BenzManNy

The time to do the 100k differential service is fast approaching. My question is, how many bottles of fluid do I need for front and rear and what's the best brand? Should I do OEM or are there other options? Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

M-

guyfromwinnipeg

Any luck

Adi-Benz

Rear one is like 1.1L, I used a mobil-1 LSD variant (don't remember visco)

There's a top plug and bottom plug. Remove bottom to drain, plug, fill from the top one.

Magnus Rostadmo

Start with getting the fill plug loose first - then the drain plug - guess why ;-)

W204Motorsports

Make sure you change the front differential fluid as well, they each take 1.1L so with 3 bottles you will be able to do both. The front differential gets the most heat with the engine and exhaust right next to it, degrading the fluid faster. I change mine every 50k miles. You need to pump the new fluid through the drain plug since the fill plug is practically unreachable for the front differential.

vjsilva

I just changed the rear diff oil on my 2010 c300 4MATIC and it was very easy.

On to the front. The owners manual claims 1.1L for the front but the front has two differentials (in 4Matic).
The center diff and the front diff. Are they each 1.1L or each about 550ml making the total front about 1.1L?

I already drained the front and only about 550ml came out. There is still the center diff to do.

Any help or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Victor

W204Motorsports

The center differential would be the transfer case which is attached and joint with the transmission. It doesn't use gear oil but rather shares the ATF fluid with the transmission which you should be changing every 40k miles. The transfer case has a drain you can undo to get the quart that is usually in there while you are doing a transmission service.

vjsilva

Thanks, I did not know that. So when I did my ATF fluid I missed that one quart.
So to get all the ATF, you need to drop the pan, drain the torque converter AND drain the transfer case (center diff)?

Clears that up.

Now I have the troubling issue of finding that my front diff had only 600ml in it.
I filled it with 1.1L and I see no leaks.I was expecting leaks from the drive shaft seals to explain why there was only 600ml in the front diff.

I'll keep watching it.

Thanks very much!

W204Motorsports

Just out of curiosity, how did you fill up the front differential?


https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Auto-Transmi...item2ac6ec9c60

This is the tool you need to fill up the transmission and the threads are identical to the differential plug.

I use it and simply pumped a little over 1.2quarts in the differential, losing about 0.1 quart while putting the plug. It made the job very simple.

vjsilva

Exactly the tool I used. When I took off the drain plug off it looked very similar to what I had used before for the ATF.
So I dug up that threaded pipe and it was the same threading.

Normally I would have made up a special bottle with a small hole to put a compressor on it to force the fluid into the drain hole.
Since this was only 1 quart I just squeezed it by hand. I put just a little over 1.1L into it.
Since the drain hole is so small (compared to the rear diff) it's very easy to change over to the drain plug without loosing much fluid.

My concern now is why the front diff had only 0.6L in it?

Hey, thanks for your help.

--Victor

vjsilva

ltwargssf,

Since you did this before did you change the "MECHATRONIC MERCEDES AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ADAPTER PLUG"?

Why exactly does this need to be changed?
See this video starting at 1:04

--Victor

W204Motorsports

Hi Victor,

Our cars use the 722.9 / 7 speeds, not sure which early w204 models, probably in Europe had the 722.6/ 5speed but 95% of w204's have a 7speed 722.9 transmission. This plug was an issue for those 5 speeds but in our 7speeds, it's no longer a maintenance part since the TCM is in the valve body and that plug is part of the conductor plate.

If you have the time and want to do something preventative, on your next transmission fluid change, take the valve body out and clean the conductor plate, along with the solenoids. It's not a hard job and cleaning it with electrical cleaner spray will make it last a lot longer. The weak point (expensive point) in these transmission is the conductor plate getting contaminated. Those 7 clutches it has make a lot of debris so changing the transmission fluid in 40k intervals is a must but if you can do the extra step by cleaning the inside, it will make it last much longer. Mine has over 250k kilometers and still shifts like new.

vjsilva

ltwargssf,

When I first read this I understood it to mean that the fluid from the transfer case mingles with the main transmission body, but after looking at the transfer case online I'm starting realize that they are not connected (fluidwise).

I understand that the transfer case uses ATF, but I've seen that the spec is slightly different now, MBZ approval 236.13, P/N 001989230310. Is this right?
Also, since we have similar cars does the transfer case have a drain and fill hole? or just one drain which is also used to fill?

Thanks,
Victor

W204Motorsports

Hi Victor,

The transfer case shares the ATF from the transmission. Trust me, I know.. I've changed out my transfer case bearings and had it all appart when I first got my car, it was the reason for the low price I paid for it. The transfer case is part of the transmission and there's no fill plug, only a drain plug on the back of it.

vjsilva

Ok, great. At least I changed most of it last time, since I did the pan and the torque converter.
Next time I'll do all of it.

Thanks,
Victor