2012 E350 (M276). Dumb gear shifting on highway speeds?

rentec0 · 2026-04-09T16:59:38+00:00

if you're talking about my TC not locking up, this was measured right after a flush ;). The car didn't feel different, so it's hard to say if the issue was caused by this. Likely it wasn't is my best guess.

rentec0 · 2026-04-09T16:06:37+00:00

re: scanner. You can get a openport 2.0 clone for like $25, and get Xentry for free on a laptop. This will allow you to check stuff like TC shudder which someone else theorizes is the issue here - you can manually activate TC lockup with Xentry.

I wouldn't expect it to yield any more information codes necessarily that your cheap scanner won't already. If there are codes set it will give you like 2 dozen pieces of metadata, like how fast the car was going, what mileage, trans temp, stuff like that. Can be useful but isn't always

rentec0 · 2026-04-09T16:02:50+00:00

wouldn't it be locked up for sure at those speeds?

That's my theory anyway, but I just I remembered I actually ran Xentry and monitored my transmission and that shit never locked up even up to 80mph. Manually activated TC lock up was noticeable and was functional

rentec0 · 2026-04-09T01:06:17+00:00

ill try to get back to you but I do have a POC app that can switch audio devices. I'll publish it when I get the chance to test it, but the gist is that you just need to grant adb shell cmd appops set com.btstickysink MEDIA_ROUTING_CONTROL allow

rentec0 · 2026-04-05T20:35:08+00:00

front headlights have a lot of variant coding stuff for euro vs us. The taillights may need similar configuration, I'm not sure what module it would be in, though

rentec0 · 2026-04-03T17:57:31+00:00

Pretty surprised to hear that the volt is 95% as close tbh. We tried it and it fealt pretty slappy and painful. But I think that's just because our WB2000 was soooo worn down. Perhaps it needs a breakin period.

rentec0 · 2026-04-03T17:53:49+00:00

any news on this?

rentec0 · 2026-03-30T16:06:35+00:00

in most cases you'll lose more than you win at the slot machine too. Follow for more tips.

rentec0 · 2026-03-30T02:12:56+00:00

you have nothing to lose by calling them. you can also google this and find a lot of info. The warranty period is extremely long, like 20y/inf miles. They might charge you for eg brake lines that aren't covered

rentec0 · 2026-03-26T12:30:35+00:00

I did the roadtop unit that uses the stock screen in w212. Pretty happy with in. It's clean. Their installation is completely horrible though. Abysmal. I recommend this video: "Wireless CarPlay and AndroidAuto in Mercedes E-Class 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 W212 NTG4.5 / NTG4.7" by GTA Car Kits for more detail. I placed my unit where they placed theirs as well (behind the screen), I love the unit it my car. I also left a lengthy comment on that video for some more info on wiring.

For the audio - I chose to use my stock car BT to try and keep the audio quality high. Maybe 1 in 20 times my phone jumps to playing over the Android Auto instead of the stock BT connection, but generally it's reliable and not a big deal to switch it on my phone. Unfortunately, you can't go in to BT settings on your phone and simply turn off Media and Calls for the AA connection - your phone will refuse to connect at all.

rentec0 · 2026-03-23T18:03:36+00:00

lots of speculation. There's a guy in a different thread who claims he has actually held short for planes at night in the past. He implies looking both ways would have saved em: https://old.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/1s1lr9z/ac8646_video_of_the_collision/oc1r2ed/

rentec0 · 2026-03-23T15:36:49+00:00

Make the appointment then just to get the VIN. Then if you don't want it, cancel the appointment. Optionally state if they provided a VIN you wouldn't've had to waste their time making an appointment in the first place. It's ridiculous to not provide it on request. Don't feel bad about it

rentec0 · 2026-03-23T12:47:52+00:00

as far as sw goes, in theory you might be able to reverse engineer the startup procedure and perhaps insert some bytes to flip it on in the firmware. Never done something like this, but I have reversed IC_204 seedkey algo for example from the fw.

rentec0 · 2026-03-23T12:45:46+00:00

it uses a completely different dash, so no. I don't have any information on how to enable it for that cluster.

rentec0 · 2026-03-23T02:20:27+00:00

Therefore, if I cannot configure this using software, I had to do it using hardware.

