mis3

For my 2004 CLK-320, my MB service adviser told me that there is no need to change the transmission fluid (supposed to last life-time).

Is this true? For my other car (Honda), I'm supposed to change the fluid every 100K KM or so.

The mileage of my CLK is now 130K KM. Is there any benefit to change it anyway? The MB shop will charge me $400.

benzdrifter

ya there is a benefit cause over time if you use that same tranny fluid it wouldnt lube your gears properly and it could cause tranny problems in the future but personal i like to keep my clk at its best

mis3

I asked my MB adviser more details. He told me that it's a big job. There is about 10 liters of fluid and they can change only 2-3 liters anyway because the rest are inside the transmission.

I want the best for my car but only changing 2 liters does not seem worth the money.....

mis3

Can someone please confirm that they can only replace a small portion of the tranmission fluid?

Supafly

Your CLK, does not have a drain port for your tranny. The transmission itself only holds a few litre of oil. The rest is housed inside the torque converter. The torque converter itself does not have drain port. So a hole must be drilled, tapped and plugged. A big job to say the least. Just dont beat on your mercedes and the oil should last the life of the car....

omar26

I dont know if there is a difference between a 500 and a 320, but I when i get my transmission service(all fluid, filter, and gasket) they first remove the the transmission pan and filter, then they plug in the fluid exchange machine to the drain port, shop i go to in va, Mars Auto Group uses BG trans flush machine and condtioners. after exchanging all fluids they change the filter, replace the gasket, put the trans pan back on, n then put 2 different condtioners of BG product through the dipstick hole for the trans fluid, let the car continue running for a while and then I drive home feeling like im in a new car. Trust me I do it on my SL500 and CLK500 and make a world of a diff.

moondust

It used to be: 'ATF is not changed during lifetime' (whose lifetime is not defined)

Then: Service Information SI 00.20-P-0022A dated 18 Feb 2005

"For Models 203/209/2125/220/230 with transmission 722.6
For Models 203/209/215/230 with transmission 722.9

In the future, the automatic transmission fluid in automatic transmissions 722.6/9 is to be changed once after 60,000km (37,500 miles)"

mis3

I am getting conflicting info from many sources.

One source (a bimmer forum) said that if the car has manual tranny, it is good to change the fluid. If the car has is automatic, the tranny usually has problems after the fluid is changed. Don't really understand why.

moondust

mis3

There is confusion because after telling buyers that the ATF lasted a 'lifetime', M-B had second thoughts (following problems?) and later recommended the SI above. Unfortunately by then it was no longer easy to get all the ATF out, so a system of 'partial change' is employed.

Why don't you ask your SA about the SI that I quoted? Maybe that one has now been superceded.

mis3

Exactly how many liters of tranny fluid are there? How many liters can be replace during this "partial change" procedure?

Like I said, if I can replace only less than half, it may not be worth it.

omar26

you can replace all of it with the flush, i believe it is 12 or 16 quarts, i forgot which one it was, with a drain n fill of the trans pan its ony 4 or 5

moondust

mis3

Capacity is about 7 litres, depending on gearbox type. I probably mislead you calling it a 'partial change'. As omar says, it is a flush. Here's how it works.

You drain the gearbox oil pan and remove 2.5 litres of ATF. Replace the filter and refit the pan with drain plug. Open up the oil line to the cooler at the banjo connector and connect it via a drain hose into a 10 litre bucket. You need 14 litres of ATF to start with. Add 5 litres of ATF into the dipstick tube via a funnel and start the engine. When 3 litres of ATF have drained into the bucket, turn the engine off. Add another 3 litres of ATF via the dipstick tube and repeat the procedure above twice, making the last fill short to allow for topping up. When the last 2 - 3 litres are added do not start the engine. Refit the oil lines at the banjo, and check the ATF level with the dipstick. If approximately OK, start the car and go for a short drive. Re-check the dipstick level. It should be at the upper level at 80 deg C.

mis3

My MB adviser actually said not to change the ATF. His point was if it's working, why bother.

I asked him to check the SI and he said that this SI applies to later CLK, not 2004.

Supafly

this is risky.... Im sure this will void warrantee for sure.
If it ain't broke why fix it right?

mis3

I want to do what's best for my car, kind of a preventive maintenance.

ATF, for most cars, is supposed to be changed every 100K KM.

moondust

I didn't make it up! It is from the M-B WIS DVD

It's called 'preventive maintenance' and you car will love you for it.

and what warranty? - the car has done 130k km!

omar26

ask any KNOWLEDGEBLE Mercedes Tech and he'll tell you fluid should be changed. the tech who works on my cars is master mercedes tech for 15 years and he reccomends drain n fill every 25,000 miles, and flush every 40,000 miles. im trying to think of how cleaning the gunk out of your car and replacing dirty trans oil would void the warranty. Call American Service center, i belive the second biggest mercedes dealership in the country, n i believe they use BG conditioner with their flushes. euromotorcars also use the BG transmission flush machine. In regards to your question, were talking not about fixing a transmission, but servicing it, and we do service maintenance to prevent things from breaking, hopefully tht helps, i wish i could have taken you on a before and after drive in my car, you would be amazed how diff the car drives after

mis3

I am totally confused.

One MB service adviser asked me not to change it and the SI applied to newer CLK models.

Another adviser (from another dealership) said I should change it every 60K KM and it would cost $400 but they could only change approx 4 liters of the ATF.

omar26

this place is only doing a drain n refill of your trans pan, 400 is crazy..for my whole service all trans fluid, BG condtioners, flush, filter, n gasket cost me around $200

blas0827

ok you cant do this you need a tool to put the fuild and i think you would rather pay $400 then $3000 for a new trans

omar26

r u saying u cant do a trans service tht includes a filter, flush and all fluids? why pay 400 for a drain n fill when u can get a trans service for 200+

moondust

mis3
The SI is very clear. It applies to certain models and certain automatic gearboxes. Nothing to do with year of manufacture. So it is retrospective from 2005, if you meet that criteria.

What auto gearbox do you have?

mis3

Mine is 2004 CLK320.
So, I have the 722.6, correct?

moondust

Yes. According to my WIS, your CLK 320 should be model 209.365 with AG 722.618.

I would have thought that with 130K kM on the clock, it was time to change your ATF, whatever the advice is. Nothing lasts forever!

mis3

I'm stilling waiting for a final response from MB. Looks like it will cost $400 CAN for the partial ATF change. Will cost more, maybe $700, to flush the whole thing.