TRANSMISSION HELPPPPPP!!!
 

So, finished my radiator swap today and figured I'd just do the tranny service while I was at it - replaced the filter and gasket - attempted to replace the transmission plug that sits on the side (its a big round plug) the new one was NOT sitting in well so i decided to just re-install the old one ... lowered car let it run for a few mins and then poured 3 liters of MB ATF - went to try to put the car in park to take for a short test drive so I could check the fluid levels and ....... nothing ... the car will NOT go into gear! tried it a few times, turned the car off several times and still nothing .... I did hear some sort of noise coming from underneath near the tranny ...

any clue what it could be??? Like I said all I did was disconnect that plug, replace and gasket and filter and thats IT! :eek:

It sounds like you don't have the electrical connector seated properly.

On what basis did you pour in three quarts vs. some other amount? And poured in where?

^^^ Good point - you need a dipstick to check the actual fluid level.

I poured 3 individual liters of fluid ... and I poured them into a small tube located at the rear left side of the engine that had a RED cap on it -- attached is the picture

Rudney I do have the MB fluid check tool - I paid the 60$ and bought it :) ... but like I said I didn't even get that far as the car won't go into shift! .... the only thing I can really think it is the big connector plug ... that maybe its just not fully seated or something ... I didn't lift car back up to ck as the car was now HOTT from running for 10 mins or so, so I figured I'd wait till tomorrow when the car had cooled down ...

as far as the fluid amount, when I bought the fluid the dealer stated the tech advised to start with 3 liters and ck and add as needed after that ... said he recommended around 3.5 liters but to ck first after filling with 3 ... hope all that makes sense ...

I'm almost positive that is your engine oil dipstick tube.

my car doesn't have an engine dipstick ... there are only 2 holes on my engine this one and the motor oil spout at the front of the engine

Yes, no engine oil dipstick, but an engine oil dipstick tube where the dipstick tool is inserted to measure oil level.


I'm not too familiar with the CLK55, but if it has the M113 engine and 722.6 transmission, then you put trans fluid in your engine. It's been known to happen. There are several threads about it in the W211 forum.


Your transmission dipstick tube is located out of sight a little further back between the firewall and engine. It has a black cap on it with a red locking pin. The locking pin and the cap may not be there if it's been serviced before.

UPDATE: so apparently I'm a moron! it IS the engine oil dipstick tube or should I say the vacant NON-engine oil dipstick tube! I poured it in there! I feel so stupid! I read a procedure and apparently the true tranny tube is located under the engine air cover near the MAF - I hope it didn't harm the engine as I ran it for a good 10 mins -- tomorrow I will be draining the oil and filter ...

should I drain and run a set of engine oil and drain again to make sure all tranny oil is gone??

now the challenge will be to locate 3 new liters of MB Tranny oil ... on a Sunday that is :(

Efivehundred, see my comment above ... what do you think I should do??? :wall:

and yes it does have the M113 and 722.6 combo

Don't beat yourself up over it. Mistakes happen.


I don't think at this point you have damaged anything. In my opinion, the residual trans fluid left in the engine after you drain and refill with engine oil won't harm the engine.

thanks bro! it just hurts the ego ... such a noob mistake ya know! ;)

I had planned at using Motul for my oil but hadn't ordered it yet ... all I can find locally on a Sunday thats decent is M1 0w40 at the local walmart ... would you recommend it?

I don't think you can go wrong by using M1 0-40W. I may be the recommended oil for your engine; it is for the M273.

If you're going to fill, then change the oil and filter again after 20-50 miles, you could probably use a less expensive oil for the purpose of purging. I would also not change the filter for the purge, since I believe it is upside down and drains when the engine is off.

Just my thoughts. Go with what Efivehundred, or one of the Gurus, recommends.

I'm sure your ego will heal fast once you get this sorted and your back on the road.


I have 9 quarts of Mobil 1 0W-40 (European Car Formula) here for my upcoming oil change, so yeah, I recommend. It's on sale at Walmart, about $23 for a 5 quart jug.

I'm pretty sure almost every newer (2008+) Mercedes uses Mobil1 5W-40, but here in the United States it is almost impossible to find. If you do find it here in USA it's typically specialized for use in a diesel engine (not recommended). As such, 0W-40 is most commonly used as a replacement.

Personally, I liked the way my car ran better with 0w-40. It's a bit thinner in colder temperatures, which resulted in smoother cold starts up here in the northeast (NY). I once started calling local dealers to see what they used and got mixed answers between 5w-40 and 0w-40. To make a long story short, you'll be fine with 0w-40.

If you're concerned with residual tranny fluid left over after a flush you can try to put another quart of engine oil in and re-evacuate. However, the small amount of residual tranny oil shouldn't mess things up at all. In fact, people back in the good old days used to toss in tranny oil to the engine oil purposefully to clean the engine with its detergent properties and run for a hundred or so miles before a full oil change.

In today's day an age most tranny fluids have less detergents than synthetic engine oils. The only main difference is that tranny fluid typically has a lower viscosity (thinner) than engine oil. Just drain and replace with proper Mobil 1 0w-40 fluid and look into why your tranny won't shift out of gear.

thanks for the info sir! Update: I drained the engine oil yesterday and poured another 2 quarts of M1 thru it and let drain some more to try to get all ATF out and I think it went went well - refilled it with 8.25 qts of engine oil and poured the 1 qt of ATF I had into tranny and put into gear and it moved a bit which is all I expected - today I went to dealer and picked up 3 new qts of MB ATF and poured 2 more in for a total of 3 qts and measured and measured fine - went for a drive and tranny performed and shifted fine - so I think all is well now :)

I am thinking of sending a sample of the old ATF to lab for analysis ... anyone ever use any company other than Blackstone?? I found a company named JG Lubricants ... anyone have any experience with them? below is the link - Thx!

http://www.jglubricantservices.com/o...s-program.html

FYI, Mobil 1 0w40 is the preferred oil, but there are other brands and viscosity oils that meet the 229.5 spec:

http://bevo.mercedes-benz.com/bevolisten/229.5_en.html