Part stuck in trans tube
08-19-2015, 08:16 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Part stuck in trans tube
Hi All,
I'm a retired auto tech and yesterday I did a transmission fluid change on my 2000 E320 4 matic wagon. All went extremely well and I had checked the level after warm up several times and it was right on the mark. HOWEVER: I decided to check the level one last time using the same transmission dipstick tool that I'd purchased on-line. (Aftermarket but made in Germany). When I pulled the stick out for the final level test, the plastic tip that is connected to the flexible cable somehow dislodged itself from the tool and is now either stuck in the dipstick tube or laying in the bottom of the pan! Bummer! I thought about it and decided if it's stuck in the tube and I know the level is correct with fresh fluid, I could deal with it down the road the next time I have the pan down. Also, if it fell into the pan I was concerned but didn't think it could get into the filter assembly and cause any issues. I drove the car and it's shifting fine. I really don't want to go through the time and expense to drop the pan again right now so I decided to post here to get some feedback from others who may have gone through the same thing.
Any comments or suggestions will be appreciated.
Note: I was GM trained and certified and spent many years working on many different makes and models other than GM including many European cars, Mercedes included. I've seen some unusual things inside transmission and engine pans through the years like washers, bolts, broken springs and the like, which seemed to just lay harmlessly in the bottom of the pan. I was also trained and have done transmission overhauls in the past so I understand the theory in operation. But it's MY car and I'm hoping for some reassurance from someone who's dealt with this same issue.
I'm a retired auto tech and yesterday I did a transmission fluid change on my 2000 E320 4 matic wagon. All went extremely well and I had checked the level after warm up several times and it was right on the mark. HOWEVER: I decided to check the level one last time using the same transmission dipstick tool that I'd purchased on-line. (Aftermarket but made in Germany). When I pulled the stick out for the final level test, the plastic tip that is connected to the flexible cable somehow dislodged itself from the tool and is now either stuck in the dipstick tube or laying in the bottom of the pan! Bummer! I thought about it and decided if it's stuck in the tube and I know the level is correct with fresh fluid, I could deal with it down the road the next time I have the pan down. Also, if it fell into the pan I was concerned but didn't think it could get into the filter assembly and cause any issues. I drove the car and it's shifting fine. I really don't want to go through the time and expense to drop the pan again right now so I decided to post here to get some feedback from others who may have gone through the same thing.
Any comments or suggestions will be appreciated.
Note: I was GM trained and certified and spent many years working on many different makes and models other than GM including many European cars, Mercedes included. I've seen some unusual things inside transmission and engine pans through the years like washers, bolts, broken springs and the like, which seemed to just lay harmlessly in the bottom of the pan. I was also trained and have done transmission overhauls in the past so I understand the theory in operation. But it's MY car and I'm hoping for some reassurance from someone who's dealt with this same issue.
08-19-2015, 09:26 PM
#2
If it has the diamond shaped stop on it like the Mercedes dip stick tool has, the plastic can not drop into the pan. The diamond is too large to fit through the restriction at the bottom of the dip stick tube. You may be able to make a retrieval tool to grab the plastic tip and extract it. Maybe you can remove the tube, but I am not sure. Even if it dropped into the pan, I would not expect any trouble from it.
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