Yidney

I have decided to go ahead and change my own transmission fluid rather than pay somebody else to do it. I think it was Abraham Lincoln who said "Every guy needs an exuse to buy an infrared thermometer."

For obvious reasons, the instructions require the car to be level. I have a level surface, but am wondering about the best way to get the entire car off the ground. For those of you who have raised an entire CLK in your garage, what was your process? One corner at a time with the factory jack high enough to slip a jack stand under? If I use jack stands, where can I put them on this car so it's still level? I don't own enough of anything to raise all four corners, so I'll need to buy/rent whatver I need, so let me know what my best options are. Thanks.

Rudeney

I use a rolling hydraulic floor jack and four jack stands. A low-profile jack works best. Don't jack on each corner - instead lift via the center jack pints on each axle. On the front, if you'll look at the bottom engine cover, you'll see a rubber block protruding through the middle of it. That's the front axle center jack point. On the rear axle, you lift from under the differential. If you jack has a nice rubber pad, then that's fine. If not, you'll want to put something like that between the jack and the diff to keep from damaging it. BTW, these are official MBZ-approved jack points. Once you get an axle raised, place the jack stands on the corner jack pints (those plastic pucks where the emergency jack goes). My advice is to go ahead and buy a good low-profile floor jack (you'll need it to get under the diff - it's a long reach from the rear bumper). I found one at Costco for about $100. I think Sears and Walmart both carry a "kit" with two jack stands and the jack.

Also, a perfectly flat "lift" may not put the transmission pan perfectly level (and that's what is needed). I think it has a slight downward slope to the rear. In my case, my garage floor is gently sloped toward the door, so that in combination with an extra notch on the rear jack stands got my pan perfectly level.

Oh, and use wheel chocks while jacking!!!

Yidney

Thanks Rodney. Jack stands on the actual jacking points was my first thought, but since the top of most jack stands is shaped sort of like a splayed open "U" I wondered if the plastic jack pads where thick enough to keep the jack stand from hitting the undercarriage or the rocker panel. You didn't have any issue with that?

Yidney

Rodney, I take it that you have done the tranny fluid job? My only question - at least for now - relates to the the amount of fluid running out the drain hole at the point you call it good and put the plug back in. One of the MB documents in the sticky shows a picture, and analogizing that picture to an engine oil change, oil runs in a thick stream at first, then becomes a skinny steady stream, then that stream starts to break up into separate large blobs, then finally just drips. I 'm gathering you close it up at the large blob stage?

Rudeney

Yep, I did this back in April. I posted about it here:

https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...id-change.html

Regarding jack stands, the tops of mine are sort of U-shaped, so I place the high point of one side in the center of the plastic jack point, and then let low part of the stand catch the protruding part of the jack point (sort of "spooning" them). My jack stand heads are about the same depth as the jack point slot, so the did not protrude to the rocker trim or the frame.

As for the fluid level, the way it works is above the drain opening, there is a plastic tube pointing upward. The full fluid level is obtained when it's even with the top of that tube. The bottom of the tube where it snaps onto the top of the drain opening actually has holes in it. You overfill by half a quart or so, then bring the temp up and open the plug. When the fluid level is above the top of the tube, you'll get a very thick, steady flow. Once it goes below, it still drips, but the fluid comes through the holes in the bottom of the tube and that's where you get the stuttering drips or blobs. It's hard to describe, but "you'll know it when you see it".

M-bENZ

Yidney,

does this means you going to change out the oil for the torque converter too while you at it ? If you going to do so, please take a lot of picture step by step how to change out the tranny fluid and for the torque converter. I know Rodney already did it but since you going to do it from the beginning and why not just have a nice DIY for the tranny & the torque converter on the same thread

Rudeney

Check the sticky threads - there's one for the 722.9 service:

https://mbworld.org/forums/clk-class...ce-thread.html

It has a link to another thread with more details and the WIS documents. Honestly, it's not that hard with the right tools. Probably the most difficult step is rotating the engine to get the torque converter drain to the bottom. I did this lying under the car with my feet toward the back. I had my face under the TQ access port so I could watch for the drain plug, then I used my arms stretched over my head to use a wrench on the bolt on the vibration damper to rotate it. WIS says to remove plugs (to reduce compression) but I did not have to do that - I was able to rotate it with them in.

Yidney

The thread Rodney refers to is about as good as instructions get. It really seems pretty easy as long as you are willing to buy the tools it requires - still way cheaper than getting it done - and take no shortcuts. But there are no pics in that thead so I'll take a few. Getting the car up in the air is the hardest part.

Yidney

Ok, that makes sense. Basically the fluid is right at the top of the stand pipe in the pan. I couldn't tell if you were supposed to plug it up just before it reached that level.

Yidney

Rodney, now that I see your write up I recall it. I'll read it all again, but had a question. You bought a new pan, but then talk about cleaning up the old one. Was yours already the new style? Do all 550s from the factory have the old style? I was hoping maybe by 2008 I could avoid that purchase.

EDIT: Never mind. I'm reading your thread and see you discovered it has the new pan. Still have the one you bought?

Rudeney

Yep - I still have that pan. I just wasn't thorough when I inspected mine - I looked at the wrong end and saw the lack of slope, so I assumed it was the old style. Then I found that only the very early MY2005 cars had the old pan style.

Yidney

I finally looked and have the new style pan. Now I'm just sort of amused how difficult it is to buy the fluid. Ryder no longer sells it because most of their shipments ended up with broken bottles. I live in a metro area of 2 million, but canot find tranny fluid except on e-bay.

Rudeney

Yeah, I hate that Ryder quit carrying it. I bought a case for under $6/qt and about half the bottles had leaked a little. They apparently expected this, so they pulled the bottles out of the carton and sealed groups of them in plastic bags. I thought I found another source, but after going through some hoops to setup an account, the also quit carrying it. Someone suggested contacting a local Shell dealer, like a Shell oil change center, and have them order a case from their distributor for you and that's less expensive than the MBZ/Chrysler dealer (oh yeah, many late model Chryslers like my wife's Jeep use the 722.6 so they stock the fluid).