Erratic transmission

gs850gx

Active member
When was your last service? If it's been a while, maybe drop the pan and see how it looks. Look for oil around the electrical connection and up by the TCM under the drivers seat. The contact plate above the valve body seems a frequent source of problems. When mine did that there were bearings in the pan. Replacement transmission fixed it.
Dan
 

sailquik

Well-known member
bena,
First, you need to go to a an authorized Mercedes Benz dealer and purchase the
correct transmission dipstick and a few of the plastic locking pins for the cap
on the transmission dipstick tube.
Then get your Sprinter up to full operating temperature, and measure the level of
the transmission fluid.
Then add fluid until the level is near the full mark.
If you have no transmission service information, it might be smart just to take your
Sprinter in and have the full transmission service performed.
Roger
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
(an image is hard to edit to toss away the extra fluff)

Your first paragraph *screams* to me that the tranny is in a transmission-related "limp home mode" (LHM) ... that was triggered just *before* the stop that exhibited the "won't downshift" mode.
One of LHM's characteristics is that the transmission *stops shifting gears* and remains in the gear it had when the issue occured. After that, you're limited to P,R,N and 2nd gear (if you shift out of Drive). So the next time it happens, try shifting into neutral, then back into "D".... and see if it's now in 2nd gear.

Why you're not getting codes or the "check engine" light is a puzzle (although choice of scanner may play a part).

--dick
 

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