Ok, Here we go. My friend, you bought another transmission for no reason.

This is more than likely your problem. Before the mechanically inclined jumped down my throat, this is a Mercedes Benz 722.6 transmission we are talking about here. They don't just burn up, with regular services (fluid and filter) they have been know to exceed 200k miles easily.

The pilot bushing (where the harness plugs into the transmission) is a known failure point of these transmissions. When (not if) they go bad, they tend to leak fluid into the harness, all the way up to the control unit. As we all know, fluid and electricity doesn't play very well together.

Check this first.

 

"All in all, to repair the broken ECU line would have only cost less than an hour of labor. It all boils down to having the most experienced technician that has the knowledge and experience to correctly zero into the exact problem, provide proper solutions, and not go the easy "replace the whole thing" route."

Hmmm, unfortunately the "stealership" model is to replace parts at book value and "book time". This is how they make money - not by selling cars, and certainly not by doing "us" any favors (i.e. finding simple, economical solutions)... It's just the way it is. The only "solution" on our end is to do as much work as possible on our own, and when absolutely necessary finding a good/honest/competent mechanic.

 

Would this still explain the clutch material in the trans fluid? Or is that not necessarily a sign of a failed transmission? I genuinely have no clue

 

All depends on how much. Its is normal for there to be some clutch material. but if there is huge chunks, then yea, it's shot.

Did the shop send you a picture of the material in the original transmission?

 

The dealership is who mentioned the clutch material. They never said they're were hunks or anything.

The car should be leaving for the new shop around 12:30 to 1. The new indie is going to let me know if they old trans was actually opened up at all.

If he says it wasn't and I find out this other guy lied to me I'm definitely going to be paying him a visit with my lawyer.

 

Another thing that pissed me off... Is there any remote reason this guy needed to out my top down for the entirety that the car spent at the shop? I'm pretty sure the transmission isn't located inside the cabin.

The entire inside of the car was coated in a thick layer of pollen when I attempted to pick up the car on Sunday. I didn't even bother asking since I knew he'd make up some sort of "reason"

 

Has the name of the current transmission shop been made public? I'm sure he would like a few hundred phone calls this afternoon.

 

How do you know that the next shop is any better than the last two? Why are you relying on them to tell you if the transmission was opened up or now? Why don;t you have a look yourself ans see if the bolts look disturbed? Shops like to point fingers at each other if nothing more than to attract customers. You need to be 100% sure what happened so you need to check it yourself or else this will become a he said she said. If you go to court, you will hire the other shop as an expert witness? You will have to if you only rely on them.

 

Oh my goodness, that's unbelievable! I just recently took my C2 Cab to a body shop to repair and repaint a small dent in the rear corner. I specifically asked the owner/manager if there was any reason the top would be put down. I told him that I did not ever want it down inside a paint shop... period. He said he was personally make sure that it wasn't.

I wouldn't be surprise if he cut reverse donuts in the parking lot. I'll let you know if it shows up on YouTube. hehehe... sorry, don't mean to joke around. I know this has been a painful experience for you.

Cheers buddy... we're rooting for you!

 

I agree. Should be in Inverted torx bolt holding the pan on. E10 is the size. If im not mistaken the trans is already out of the car, so it should be easy to see. 6 bolt in total.

 

 

I live an hour away from either shop and work even further away. I'm a pharmacist and have a very busy schedule so I can't just take a quick ride over to the shop to do this stuff.

The new shop only works on higher end cars and exotics. They are certified Porsche mechanics. This other guy is just some indie who led me to believe this was be an easy breezy rebuild initially.

 

The second I know my car is at the new shop, I'll let you know haha

 

Glad to see you are getting the car to a different shop and I hope it all works out well for you. Most repairs do not go south like this and I'm sure once you are on the road it will all just become a bad memory. Nothing drives like a Porsche.

Take what Cuda said to heart. You may be lucky and your new shop may be great and inexpensive but still check with PCAers in the area. The difference in cost between two shops can be very significant. I have two shops within 5 miles of each other. One charges $50/hour less than the other. They are both equally good at repairs. The one that charges more also apparently sees into the future as several times they noted repairs my car needed that when I looked the car over on the lift of the other shop, were not needed (e.g. cracked CV boots that were just fine, and several more).

There are lots of us that don't have the time to run over to check personally or the even skills to self-diagnose their issues but that is why the right shop is so imperative. Local PCAers have lots of experience and compare notes. Nothing beats experience.

 

Hmm, the new guy shows promise.