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I have not been on this forum for ages. I work as a parts adviser at a Mercedes dealership here in California. Transmission fluid for 1995-2010 should use the red. 2011 you will have to check with your VIN as already stated if it has the code A89 because some still uses the red. Any 2012 and newer should use the blue fluid.
@xsever I checked your vin, You do have the code A89. I do not know if the vindecoderz is accurate. I cropped a pic from the EPC that I use here at work.
I contacted the dealer where the car was bought and they said I needed the red fluid 236.14. I'm just wondering now if flushing the fluid would be more beneficiary or bad for my transmission since its been sitting there for 9 years with only 53k km.
I have not been on this forum for ages. I work as a parts adviser at a Mercedes dealership here in California. Transmission fluid for 1995-2010 should use the red. 2011 you will have to check with your VIN as already stated if it has the code A89 because some still uses the red. Any 2012 and newer should use the blue fluid.
@xsever I checked your vin, You do have the code A89. I do not know if the vindecoderz is accurate. I cropped a pic from the EPC that I use here at work.
Thank you so much for confirming my conclusions. Much appreciated. I guess the online VIN decoders are not as accurate as having access to the MB systems.
Thanks again.
I recently rebuilt my transmission on my 2008 c350 sport (722.9)7G Tronic trans.
Originally Posted by spyked
you will be the first one around here to change the fluid on a 7G Plus unit. good luck! keep us posted!
what was supposed to be a conductor plate repair on my vehicle turned into a rebuilt transmission repair after I went to AAMCO in LAKE FOREST CA they told me I needed to rebuilt my transmission when my OBD2 scanner was telling me to change the TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (which was the conductor plate) they ripped my transmission apart to let me know since they did so I needed to get new seals and new fluid. Long story short I have the NEW BLUE FLUID IN MY TRANSMISSION. And it has been running fine since the repair($3700) “rebuilt my transmission” I took it to a place called BEACH BENZ IN Huntington Beach. They did a great job and I’m really happy with the work. But I do notice some later shifting then before the repair. I used to see my car shift exactly at number 2 and now it has to go between the 2 and the 3 which causes the vehicle to perform later shifts and slower acceleration. Do you think it’s because of the blue fluid? Or is it because I have a 11 year old car?
Here is what dealer told me january 2021: If you have 722.9 PLUS (NAG2FE+), you can still use the RED 236.14 fluid. It will not make any damage or break your 722.9+ transmission. However, if you have an older 722.9, from erlier than mid 2010 (no eco start / stop), you must NOT use the new blue 236.15 fluid at this one. It MUST have the red one.
Here is what dealer told me january 2021: If you have 722.9 PLUS (NAG2FE+), you can still use the RED 236.14 fluid. It will not make any damage or break your 722.9+ transmission. However, if you have an older 722.9, from erlier than mid 2010 (no eco start / stop), you must NOT use the new blue 236.15 fluid at this one. It MUST have the red one.
That's just a bunch of baloney by the dealership. I wouldn't trust their advice at all. Please read the attached document by Mercedes-Benz which should be the only trustworthy source of information.
Yes, i agree with you But, anyway.. There is a lot of "red oil" marked as both 236.14 and 236.15 compatible.. Here is an example: Girolje EUROL ATF 7400 1L - Eurodel.no
Yes, i agree with you But, anyway.. There is a lot of "red oil" marked as both 236.14 and 236.15 compatible.. Here is an example: Girolje EUROL ATF 7400 1L - Eurodel.no
And thats a bit strange..
Only go by the official MB website which shows which fluids meet the 236.15. The rest is more baloney. No Eurol product meets 236.15 spec and if any oil says it meets both, then, you guessed it, BALONEY!
And thats the reason i dont understand this.. Its i bit risky for a big company, to sell a oil they say met 236.15, and in fact...it doesnt. They inform in the spec at the web site that it is 236.15 OK. The link was just an example, Its a lot of them.
Only go by the official MB website which shows which fluids meet the 236.15. The rest is more baloney. No Eurol product meets 236.15 spec and if any oil says it meets both, then, you guessed it, BALONEY!
Take 15 min to watch this video, its just exactly what we are talking about Test between Febi / Bilstein 236.15 and a cheep oil meets all the 236 spec, like 236.12, 236.14 and 236.15.. Just watch the video... So, thats why im confused.
The only explanation for the multi spec Amsoil is that the older gearboxes requiring the thicker 236.14 and 236.12 will work perfectly with the thinner 236.15 which was for a time the thinnest ATF in the world .
