92 500E , weird tranny problem

[adam500e]

i need some input on what is going on with my baby.!
this is the 3rd 500E ive had , along with a bunch of other benzes , but this problem has me stumped .
after driving the car , i parked it at home , it showed no signs of anything before i parked it , ... well when i came back to it to go out , my car had no gears ... reverse and all the forward gears didnt do a thing!! non were there any weird noises ., it starts runs great , but wont engage into any gears ! , i checked fuse #7 , and it was fine , i changed it just in case ...
i have no idea where to look now ... the tranny fuild doesnt smell burnt and is super clean . any ideas guys??
adam

 

[Allgonquin]

One suggestion - start with an easy thing - perhaps your shift lever has become disconnected from the linkage. Of course it may not be easy to get under your car if you can't move it, but that's what I'd check. Does the shift lever feel normal, i.e. like it's attached to the trans shift rods?

Rgds,
Chris

 

[gsxr]

Check fluid level, make sure it's not abnormally low. If the problem doesn't fix itself, a long shot would be pulling the pan to check/replace the filter and trying again. You can also disconnect one ATF cooling hose and have someone start the engine for a few seconds, to see if fluid flows out - if not, the primary pump failed. If the pump is ok, and you have no gears, and fluid level is ok, it's probably time to start shopping for a rebuilt tranny. The failure mode you describe is unusual but does happen - my sister's W124 did this a couple years ago, with no warning, it just refused to go into any gears.

Where are you located, btw? Hint: Add this to the "Location" field in your profile.

 

[adam500e]

the shifter fdeels normal , and the fluid level is good , but when i started it today and let it run for a bit , i did notice that when i checked the fluid , it seemed cold , like its no curculating.
the primary pump?...is that mean a rebuild ?
or can i just change the pump?
doesnt the torque converter circulate the fluid?

im in toronto canada ,

 

[gsxr]

The primary pump is located behind the torque converter, it is driven by the torque converter. If the pump failed, you could replace it, but the transmission still has to come out of the car. Here's what the pump looks like:

 

[adam500e]

how would a pump like that fail ??? it looks pretty mechanical . would it grenade and put metal into the fluid?.. ..could it be anything in the valve body?

 

[gsxr]

It's not a common failure, but as I said, you can disconnect an ATF hose and see if fluid pumps out (not dribbles out - should be a significant change in flow when the engine is started).

Could be something in the valvebody, just depends how much time you want to put into experimenting. With no movement in any gear, it's not likely to be a simple fix.

 

[adam500e]

thanks , ill keep you posted on the results
adam

 

[500ESpain]

My primary pump also failed and produced a lot of wear on the torque converter shaft.

 

[jhodg5ck]

i've seen a few pumps fail..actually have one of the stripped out gears sitting on my wall of shame..

It does happen...

jono