u/panurgical

My uncle has trusted me to find a good E350cdi OM642 prefacelift for him, since I already drive a W212.

I know a reputable seller that can get me a well-maintained one with full service history, so no worries there.

My question is about the production years and improvements that are or might be there.

The seller already has a very sweet and well-specced 2010 model in his lot. If my uncle were to go for it, he'd install the colour dashboard that the mid-2011 models shipped with (the info on forums leads me to believe it could be done with no issues).

I know the engine, gearbox, Airmatic, and anti-corrosion protection (or whatever Mercedes calls it) are the same

Are there any improvements/issues addressed on the 2011-2012 models against 2010?

2012 E-class with OM651 2.2 diesel and 7gtronic+ auto gearbox, RWD. 245k km (152k miles).

I'm experiencing jerky 1-2 and to a lesser extent 2-3 shifts. When cold the 1-2 shift is smooth although a bit slow, sort of like easing into the gear with revs dropping down for nearly 1 second (more like 0.7-0.8s) while 2-3 is quick and very jerky.

From what I've read, this is normal cold behaviour.

However, when warm (50-60C ATF) it's the other way around - 1-2 gets noticeably jerky and 2-3 becomes smoother, although there is still a slight jerk on the latter when it shifts at about 2k rpm.

At full operating temperature (70C<) the pattern remains the same but both shifts get a bit smoother overall, albeit 1-2 still remaining noticeable and annoying.

All the other shifts are smooth and there are no fault codes

I don't think it's the clutches slipping because the revs don't jump up between the shifts.

There's also a noticeable jerk when I shift into D or R but only on a cold start, it's smooth after even after a short drive. No excessive (for a diesel) vibration or clunks.

Also, when taking a corner or driving on an incline from standstill, the shifts seem almost unnoticeable.

What I've done - valve body repaired&cleaned and ATF changed 5k km ago at a specialized transmission shop. Naturally, they also did the adaptation. That didn't help. No ATF leaks.

I understand the Mercedes auto gearboxes are a far cry from Aisin or ZF in terms of smoothness and responsiveness but this can't be normal at this mileage.

Does anybody have some tips on what to do next?