But the other way around 236.14 and .12 will be too thick for a box requiring 236.15 resulting in poor quality gear changes .
Im still confused.. Im a ovner of å w166, with 722.9 NAG2. Correct oil for my car with 722.9 NAG2, is the blue one, 236.15 spec. But my oil is red, its a multi spec oil just like the oil from Amsoil. Its not Amsoil, but exactly the same spec as Amsoil. My multi spec oil is from comma. I have driven 50.000 km with this oil in my transmission. No problems, the transmission is exactly as it should be.
Next senario, my friend own a w164, from 2009. Its 722.9, NAG1. Correct oil for this car is red, 236.14. However, two years ago, local indy filled blu 236.15 oil at my friends car. That went bad. The shifting went terrible. After some time they understod they filled wrong oil. They drained the blue 236.15 and filled red 236.14. The shifting went back to normal.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Originally Posted by gagan takker
My mechanic guy mixed approx a 10% of 236.15(blue) into 7 litre of 236.14
Hope its okay ? Or should I change it
Your mechanic should no longer be your mechanic because he/she has no idea what they are doing. I would not drive this car another foot until you get the car towed to someone who knows what they are doing and get the transmission flushed. That may still not work, so you also want to keep all receipts so that the mechanic that did this will replace your transmission free. I would take it to the nearest Mercedes dealer to have the work done. They will tell you what can be done.
Your dealer is wrong. 236.14 fluid is correct for all transmissions up to 722.9 Plus transmission.
722.9 Plus transmission uses 236.15 blue fluid which is not reverse compatible with older transmissions. It is a far lighter viscosity.
That Mobil product in the link is 236.14 fluid.
Tell your lazy dealer to look up your VIN. At that date it is probably a 722.9 Plus transmission. Then he can consult the WIS for correct servicing.
Here is the latest listing of approved 234.15 fluids for 722.9 Plus transmission.
You gotta love the confidence you find in this group. My dealership is insisting the fluid for my 2012 C63 BS with 7G-Tronic without start/stop should be the 236.15, and something tells me the 236.14 is the one I should be using.
I've read through out the topic and it seems it really is the later option, or did I get it wrong?
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Originally Posted by Vpatriota
You gotta love the confidence you find in this group. My dealership is insisting the fluid for my 2012 C63 BS with 7G-Tronic without start/stop should be the 236.15, and something tells me the 236.14 is the one I should be using.
I've read through out the topic and it seems it really is the later option, or did I get it wrong?
I don't personally know if the red to blue tranny fluid changed with the addition of the start/stop function or not. I know that my 2014 C350 has start/stop AND the additional transmission fluid pump attached to the transmission to support that function. It also uses the blue stuff.
So, if your dealership is willing to replace your tranny free for using the wrong fluid, get that in writing and let them use the blue stuff.
Last edited by JettaRed; Jun 8, 2022 at 09:41 AM.
Reason: Identify the external fluid pump supporting start/stop added to the transmission.
I don't personally know if the red to blue tranny fluid changed with the addition of the start/stop function or not. I know that my 2014 C350 has start/stop AND the additional device attached to the transmission to support that function. It also uses the blue stuff.
So, if your dealership is willing to replace your tranny free for using the wrong fluid, get that in writing and let them use the blue stuff.
Even though I feel very tempted to do so, I would DEFINITELY not risk my car's gearbox just for the sake of an arguement. It would take all my mental health away, my emotional stability, probably my marriage, and so forth It's not like I'm THAT attached to my car, you know.
But anyways, after weeks of research (both online and asking for second/third/fourth oppinions), my conclusions are similar to stated above:
1) if you have the 722.9 7G auto transmission, you should go for the 236.14 (red) fluid
2) if you have the 722.9 7G+ (Start/stop option), you should go for the 236.15 (blue) fluid
3) if you DON'T have the start/stop function (that would suggest that you don't have the 7G+ - but I'm not 100% sure as I'm not a technician), you should check your VIN and you should find the A89 code (Reduced friction), related to the transmission, meaning that you'll need the newer 236.15 transmission fluid.
Thanks to everyone envolved in solving this mystery and taking time to explain it to us pleasants.
I have a 2010 c350 with 75k and I have no idea what blue or red fluid I should get. Did some research and everyone says order from FCP liquid Molly for lifetime. I personally like to stick to oem so if I can go to the parts dept. at a dealer and buy everything I need is this possible? Sorry all over the place
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It's not like I'm THAT attached to my car, you know. 
