About to do my C55 tranny fluid change - last minute questions
About to do a tranny fluid replacement in my 06 C55 (40k miles). I am following this thread closely as my guide:
http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...ion-fluid.html
It's pretty self-explanatory, however, it is for a different car and not the C55. My C55-specific questions are:
- Exactly how much tranny fluid (Quarts/Liters) does the C55 tranny hold?
- I purchased the tranny dipstick to check fluid level. However, I don't have a STAR system or a temperature gauge. I am thinking of filling, starting up the car and idling for a few minutes, taking the "25C" measurement, taking a short drive, and then taking the "80C" measurement. I know it's approximate, but I don't see a reason that should not work, especially if quantity of fluid that went in is roughly the same as quantity that drained as well as in the ballpark of overall capacity? Can anyone confirm if this approach is reasonable?
Only opinions on the topic please. "Dont flush your tranny" or "take to dealer" isn't going to help anyone. Thanks a lot in advance,
If you have the time, why not just grab an infrared thermometer? They're quite readily available for maybe $20-40. I used that before, per the thread you linked to. I grabbed mine from Canadian Tire, but you probably don't have one of those nearby, unless you're Canadian like me. But I'm sure you can get them at most hardware stores.
If not, I think you need more than a short drive, probably at least 15-20km, not just around the block.
Or just take it to the dealer....
If you have the time, why not just grab an infrared thermometer? They're quite readily available for maybe $20-40. I used that before, per the thread you linked to. I grabbed mine from Canadian Tire, but you probably don't have one of those nearby, unless you're Canadian like me. But I'm sure you can get them at most hardware stores.
If not, I think you need more than a short drive, probably at least 15-20km, not just around the block.
Or just take it to the dealer....

Thanks for the suggestion on IR thermometer. I found quite a few on Amazon for $20-40.
http://www.amazon.com/HDE-Temperatur...9930832&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-...9930832&sr=8-7
Where do I aim it to get an accurate reading? Inside the dipstick or under the car at the oil pan? Also, what are some other uses for an IR thermometer? I hate buying one-time use tools, but might bite the bullet if absolutely necessary.
Also, I bought 6 quarts of tranny fluid. I am not too concerned about not getting the fluid in the torque converter out. I think that 6 quarts of new fluid is better than 0 quarts (and good enough). If it takes more than 6 quarts, I may have to run to the stealer to get another quart.
Last edited by xxaarraa; Feb 22, 2012 at 12:20 PM.
Other uses for the thermometer....a buddy has one in his kitchen, for cooking purposes. Not that useful for, say, a roast, but it'll work for surface temps I guess. If you ever roll fenders on your car (to clear wider rubber, or more aggressive offset wheels) you can use the thermometer to check the temperature of the fender (when heating it up with a heat gun). The idea is that the paint won't crack when heated up. If you play hockey and use shafts with replaceable blades, the heat gun is used to heat up the shaft to allow the blades to be fitted, both by heat expansion and melting the glue. If you're lazy and don't want to get out the hairdryer, you can use the heatgun for that too. I lent my heatgun to my cousin for the purpose of applying anti moisture film to his windows in the winter, forgot that he had it, and when I went to his place I found that he was using it to dry his hair. Promptly labelled him a lew-zer and grabbed my heat gun back.
Other uses for the thermometer....a buddy has one in his kitchen, for cooking purposes. Not that useful for, say, a roast, but it'll work for surface temps I guess. If you ever roll fenders on your car (to clear wider rubber, or more aggressive offset wheels) you can use the thermometer to check the temperature of the fender (when heating it up with a heat gun). The idea is that the paint won't crack when heated up. If you play hockey and use shafts with replaceable blades, the heat gun is used to heat up the shaft to allow the blades to be fitted, both by heat expansion and melting the glue. If you're lazy and don't want to get out the hairdryer, you can use the heatgun for that too. I lent my heatgun to my cousin for the purpose of applying anti moisture film to his windows in the winter, forgot that he had it, and when I went to his place I found that he was using it to dry his hair. Promptly labelled him a lew-zer and grabbed my heat gun back.

Thanks for your help, will keep everyone posted on how the job goes.
I have an infrared thermometer and tried to use it to check the temp at the bottom of the pan with little success. Even after a 20mi drive the bottom of the pan only measured 57C. I shot the temp of the oil on the end of the dip stick and got a nice 79C. I do live in maine and it was 35F outside, maybe the bottom of the pan transfers heat too quickly to get an accurate temp in cold weather.
After warming the car at idle the level was at the bottom of the 80C dipstick mark and after the drive it was close to the top mark.
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Just finished the job today. I drained only 3.85 liters - oil was pretty burned and there was a lot of sludge on the pan magnet. Accounting for clingage and spillage, I put 4 liters back in. When I put the dipstick in for a 25C measurement, oil was way off the mark (higher than even the 80C max). I went for a 20 mile drive and tried again and still way higher than dipstick mark.
Since I put in exactly what I drained, I am not worried. I am assuming either the dipstick was for the wrong model or some other user error in getting a reading.
I know it's stated above, but to be sure, does our C55 have a TC drain bolt?
Does one have to drop the pan in order to change the bushing that houses the o-rings that fail and cause a leak?
The c55 uses the 722.6 transmission. Is this right?
Tks much!
Re: bushings that cause leaks, do you mean the ones on the large electrical connector that goes into the trans? That one is actually above the pan too, but it is a bit easier to get at with the pan off. Caveat on my comments - they were from working on my C43, I never did the connector on my C55 just my C43. I think it was significantly easier doing it with the car on a hoist.









