Mercedes Benz A170 - how to reduce risk of gearbox

tup, Oct 26, 10:47am
hey guys.
I've just picked up a mint A170 (total nana wagon but fun to drive and a good shopping trolley and for local running around, with air con which my XH ute doesn't have) :) I see the CVT gearboxes can be an issue with these. It's only done 36,000km (AA guaranteed) but just wonder if there is something I can be doing to ensure it keeps going for a long time yet. it's just had a full service but not gearbox as far as I'm aware. thanks heaps. :)
lythande1, Oct 26, 12:46pm
Sell it before it's high ks. and don't thrash it.

BTW Nanas don't all have cars like that you know, I'm a nana, had various, the "shoppingiest" car I had was a Corolla. Had a couple of classics, until finances killed that off.
tup, Oct 26, 3:07pm
lol thanks heaps lythande1. sorry for the Nana stereotyping. :) I know some very cool nanas who drive very cool wagons :)
franc123, Oct 26, 3:16pm
I would've dismissed the petrol cost and spent the money converting the XH to air con. you could get most of what you needed cheap from a wrecked EF or EL at Pickapart and given the baby Benz a wiiiide berth.
gammelvind, Oct 26, 4:41pm
Yes there is a known problem with those gearboxs and no they don’t all do it. If there is a problem the repair is no longer not understood or complex. Make sure the servicing is kept up at the correct intervals with the correct fluids and these engines have a good long life. 300,000 km isn’t uncommon.
serf407, Oct 26, 5:17pm
Always convert to electric if it does not work out.

http://elbil.forum24.se/elbil-about2390.html cvt might be a 722.8 https://at-manuals.com/manuals/722-8-mercedes/
tup, Oct 27, 5:51am
thanks so much everyone. I've kept the XH Franc123. :) It's my baby. Am loving the modcons of the Merc though. always wanted a Mercedes Benz. (since little). but never thought i'd have the sewing machine looking version. hehee. it's an impressive little wagon. (the XH is pretty cheap to run but to put air con in it isn't a small feat. even with parts from pickapart).
tamarillo, Oct 27, 7:37am
I thought the cvt boxes were more reliable than the earlier A series conventional Auto. A specialist can do a fluid change so that’s a good insurance.
franc123, Oct 27, 8:25am
That depends on your abilities. Pulling the dash and heater box to fit the evaporator is the only real difficult bit. I've done it before.
tup, Oct 31, 4:15pm
Thanks tamarillo. This is an earlier one (2006) but i'm hoping it will bypass the known issues. :)

franc123 - yup I just put a new heater core in the XH a couple of months ago. never want to do that job again :)