C230 Sport Coup

You've done well Grasshopper Your beer was tasty.

jkowtko

Yes, that was one of my favorite shows as well ... Is it time for me to leave the shop ...?

Fyi to me the hardest part about DIY is that fact that most of these procedures I am doing for the first time and involve a substantial and often painful learning experience -- whereas an auto mechanic has done them dozens or hundreds of times and knows all of the tips, tricks and gotchas.

Of course, the auto mechanic has a tendency to become careless with repetition, and is not working on his own personal car so doesn't have the same vested interest as you ... so other than knowledge an expertise, DIY still has other advantages.

I now find myself offering to help friends and relatives with their car repairs to save $$ on DIY while allowing them to "jump" the learning curve. It's very satisfying

C230 Sport Coup

Gee that was a quick response. Someone else is up this early in the Bay?
I find myself offering to fix my GF's ML's and always regret it.
Always becomes so much more of a pain compared to my little C Coupe.
Example, water pump on W163 w/ M112.
She has W164 now, Wow, so many issues.

That being said I have several jobs lined up that need to be done...
supposed to be going to a DIY shop in Santa Clara soon with another member to get it all done.
He's doing a tranny flush.
Someone in SF (was it you?) was talking about joining in.....

jkowtko

I had responded to the Santa Clara event but have been pretty busy lately. Still interested though if I can find the time to get down there.

C230 Sport Coup

Me too. But the more the merrier. I bent the guy's ear, and got him to provide a discount. Kinda embarrassing if it's only 2 of us, ie me and Philip. He has I think 6 lifts.

VVF

BTW, look at this alternative method of flushing

Preet

I think this is a more economical alternative method of flushing since he is not mixing the 3-4 liters of fresh oil in the drain pan with the torque converts old oil to flush out of the rads hose method, what do you guys think

Glyn M Ruck

I see nothing wrong with this method. Not sure how effective it is at evacuating the 4 litres of fluid in the TC & clearing the cooling lines.

If in doubt use the WIS method in the Wiki.

jkowtko

So long as the tranny pump has the power to draw the fluid up a higher vertical distance (notice the "sump" in this case is the jug of fluid 1-2 feet below the valve body vs the tranny pan which is only a few inches below) ... then the only difference in my opinion is the mess you make letting the return fluid pour out from all over the valve body

Using the cooling line method you're not really mixing old and new fluid ... in either that or this method you are feeding fresh fluid into the sump pump and letting the old fluid bleed out at or near the end of the fluid circuit.

Preet

so when the fluid is added though the filler hole, does it go straight to the transmission pan and (not any where else) and then it gets pumped into the tc through the pump?

jkowtko

Yep, pretty sure. And from the cooling line as well. So all the fluid you saw in the video falling out from around the valve body was just coming from the return line.

Glyn M Ruck

Where the fluid is diverted to by the valve body is temperature, TCU & selector dependent. If the TC gets hot more fluid is diverted through the cooler.

I'm sure Benz took this into account with their WIS method.

jkowtko

Glynn, so not all fluid gets pumped through the cooling lines?

Glyn M Ruck

Fluid is pumped through the cooling circuit at a variable rate to control temperature. Some goes through the cooler & some is returned to pan. As an example in a severe overheat situation the car will automatically kick down a gear to increase engine speed & thus tranny pump speed & 100% of fluid will be diverted via the cooler.

jkowtko

So does that mean when we flush the coolant through the lines, that we're not necessarily getting it all? There seems to be a constant flow of coolant through the lines even though it's at ambient temperature.

Thanks. John

Glyn M Ruck

I believe that Benz have thought about this & that the WIS flush method via the cooler lines guarantees that the TC gets flushed at ambient. i.e that there is always TC fluid circulation throught the cooler to a greater or lesser degree. The TC heats the fluid more than any other component.

kiqnkf

Undo the flexible rubber transmission hose meeting the steel line, on the Australian Drivers side, or the American Passengers side.

AKA "Right Hand Side" of the vehicle.... Note, it spews out a LONG way, hold it, and have someone else start/stop the engine.... 722.6 which line to disconnect for transmission flush