HELP shop put Tran fluid in engine 😳
01-24-2018, 07:17 PM
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2009 Mercedes C63 AMG
HELP shop put Tran fluid in engine 😳
I got my tranny serviced yesterday well when I picked up it was at closing that same day I got my keys crank it and it sounded funny and was putting when giving it gas this was my first Tran service on the car so I thoght maybe it just need to be drivin a little so I drove home and didn’t drive it again till this morning on my way to work it’s sounded the same and drove the same then about 2min from work I kind of gased it and when it shifted into second it through me forward and barley shifted it was bad I got to work and new somthing was wrong so when I got off work I went to show my mechanic at work and I started it up and white smoke poured out the exhaust I killed it instantly and checked the oil and It was filled with tranny fluid I called the shop and asked were they put tranny fluid in at he said the red tranny dip stick in the back of the motor 😑 so yeah my engine is filled with transmission fluid and my transmission has none it......is my engine and tranny done for how bad do y’all think this is what do I do about this do I get a lawyer I mean he told me he put it in the engine
01-24-2018, 07:30 PM
#2
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I got my tranny serviced yesterday well when I picked up it was at closing that same day I got my keys crank it and it sounded funny and was putting when giving it gas this was my first Tran service on the car so I thoght maybe it just need to be drivin a little so I drove home and didn’t drive it again till this morning on my way to work it’s sounded the same and drove the same then about 2min from work I kind of gased it and when it shifted into second it through me forward and barley shifted it was bad I got to work and new somthing was wrong so when I got off work I went to show my mechanic at work and I started it up and white smoke poured out the exhaust I killed it instantly and checked the oil and It was filled with tranny fluid I called the shop and asked were they put tranny fluid in at he said the red tranny dip stick in the back of the motor 😑 so yeah my engine is filled with transmission fluid and my transmission has none it......is my engine and tranny done for how bad do y’all think this is what do I do about this do I get a lawyer I mean he told me he put it in the engine
01-24-2018, 07:34 PM
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2012 P31 C63 Coupe Trackrat, 2019 GLE63S Coupe Beast
I got my trans serviced yesterday. Well when I picked up it was at closing that same day. I got my keys, crank it and it sounded funny and was putting when giving it gas. This was my first trans service on the car so I thought maybe it just need to be driven a little so I drove home and didn’t drive it again till this morning.
On my way to work it sounded the same and drove the same. About 2min from work I kind of gassed it and when it shifted into second it threw me forward and barely shifted. It was bad. I got to work and knew something was wrong. When I got off work I went to show my mechanic at work. I started it up and white smoke poured out the exhaust. I killed it instantly and checked the oil and It was filled with trans fluid. I called the shop and asked where they put trans fluid in, and he said the red trans dip stick in the back of the motor ��
So yeah my engine is filled with transmission fluid and my transmission has none in it. Is my engine and tranny done, or how bad do y’all think this is? What do I do about this? Do I get a lawyer? I mean he told me he put it in the engine.
On my way to work it sounded the same and drove the same. About 2min from work I kind of gassed it and when it shifted into second it threw me forward and barely shifted. It was bad. I got to work and knew something was wrong. When I got off work I went to show my mechanic at work. I started it up and white smoke poured out the exhaust. I killed it instantly and checked the oil and It was filled with trans fluid. I called the shop and asked where they put trans fluid in, and he said the red trans dip stick in the back of the motor ��
So yeah my engine is filled with transmission fluid and my transmission has none in it. Is my engine and tranny done, or how bad do y’all think this is? What do I do about this? Do I get a lawyer? I mean he told me he put it in the engine.
Dont bring it back to the other shop. Flatbed it to someone who knows what they’re doing (MB dealer) to determine what damage has been done, flush your oil and fill your trans properly. Get it all documented. Once you know if there’s permanent damage or not (probably yes), then you can go back to the original shop with your demands.
If if this is all accurate, and you drove your car around for a couple days with nothing in the trans, then it’s probably smoked. Engine might be ok.
01-24-2018, 08:05 PM
#4
Buy a 10 qt drain pan. Drain the engine fluid into the uncontaminated pan and then take three 8oz samples out. Send two samples out for professional oil analysis by two different labs. Save the third sample. Have an unbiased witness with you who is willing to attest to the whole process if necessary. That'll be the only way to get a handle on engine damage but you'll want to use a borescope too. GL.
01-24-2018, 08:06 PM
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after they told me they put it in the red dip stick I told him that’s my oil dip stick and he was speechless and I heard him immediately asking the mechanic who did my car was sure I cut them off when the mechanic said he was and told him there is no transmission dip stick he told me he would tow it to shop in the morning and look at it I’m just worried I mean you can google somthing like that so now I’m not sure I want them near my car at all they might just drain oil and refill in the right spot and say it’s good and my car just fall apart 6months later 😩
01-24-2018, 08:10 PM
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Fixed/translated it.