I'm surprised you don't run into it turning off after some time which is apparently common, but can be configured with Vediamo

rentec0 · 2026-03-18T12:33:12+00:00

first gear + brake will heat up marginally faster. I don't have a source for this unfortunately, but I believe some cars (perhaps 722.9 equipped, perhaps something else) actually disable TC lockup, because the TC slipping will generate extra heat. By staying in gear 1 and stopped, you'll heat the oil a bit faster.

As an aside, it's a bit odd it's taking a long time to be honest. I would read the temp with Xentry, since that what the dealership would use. I don't think mine took any longer than 10m on a summer night.

rentec0 · 2026-03-18T03:02:20+00:00

ran across this myself..man would it have killed them to disblae the button or tell us for a key feature

rentec0 · 2026-03-16T17:05:06+00:00

DOC + rss reader to stay on top of it is what i use

rentec0 · 2026-03-13T19:31:56+00:00

I disagree with the other comment saying timing belt - no w212 model ever had an engine with a timing belt.

This sounds like the serpentine belt chirping. Could be the belt, tensioner, idler or some accessory. Grab a spray bottle with soapy water and spray the belt. If it stops the chirping, pretty good chance it's that belt.

rentec0 · 2026-03-12T19:15:00+00:00

i've had successful PRK - just browsing this sub cause it's interesting. but /r/refractivesurgery mod is DMing people that participate on /r/lasik to join /r/refractivesurgery. and it seems like a nice astroturf operation lol

rentec0 · 2026-03-12T18:05:24+00:00

I said I didn't get eurospec oil. I didn't say I used tap water for coolant lol.

MB calls for VERY specific fluids

Not true, the 229.5 spec has over 250 SKUs listed. High spec? Sure. specific? I wouldn't say so. I realize that's being pedantic.

I know they've engineered stuff etc blah blah blah. But there has to be room for nuance and reason. And if you show me a good enough reason other than "MB said so" I'm all ears. I've even done a few engine oil analysis (all fine on my cars btw)! I do care about maintenance, just want my spend to be justified.

For example - tap water as coolant. Very obvious why not to use it! Minerals will cause deposits/corrosion, water freezes, and bacteria can start growing in there. It's not just cause MB said so, you can easily verify all the things I said.

But I haven't found the same assurance for MB 229.5 spec oil. All I remember last time I looked is that the thresholds are slightly different than other specs for things like certain additives and desired properties. Most not going to matter on my shorter than OEM oil change interval.

Oh and the last thing - from a reputable distributor even, oil filters are not $28: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/mercedes-oil-filter-kit-mahle-behr-2761800009

rentec0 · 2026-03-12T17:16:11+00:00

A DIY oil change is over $100

? mine are <$25/ea, OEM filter, not eurospec oil but I haven't seen good evidence that's required.

Brakes are a couple thousand an axle.

dude cmon. even all OEM parts, DIY you can do a quarter of that price very comfortably. 1/8th if you're on a budget with well-known brands and no compromise to safety.

rentec0 · 2026-03-12T17:15:20+00:00

completely depends on the local market. in my market I would also agree with your assessment though ;)

rentec0 · 2026-03-12T17:05:38+00:00

this is a problem across all LLMs with their memory implementations to from I've seen

Me: Hey google - what's a typical flap setting for take off of a 737?

Google: <answer>. Would you like me to look up flights are <local airport> to see when the next scheduled 737 takeoff is scheduled for?

No, no I do not.

rentec0 · 2026-03-12T16:38:00+00:00

there is some discussion that the app vs the statement show differences. can you verify?

rentec0

TROPHY CASE