W124 Gearbox woes

[Guest mr w124]

Hi guys. Been driving my '91 124 for a bt 6 months now n have realised something. everytime i go above 70kmh n release the accelerator, the rpm needle goes up n down between 20 n 10 on the tachometer. have talked to my mechanic n he told me that the prob could be woth the 'o ring' (whatever that means) n that i would have to do a gearbox overhaul. cost abt 1.3k. prob is that i only got abt slightly more than 3 years to go with this car n was wondering if the overhaul is really necessary. cos everything else abt the transmission seems ok. Almost...

dont know abt the other merc but the 124 has got this overdrive switch that works when u floor the gas pedal until u hear a click sound. mech told me its good to do that like once a moth to clear the valves. prob is whenever i do that, the car does not seem to click into gear properly. like the rpm will shoot up but wont really move fast. then sometimes its ok. n sometimes after i do this, the car starts off in 1st gear while in economy mode and with light acceleration. i know it should only start with 1st gear when i floor it and then only when in the standard mode.

Sorry abt this long post but would really appreciate your input. Thanks

[Guest Ody_2004]

Seek a second opinion

Go to Zen Motor at Kaki Bukit Rd 3 and look for Ah Hui.

[Guest benzw124]

Hi!

As what Ody has mentioned above, seek a second opinion from an experienced mechanic that specialises in transmissions. However, if your transmission is still working fine and shifts properly throughout the gears, then i don't think there is a need to overhaul the entire gearbox. Continue using the car for awhile and if other signs of a failing transmission starts to come out then overhaul it. Apart from the poor kickdown response that you have mentioned, other signs include slow shifting of the gears when you put the car from P to D or R. You would also hear clunking sounds when you do that and also when you are driving. Sudden jerks when shifting are also quite common on failing transmissions, although it could also be due to worn out transmission mounts. Anyway here is abit of info on the E and S modes that i found online. http://www.mercedesforum.com/upfiles/1/8CFAFCA520024EC684B2409213B90943.jpg

Gd luck!

[Guest mr w124]

Thanks for your input guys. I have heard of Zen Auto on this forum before but never been there yet. will go down n check next week. someone else had also told me it might be the transmission mounts. will have to check n see. anyway i do feel a light jerk when it shifts. n there is abt a one second delay when shifting out from p which i guess is normal? i hope. anyway, any idea how much new transmission mounts would cost? was thinking abt changing engine mounts too as there is a drop in rpm when i switch on ac.

[g8crasher]

I suffered a similar problem with my previous W124 some 2 years back. It turned out to be a simple vacuum plug *I cannot remember the proper name of the part* that was leaking pressure. After it was replaced, voila! back to normal.

[Guest mr w124]

Prob is that i also replaced some vaccuum hoses because the car went from 2nd to 4th gear previously. sigh, gearbox really giving me headache.

[Guest mr w124]

Well i have just overhauled the trans n now everything is good as new

[Guest Ody_2004]

Well i have just overhauled the trans n now everything is good as new

Where u done it and how much does it cost? How long it takes?

[g8crasher]

Well i have just overhauled the trans n now everything is good as new

congratulations! my radiator fan is whining like a dog now. *groan*

[Guest mr w124]

did it at r*chmotor for abt $2000. much better now.

[Guest mr w124]

n it took abt 2.5 days