If you’re experiencing jerks during gear changes when driving, this is a sign that there may be an issue with your Mercedes transmission. Ideally, your ride should be smooth and stable, so if you’re experiencing transmission kicks, don’t ignore them. It’s better to deal with the issue right away instead of disregarding it and opening yourself up to potentially more problems in the future.

Here are possible causes of a jerky transmission and what you can do to deal with it.

Running low on transmission fluid

Transmission fluid is essential in keeping your Mercedes transmission running properly. Without this, your transmission and basically your car simply will not work. This fluid is responsible for lubricating the parts inside the transmission and providing hydraulic pressure as well. Whether your car is a manual or an automatic, it needs this fluid. This fluid also helps your transmission to keep cool. Getting this product should be extremely easy as it’s readily available in repair shops and shouldn’t be very expensive.

Burning transmission fluid

If you’re a regular driver, perhaps a taxi driver and you start to smell burning oil, you’re likely smelling burning transmission liquid. This can happen when your Mercedes transmission has a leak and the oil has dropped onto other parts of the car like the engine. Since the engine is hot when the car is running, the oil burns up. If you encounter this problem, take your car to a repair shop right away so they can drain the fluid and fix the leak. Ignoring this issue can damage your transmission and your engine as well.

Defective sensor

For newer vehicles, it’s common for a Mercedes transmission to be fitted with an electronic sensor that works with the car’s onboard computers. These sensors deal with your car’s speed and gear changes and can be the cause of a jerky transmission if they’re faulty. The way these sensors work is that when the car reaches a specific seed, it sends a signal so that your car can change gears. If there’s something wrong with the signal or the data that it received, you can get a jerky ride.

Vacuum line issues

A Mercedes transmission fitted in an older model uses a vacuum modulator with a valve. This is connected to the intake through a vacuum line, and this valve determines the engine load. If the vacuum line is clogged, the pressure is altered and can cause a rough gear change. So you have to make sure that nothing is blocking the vacuum line and that it’s not bent, loose or leaking.

Clutch problems

Any Mercedes transmission works with a clutch, regardless of whether it’s an automatic or a manual car. Worn clutches on a manual car are the common culprit for jerky gear changes. For automatics, clutches for the car’s torque can also wear out if there is not enough transmission fluid. Make sure you have enough fluid so your clutch can work well and not affect your transmission. You can also ask for fluid analysis at a repair show to ensure that your fluid is still okay for use.

If you’re Mercedes transmission is not working properly, you might need to repair it or replace it with rebuilt or certified transmissions. Check out our inventory at Adsit today.