Hello,

I've got 2 issues with my '99 300M, 180kkm mileage, though I guess there is a chance that the meter was reset like -100kkm or -200kkm, since virtually all used cars older then 3 years in Poland don't exceed 200kkm and these cars are very rare here, even automatic transmission is rare in Poland - can't find any useful tips on polish websites, so I'm here

1) cold-starting:
When starting the car after it has rested for a whole night...
- have to crank it for 5-60 seconds before it starts idling,
- have to wait another 5-60 seconds before shifting to D or R - engine stops.
- have to press the pedal very gently for the first 100-500 meters, otherwise the engine will stop
- black smoke or grey smoke from the exhaust, especially if I try to rev it up right after cranking it for a long period of time
- the time needed for the engine to work correctly depends on the temperatures - lower temp = longer crank
- the issue only arises on petrol, I've got it converted to lpg, can start up in emergency mode on lpg, but right now I've busted the membranes in the lpg evaporator because of these cold starts (it had to look funny, a guy at -10^C with a bucket of hot water pouring it under the hood on the evaporator ) and cant use lpg
- after those 100-500m the car works OK, can do a kickdown and it wont die on me. It's like 0-1 - either it has it in full extent, or works perfectly OK.

I know its going rich at the start... but why??

- Plugs and cables had been changed a year ago (15kkm). Air filter new. Fuel filter 15kkm, if it was clogged - it should be a problem non-stop? Furthermore I always use premium/supreme fuels, since with lpg the petrol gets burned at a rate of 0,5-1,5 litre/100km, depends on the number of cold starts - so the fuel after a month in the tank probably has the same octane count as regular petrol.
- Heard of leaking injectors - but that problem would give out 'smelly" motor oil - not the issue here, also should give higher fuel consumption - and consumption is like 8-10 litres/100km petrol and 10-12 litres/100km lpg (I always fill up to the max - the comp shows about 0,5 litre less than in reality) - the consumption is like an european 2.0 engine!
- Had it checked by one mechanic - there werent any error codes concerning this issue there

Any ideas anyone??


2) second issue - the gearbox sometimes during upshifts and downshifts has trouble with the gears... identical when someone would change the gear in a manual gearbox, and release the clutch in one sharp movement. This happens more often when the car is hot, but not decisively so, and at random - sometimes when driving very gently and slowly, sometimes when driving normally. When it happens there also is a loud thud. It now started to be more frequent.

I've changed the oil in the gearbox 2 years ago (25kkm), right after the oil change when checking the oil when hot - it was about 1-2mm over the max range on the bayonet. Last summer also. Through the winter the gearbox was never hot enough to show max, but now, as the temperatures are higher and higher - when I've checked the oil.... The oil is 3-4 cm OVER the max, the bayonette looks like this (in ASCII )

--[C]--[H]---'^`\._,-----

the level is over the "S" section!!

The oil hasn't been added to the gearbox. Was filled with MOPAR ATF 4+ as far as I remember. The oil is pink, the color is the same like when I bought the car, then changed the oil - the color was the same, the previous owner had changed the oil couple months before selling, but I changed again just in case, 'cause I didn't believe it. Oh and the smell is OK, just like new - it's not burned or anything.

Now, this would look like around a couple litres were added. I have a theory...

The winter was very light, except about 3 weeks, when the temps were between -15^C ~ -25^C. Due to issue number 1 - couldn't start the car completely - it was in the open for a month, until the temps rose over 0^C. After this period the coolant DISSAPEARED! The car lost 3 liters of coolant, and after a fill-up it stays that way for over 2 months now, and 5kkm. But while standing and not being run for a month - lost 3 litres of coolant.

Well.... Is ATF mixable with water??? I know that motor oil when the seal gets broken and is contaminated with water looks like "caffe latte" but the ATF in my gearbox is pink, transparent, looks OK.

The other thing that the mechanic said - the oil has a lot of bubbles in it. Its like hmmm... "foam" right after You pull the bayonet out. That this is strange, very strange.

I know - change the oil - I'll do that, but the level of the oil had risen on its own - that will happen again - any ideas what to check?