Dont bring it back to the other shop. Flatbed it to someone who knows what they’re doing (MB dealer) to determine what damage has been done, flush your oil and fill your trans properly. Get it all documented. Once you know if there’s permanent damage or not (probably yes), then you can go back to the original shop with your demands.
If if this is all accurate, and you drove your car around for a couple days with nothing in the trans, then it’s probably smoked. Engine might be ok.
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01-24-2018, 08:15 PM
#8
after they told me they put it in the red dip stick I told him that’s my oil dip stick and he was speechless and I heard him immediately asking the mechanic who did my car was sure I cut them off when the mechanic said he was and told him there is no transmission dip stick he told me he would tow it to shop in the morning and look at it I’m just worried I mean you can google somthing like that so now I’m not sure I want them near my car at all they might just drain oil and refill in the right spot and say it’s good and my car just fall apart 6months later ��
01-24-2018, 08:23 PM
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Okay thanks for all the advice I’m just in shock lol I have my receipt showing the date and a full transmission service I’m definitely not gunna letting them touch my car I’m just going to call the shop back tomorrow and have them tow it to Mercedes and have them run a diagnostics and see what all is damaged then if they don’t want to flip the bill then I’ll just lawyer up
01-24-2018, 08:53 PM
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Do y’all think the fact that have a receipt showing I got a full service yesterday and Mercedes will clearly see all the transmission fluid is in the engine and the trans has none that that will be enough proof to have the transshop pay for everything ?
01-24-2018, 08:54 PM
#12
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I would even have MB film removing the trans fluid from the engine and film them opening the trans pan to show that there is no fluid in it. Also make sure they document CLEARLY why you brought the car to MB and ensure that they document CLEARLY what they found. You need to make sure that you cover all angles.
01-24-2018, 08:57 PM
#13
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The shop that did it should pay for whatever damages. You can't drain much out of the trans, without knowing how it works. If you just pull the plug with it not running, you get 2-3 quarts out, it's gonna be low but still have fluid in it. The engine overfilling wont' really hurt anything on this platform. The trans running low can cause serious damage, I'd do a proper trans service with filter, cut the old one open and see if there's any metal shavings or excessive wear particles in there. IF it is, have the dealer quote you for the repairs and have the shop pay for it.
01-24-2018, 09:24 PM
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01-25-2018, 09:17 AM
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But....I think I know why they made this terrible error....Older Mercedes models used to have a red tranny dipstick at the back of the motor. My 1993 W124 has it.
Damn though....I hope you're not left with a bad car after all this. Pity really...
01-25-2018, 09:34 AM
#17
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they may be 5 stars for working on ford and GM transmissions.. If they were that good, they would have known that Mercedes hasn't used a transmission dipstick (aside from the new FWD cars) for the last decade.
01-26-2018, 10:17 AM
#18
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The shop that did it should pay for whatever damages. You can't drain much out of the trans, without knowing how it works. If you just pull the plug with it not running, you get 2-3 quarts out, it's gonna be low but still have fluid in it. The engine overfilling wont' really hurt anything on this platform. The trans running low can cause serious damage, I'd do a proper trans service with filter, cut the old one open and see if there's any metal shavings or excessive wear particles in there. IF it is, have the dealer quote you for the repairs and have the shop pay for it.
i agree that the shop is horribly reckless and irresponsible for NOT making sure the protocol was followed for this particular vehicle and also that you should crucify them legally to the point your car/yourself are rectified......but as to the other****
there is good content in the quoted reply above. If they didnt drop the pan then you still should have roughly 4qts of fluid in the trans, this is not really an issue if driven short term as the MB procedure actually calls for adding fluid LESS than the required volume, then driving for a short period, then adding more fluid and correcting level. With that being said i would say most likely that once your tranny fluid level is returned to normal it will be fine. As for the engine, i also dont think that youll see any engine damage as a result of this error. the smoke you saw was most likely contaminants/sludge/upper valvetrain debris burning off due to the tranny fluid being introduced. they didnt drain the oil they just topped it off, meaning that if they were checking the level prolly less than 2qts would have been added. Keep in mind that you are not talking about 100% trans fluid lubricating your engine you are talking about a trans fluid/oil BLEND. When i have engines come into the shop that are gummed/sludged up and nasty as hell on the top end i will drain the oil, fill with 100% trans fluid, drive for approx 20min, drain fluid from pan, refill with fresh oil and new filter and call it a day with a VERY clean engine internally. In other vehicles i actually run 1qt of trans fluid in the oil at all times to keep sludge/build up from forming in the 1st place. An complete oil change(pan and cooler) and i honestly believe the engine will prove to be fine as well. IF you drove it as little as you say you did if it were my car i wouldnt be scared at all of either engine or transmission being damaged. Now other variables would change that of course(them actually draining trans and running dry or you driving for LONG periods with only 4ish quarts of fluid in trans)......very interested to see how this turns out
01-26-2018, 11:44 AM
#20
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Nowhere does it say to drive with 4L of transmission fluid in the protocol? It should never operate below 6.5L and definitely not driven below 8L.
