wace818

I have a 04 clk500 that was leaking coolant from top hose as well as transmission fluid from the line going to the radiator. I decided to change the radiator and after having some problems with the clip holding the transmission line i finally got it to hold. After driving for about 5 minutes i saw some smoke and pulled over to find transmission fluid poring from the radiator line..on the way back to the house i noticed the transmission was a bit sluggish. I fixed the line and I added some trans fluid to replace what i lost but now when i put the car in gear, it takes a couple of seconds to kick into gear and the car barely wants to move...I'm hoping that this is not a serious transmission problem and i'm trying not to panic......If anyone has any input, it would be greatly appreciated.

Plutoe

You best bet is to take the car to a good transmission shop that works on MB's and ask their advice!!

CDM Motorsports

did you just put some fluid in or do you have the tool to make sure its the correct amount?

I would tow it if you have to bring it to a shop. I have seen lots of people ruin a trans because a line blew and it ran low.

tw2

I had a line blow out after the dealer did some work so it can happen to anyone. You definitely need the correct tool for measuring and follow the very finicky procedure at the correct temperature with the engine on.... good memories.

wace818

Thanks for the advice guys...I pulled an error code p0730 from the scanner today and will be visiting my indie guy tomorrow. I'll keep you updated.

Thanks

wace818

Update....So, as it turns out, i put the transmission fluid in the wrong tube. I did not see the other tube with the looked cap on it until i removed the engine cover and that's when i discovered my mistake. Added some transmission fluid to the right place and the car is back to normal...I also changed the oil and ordered a transmission dip stick..

insame1

are you saying that you put trans fluid in the oil?

wace818

@insame1...Yes, that's exactly what i'm saying. When i discovered my mistake i drained the old oil and replaced it. I guess time will tell if the transmission oil will have any ill effects on my engine but according to my mechanic the transmission fluid will act as a cleaner for the engine. He said he used to add transmission fluid to his oil and drive a couple of days before doing an oil change.

insame1

It shouldn't hurt the engine but I would be concerned about the trans running with no fluid in it.

tw2

Don't worry you are definitely not the first to do this on the boards. Yes the engine should be fine. The transmission time will tell. Thanks for posting the outcome, it may help someone else.

ItalianJoe1

Thanks for sharing, a lot of people get too embarrassed and don't admit what actually happens.

If you didn't overheat the trans running it low on fluid, you should be ok. How low was it? It's impossible to say if you did any real damage, but if it's fine now with the correct amount of fluid, it's probably going to be just fine.

The engine won't be hurt at all by the transmission fluid, it's just really high detergent oil essentially. It might affect some seals in the long run, but there's no real way to gauge that and it's largely dependent on the current condition of them anyway, which is more a function of maintenance history than anything else.

wace818

@ItalianJoe1...Yes i was embarrassed but it never crossed my mind to lie about it. I mean everyone makes mistakes right?....As far as the transmission, when the line came loose from the radiator i was only about a 1/2 mile from my house but i did loose quite a bit of fluid. When i finally added transmission fluid to the right place i added 3 quarts and the car seemed to be fine. I wasn't until 2 days later when i received the dip stick that i discovered i was still about a qt low, which of course i added....Car seems to be running fine with the new fluids.

So thanks again guys for your support, encouragement and all around knowledge..This is easily the best forum for all things Mercedes.......... I'm now going to change the sway bar links to see if i can get rid of that clunking noise that's driving me crazy..

kb24forlife24

Don't worry, I accidentally put transmission fluid in the engine oil too. We all make mistakes.