Mercedes GLK Transmission Issue

I'm experiencing a strange issue with my 2013 Mercedes GLK with a gasoline engine. It has about 50829 km on it. The check engine light and transmission indicator light are both illuminated. I've noticed some gearbox slipping and unclean shifts, along with grinding noises when it shifts. I scanned for codes, and it seems related to the automatic transmission. I'm suspecting a defective torque converter lock-up clutch. Has anyone dealt with this before? What could be the cause and how worried I should be?

4 comment(s)

Whoa, sounds rough! I had similar symptoms on my old Volvo, though it wasn't exactly the same. Engine surge and weird shifting? Turns out the automatic gearbox torque converter was shot. How does the car perform? Does it feel underpowered? It might be the automatic transmission clutch problem.

Underpowered, not really, but there's definitely an engine surge or RPM flare between gear changes sometimes. When the automatic transmission shifts you can hear some bad noises, is that along the lines of what you had? What did the repair cost for your Volvo?

Yeah, that sounds unfortunately familiar. The noise is a bad sign; mine got progressively worse. I think the safest bet for you is to have a workshop take a look to confirm the torque converter. I really suggest you to bring the car to the mechanic as soon as possible.

Thanks! I appreciate the insight. I took it to a mechanic, and they confirmed it's a defective torque converter lock-up clutch. The repair will be around 2120€. Quite the hit to the wallet, but at least I know what's going on.

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