Good day,

I drive class benz otherwise known as W03. Till now, I haven't gotten any issue with it. Recently, my gear oil sump hit a pothole and was leaking, this made me changed the gear oil. Based on recommendation, I changed to recommended MB Gear Oil (Star), each litre sold @ 5k or thereabout.

However, I recently notice that the gear will hardly select past gear 2 after a long driving. What I observe:

1) This only occur when I drive too long on a bad road or hold-up that required gear 1 only. So, upon hitting better road, the revs will be very high (more than 3000) and will hardly select gear 2 and won't exceed this. Pls note that, normally my gear selects @ max of 2500 rpm

2) The gear select perfectly well (all gears) in the morning till now, when the gear oil is cold.

3) If am driving on highway, let's say from Ibadan to Akure, the gear will still select well since gear 1 is less used.

4) The same star oil being used presently was the one I used before the gear oil sump hit the stone and started leaking

What can I do my people?

Could be the oil you bought is either fake and boils(froth) when its hot, the oil might also be overfilled

Give us better details about your vehicle. What ever star oil you bought for your transmission is pure fake. Go check what genuine MB star oil sells for. To start with run a scan on your transmission and see what fault code(s) is been pulled out. The result would be used in providing a solution

When I experienced this on my w203, I changed valve body oo, before it became normal, be like say dirt don enter where e no suppose enter. And you being stucked on gear 2, the car is in limp mode.

Mine was when driving softly, it will be selecting gear, but when I want to overtake or stay long in traffic, it will just go into limp mode.
If you see toks valve body, just replace it

justiniyke29:
Could be the oil you bought is either fake and boils(froth) when its hot, the oil might also be overfilled

Perfectly said.

christianababy:
Good day,

I drive class benz otherwise known as W03. Till now, I haven't gotten any issue with it. Recently, my gear oil sump hit a pothole and was leaking, this made me changed the gear oil. Based on recommendation, I changed to recommended MB Gear Oil (Star), each litre sold @ 5k or thereabout.

However, I recently notice that the gear will hardly select past gear 2 after a long driving. What I observe:

1) This only occur when I drive too long on a bad road or hold-up that required gear 1 only. So, upon hitting better road, the revs will be very high (more than 3000) and will hardly select gear 2 and won't exceed this. Pls note that, normally my gear selects @ max of 2500 rpm

2) The gear select perfectly well (all gears) in the morning till now, when the gear oil is cold.

3) If am driving on highway, let's say from Ibadan to Akure, the gear will still select well since gear 1 is less used.

4) The same star oil being used presently was the one I used before the gear oil sump hit the stone and started leaking

What can I do my people?

If you're in Lagos contact roadside assistant by going to www.requestmechanic.com click the red circle "click on Request Now" button to get immediate assistance . Also enter your email to join the waitlist bar by clicking on join the the Wait list.


It's definitely concerning that your Mercedes W03 is having difficulty selecting gears, especially after switching to a recommended MB Gear Oil. While this oil might be compatible, the issue could be unrelated to the brand and more about other factors.

Based on your observations, here are some potential causes:

Clutch issues:

Worn clutch: Long drives in low gears, especially on rough roads, can put increased strain on the clutch. Over time, this can lead to wear and tear, making it difficult to engage higher gears, especially when the clutch is hot.
Clutch hydraulic system: There could be an issue with the clutch hydraulic system, such as air in the lines, a faulty master cylinder, or a leaking slave cylinder. This can interfere with the proper disengagement of the clutch, making it difficult to shift gears.
Transmission issues:

Synchronizers: Synchronizers are components that help match the speeds of the engine and transmission shafts before gear engagement. Worn or damaged synchronizers can make it difficult to shift gears smoothly, especially when the transmission is hot.
Internal transmission problems: Internal issues like worn gears, faulty bearings, or low transmission fluid can also lead to shifting difficulties.
Other possibilities:

Shift linkage: Malfunctions in the shift linkage, which connects the gear selector to the transmission, can cause inaccurate or difficult gear changes.
Engine mounts: Worn or damaged engine mounts can allow excessive engine movement, affecting the gearshift and making it difficult to select gears.

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