e24kgold

I get my car back on fri. Been thinking I have never changed the tranny fluid. Should I do it after 132000. What about the Mobile one ATF?

laneshift

Definitely. It will be BLACK. It will also be a hell lot smoother.

TemjinX2

i would stick with oem tranny fluid.

LILBENZ230

Stick with OEM transmission fluid or Fuchs Titan 4134 which is the same. It will say "for use in 722.9 7G" but it is backwards compatible with our 5AT. Parts are on the way from RMEuropean right now for my transmission fluid change in my 05.

e24kgold

Thanks for the quick input, Ill get it changed as soon as I get it back.

contact148

I had mine done at 118,000km 1st time it was ever done and it was black

just did the filter and fluid change NOT a flush had it done at MB dealer

use OEM fluid

kirax2

anyone got a DIY plz post?! LOL

JoeVal

With transmissions we have the same scientific goof made with car vital components which have been Christened maintenance free and the synthetic fluids permitting their safe operation as "lasting a life time". It so happens that it resulted necessary and proper to change these fluids, in the case of MB transmission fluids at 39000 Km with formulations evolved from progress and experience as improvements over the original releases.

In the case of these cars with a tube for measuring the fluid and several optional methods for replacing the most, if not all the transmission fluid, leave no excuse for just changing the carter fluid and filter instead of a full flush. Namely, why comment that the liquid removed is black, as a derogatory finding, and then leave 1/2 of the bad fluid in the transmission when all of it can be changed.

Also, why no comments about replacing or placing magnets in the carter, or cleaning the carter cover, etc ...? Search the files that there is plenty about this.

e1000

uh...... was this post an excerpt of an encyclopedia?......... and what have you done with the other noobs!?

jcnash

LOLOLOL!!!!

Although I do completely agree with the following:
In the case of these cars with a tube for measuring the fluid and several optional methods for replacing the most, if not all the transmission fluid, leave no excuse for just changing the carter fluid and filter instead of a full flush. Namely, why comment that the liquid removed is black, as a derogatory finding, and then leave 1/2 of the bad fluid in the transmission when all of it can be changed.

jcnash

Anyone have a DIY for the flush part? C230SportCoupe has a great DIY for the fluid/filter change but mire details on flushing old fluid from the hoses etc would be nice.

Moviela

Carter fluid? Excuse me, did you mean the torque converter?

I am not sure why the fluid being black is a bad thing that needs to be changed. The black is probably the expendible friction material that is supposed to flow with the transmission fluid. Other properties of the fluid do "wear" but they are not obvious to the senses of human beings.

Mercedes was telling owners in the US that 150,000 miles was fine, but told the ROW (rest of the world) much more frequent changes were required.

My experience with my rolling stock is that a mere drain and refill does not make a happy box. There are any number of devices now that hook up to the lines to the transmission cooler and use new fluid to force the old fluid out. I would worry about using a machine at Jiffy Lube because of the unique character of the MB specification, and I would not want to contaminate the new fluid with the dregs of the Mercon pumped into the Ford in front of me.

I leave the transmission and power steering flush to the dealer because I don't want to spend three large for the machine.

contact148

I changed only half of the fluid IE NO flush as the dealer said a filter and fluid change was all thats needed

I will be doing it again next summer (maybe 10k)

jcnash

Ask JoeVal

Is it not possible to force old fluid out without using a machine?

I think I read somewhere that disconnecting the lines to the tranny from the rad etc (containing the old fluid), after doing a fluid in the tranny tank/filter replacement, and running the engine should circulate the new fluid from the tank through the lines, forcing the old fluid out.

Any thoughts?

DrgnflyZ28

The only way I know to fully get rid of the used fluid is to drain the tranny, converter and all lines to the radiator. The best way to flush the old stuff out is to keep doing regular intervals of fluid changes to keep it fresh.

jcnash

But how do you drain the lines to the radiator, without the use of a machine that forces fluid out?

Javvy

Complete replacement is possible using the 2 line going into the rad.......I have done this on my van...but the van has a dip stick to chcek the tranny fluid level.........basically you use the tranny pump to help you replace old fluid with new fluid.....but end up using a lot of tranny fluid........when I get to it I will definatly post a DIY on this method if I am able to do it on my W203...............

DrgnflyZ28

If you isolate the lines then with a pump you can drain the radiator. Not sure why this would be of such importance with the old fluid still remaining in various locations without full disassembly (i.e. converter).

Can you elaborate on "complete replacement"? If you disconnect the lines, you can drain the radiator. When I installed a tranny cooler on the Z28, I didn't flush the fluid as a good amount of it drained out on its own. Reconnection of the lines required a top off of the fluid.

Javvy

ok I will try to explain it as simple as possible......please review the attached picture....



Once you have located the ATF fluid line that is the return line from the radiator to the engine unhook this line and set up a system as shown in the pic above........onces you are ready tell a friend to start the engine and sit in the drivers seat as you might need him to switich the engine off.......in the mean time you have to watch for both the NEW tranny ATF level in your container and also the color of the old tranny fluid coming out of the radiator........if you are satisfied with the color of the tranny fluid coming out of the radiator(should match the color of the new ATF fluid), tell your freiend to stop the engine......hook the tubes up as they were before and then go to the dipstick and check your tranny fluid level.........you can also measure of what came out V/S what went in and add/top of if required.......be carefull tough that you dont suck air into the system with insufficent fresh ATF in the new atf container, you have to have this full at all times and make sure the sucking tube is always dipped in the new ATF........

I hope I am not making a mockery of myself........but I have used this method on my toyota Van and it has worked for me......I ended up sucking more fluid in the tranny which I adjusted by checking the dipstick and draining it through the drain plug.....

Hope this helps
Javvy

jcnash

Wow thats pretty innovative...but seems a little risky. A DIY would be awesome!!

Does it really make a huge difference if we dont flush out the lines ie...just replace the fluid in the tranny tank and replace the filter....if this is done at regular intervals ~ 50000km or so?

Glyn M Ruck

JoeVal continues to post nonesense. It is just gaining in length. Older posts used to be limited to the Thumbs Down icon