If the converter and the transmission has been drained properly somewhere between 7.5 to 8L can be extracted. for the refill an additional 0.5 should be added. The transmission and torque converter hold from bone dry to full about 10L. Therefore 2L liter always stay in the Transmission even if drained properly.
Either way if they did not knock off the overflow pipe in the transmission pan roughly 2L could have been drained which leaves you with at least 8L remaining in the trans. Which is enough to not damage the transmission.
i agree that the shop is horribly reckless and irresponsible for NOT making sure the protocol was followed for this particular vehicle and also that you should crucify them legally to the point your car/yourself are rectified......but as to the other****
there is good content in the quoted reply above. If they didnt drop the pan then you still should have roughly 4qts of fluid in the trans, this is not really an issue if driven short term as the MB procedure actually calls for adding fluid LESS than the required volume, then driving for a short period, then adding more fluid and correcting level. With that being said i would say most likely that once your tranny fluid level is returned to normal it will be fine. As for the engine, i also dont think that youll see any engine damage as a result of this error. the smoke you saw was most likely contaminants/sludge/upper valvetrain debris burning off due to the tranny fluid being introduced. they didnt drain the oil they just topped it off, meaning that if they were checking the level prolly less than 2qts would have been added. Keep in mind that you are not talking about 100% trans fluid lubricating your engine you are talking about a trans fluid/oil BLEND. When i have engines come into the shop that are gummed/sludged up and nasty as hell on the top end i will drain the oil, fill with 100% trans fluid, drive for approx 20min, drain fluid from pan, refill with fresh oil and new filter and call it a day with a VERY clean engine internally. In other vehicles i actually run 1qt of trans fluid in the oil at all times to keep sludge/build up from forming in the 1st place. An complete oil change(pan and cooler) and i honestly believe the engine will prove to be fine as well. IF you drove it as little as you say you did if it were my car i wouldnt be scared at all of either engine or transmission being damaged. Now other variables would change that of course(them actually draining trans and running dry or you driving for LONG periods with only 4ish quarts of fluid in trans)......very interested to see how this turns out
there is good content in the quoted reply above. If they didnt drop the pan then you still should have roughly 4qts of fluid in the trans, this is not really an issue if driven short term as the MB procedure actually calls for adding fluid LESS than the required volume, then driving for a short period, then adding more fluid and correcting level. With that being said i would say most likely that once your tranny fluid level is returned to normal it will be fine. As for the engine, i also dont think that youll see any engine damage as a result of this error. the smoke you saw was most likely contaminants/sludge/upper valvetrain debris burning off due to the tranny fluid being introduced. they didnt drain the oil they just topped it off, meaning that if they were checking the level prolly less than 2qts would have been added. Keep in mind that you are not talking about 100% trans fluid lubricating your engine you are talking about a trans fluid/oil BLEND. When i have engines come into the shop that are gummed/sludged up and nasty as hell on the top end i will drain the oil, fill with 100% trans fluid, drive for approx 20min, drain fluid from pan, refill with fresh oil and new filter and call it a day with a VERY clean engine internally. In other vehicles i actually run 1qt of trans fluid in the oil at all times to keep sludge/build up from forming in the 1st place. An complete oil change(pan and cooler) and i honestly believe the engine will prove to be fine as well. IF you drove it as little as you say you did if it were my car i wouldnt be scared at all of either engine or transmission being damaged. Now other variables would change that of course(them actually draining trans and running dry or you driving for LONG periods with only 4ish quarts of fluid in trans)......very interested to see how this turns out
01-27-2018, 03:03 AM
#21
Junior Member
First of all, please use punctuation. Using no punctuation at all makes it difficult to understand what you're writing and makes you come across as being stupid. Glad BLKROKT took the time to "translate" the original post, or I probably wouldn't have even bothered reading it.
As for the car... I know you've probably already come to this conclusion on your own, and don't need me to beat a dead horse, but this is what happens when you take a Mercedes to a generic mechanic/transmission shop. To avoid stuff like this in the future, take the car to a dedicated Mercedes mechanic who has experience with this particular car.
As others have mentioned, it's entirely possible that no damage was done depending on how much transmission fluid was drained. Good luck, and keep us updated!
As for the car... I know you've probably already come to this conclusion on your own, and don't need me to beat a dead horse, but this is what happens when you take a Mercedes to a generic mechanic/transmission shop. To avoid stuff like this in the future, take the car to a dedicated Mercedes mechanic who has experience with this particular car.
As others have mentioned, it's entirely possible that no damage was done depending on how much transmission fluid was drained. Good luck, and keep us updated!
01-29-2018, 03:53 PM
#23
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