 PM

It's nice that your car is running nicely now.
Can you share the details on which parts are fixed and the labor?

**JRE320** · 05-24-2003, 12:21 AM

Good to hear that you got your car back. Yeah man tell us later what they fixed and what shop did it.

**kameraguy** · 05-27-2003, 04:08 PM

Ok guys. Sorry for the delay. I have been driving my car extensively this weekend and so far so good.

To clarify the repair job, my invoice states the item foud to be at fault was a K3 clutch. The actual part(s) was less than $80. But it took a LOT of labour to fix. This, on top of the fluid change, and other related wear-and-tear parts such as gaskets amounted to less than $400 in parts. But my labour was $1900!

I will feel 100% relieved once I get re-imbursed from my warranty company. But in the meantime I am like 99% happy. My car is definitely running great (knock on wood). As I stated before, i think it has never run this good. So maybe this was already on it's way out when i purchased the car.

When I first bought the car, it ran fine, so I do not think this was a problem per se. Maybe it's just cummulative wear and tear after all the miles. Back then the car shifted fine.

Now that my k3 clutch has went out, and been replaced, my car feels snappier and more responsive.

As a related note, my car also required the shifter bushing as well as the flex discs to be replaced, as they were worn out.

All together, I can definitely feel the diff. The shifter is nice and tight (no play when shifting gears), and the engagement is solid. The shifting performance has drmatically improved, and it seems some of the vibration I thought was normal, is now gone.

So, I lucked out I had an extended warranty which covered this repair. And i'm glad I got it repaired.

btw- i got my repair done at Topline automotive in Burlingame. It's a 60+ mile drive ONE WAY for me, but so far i've been pleased with their work. Zim has been great working with me, and has some nice loaners if needed.

**Denlasoul** · 05-27-2003, 09:37 PM

Awesome Kam! Glad to hear things went well, even better when you get reimbursed.

Can a shop just take a look at someone's car and come up with that diagnosis, or are there only symptoms and they gotta rip it apart to find out? This thread go me all paranoid

DLS

**kameraguy** · 05-28-2003, 08:42 AM

Thanks DLS!

To be honest, the only reliable data came from taking the tranny apart. For my specific problem, it wasn't severe enough to reveal it's exact nature. So prior to tearing apart my tranny, we had to do the "shot-gun" troubleshooting approach. First we replaced the shifter bearing, then the flex discs. When those repairs did not fix the issue, we then suspected the wiring harness....but once again, it was a guess. It didn't help that the tranny did not generate any fault codes relevant to the issue...but unfortunately I don't think it would anyways for this type of problem.

So after a week of unsuccessful repairs, I just cringed and gave them my CC to do whatever to fix the issue. So after tearing apart the tranny, my mechanic was able to finally find out the exact cause.

So unfortunately it may require such efforts if you are having similar problems.

Are you having the same symptoms?

**Brabus** · 05-28-2003, 10:04 AM

I saw the car in the flesh yesterday!! Besides some missing cables, it looks like it runs great!!

heheh

**kameraguy** · 05-28-2003, 12:10 PM

LOL!!! yeah yeah yeah, so i was/still am missing a cable....how important can it be??? My car is still working great...so my ignorance is probably the best thing i've got going with that issue.

Shoot, i wonder what the heck is supposed to connect to the second (rear) connection to the c36 cross-over pipe?? Anyone know?

A second Air sensor? mine is like SO missing!

It was like that since getting it from the body shop, so i know it wasn't related to this repair.

**714guy** · 05-28-2003, 05:58 PM

Kameraguy

Glad to hear that you car is running better than b4, any better you didn't have to pay for it.

**Denlasoul** · 05-28-2003, 10:23 PM

Kam:

No problems yet. Just the funny shifting first thing in the morning. I just want to be able to identify a problem liek this before its too late.

**kameraguy** · 05-29-2003, 09:45 AM

Thanks 714!

DLS, i'll see if I still have the slow shifting in the mornings after the repair. Maybe it's not there....unfortunately I haven't paid attention yet, but i'll let you know tommorow.

For me, i know my car tends to hold on to first gear longer for a few minutes after the first start in the morning. Is this the same thing you experience?

**pnsji** · 05-29-2003, 10:52 AM

Originally posted by kameraguy
For me, i know my car tends to hold on to first gear longer for a few minutes after the first start in the morning. Is this the same thing you experience?

This is normal. Please read your owner's manual.
It is explained over there.

**nokia8860** · 05-29-2003, 11:02 AM

Originally posted by pnsji
This is normal. Please read your owner's manual.
It is explained over there.

exactly.

**JRE320** · 05-29-2003, 12:48 PM

Damn!!!! $1900 for labor alone...... How many days it took for Topline to finish your car? Did Zim give you a discount? Now I'm getting scared to bring my car to Topline..

:Paranoid:

**kameraguy** · 05-29-2003, 01:25 PM

No discount AFAIK. Funny thing is after benzsport went down, no more 10% benzsport discounts

As far as the owners manual, anyone care to state a particluar page #? I don;t recall seeing this.

**JRE320** · 05-29-2003, 02:41 PM

When you pay your bill is Zim around to look at the invoice?
I don't seem to get it... maybe he's thinking about your warranty and not all of it being out of your own pocket....

**Denlasoul** · 05-29-2003, 07:59 PM

Originally posted by nokia8860
exactly.

I remember something along the line of the car is waiting until its at optimal running temps. It's just weird to feel it when you are still sleepy in the morning. Just doesnt feel right.

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