Mercedes' "special" transmission fluid = Chrysler ATF+4?
01-05-2007, 03:20 AM
#26
i did use ATF +4 in may car for around 4to5 weeks at the advice of sales rep at Pennzoil Quaker state company then discoverd that it was not compatable
any way this my advise
get the spec's on MB ATF and the same for all other oils you want to use
when you try to match up the 2
you will know that no oil is compatable
finnaly I wish there is other oil we can use so we do not have to pay $20 a litter
any way this my advise
get the spec's on MB ATF and the same for all other oils you want to use
when you try to match up the 2
you will know that no oil is compatable
finnaly I wish there is other oil we can use so we do not have to pay $20 a litter
Do you know in what way it is not compatible ie. what chemical element?
What can be that different in an MB box to any other?
Im guessing MB has put the scares into the oil co's?
Bazzle
01-06-2007, 02:00 PM
#27
These are from MB "Factory Approved Service Products".
Personally, I would still use only MB's ATF. And I would change more frequently.
BTW, on the same page, MB has a footnote: Please see your authorized Mercedes Benz Center regarding applications.
Personally, I would still use only MB's ATF. And I would change more frequently.
BTW, on the same page, MB has a footnote: Please see your authorized Mercedes Benz Center regarding applications.
Last edited by cerritos; 01-06-2007 at 02:08 PM.
01-06-2007, 04:03 PM
#28
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Thread Starter
Most of those "factory approved" products listed do not apply to our cars. They are for the older 722.3, 722.4 and 722.5 transmissions.
Dumping Dexron III in the 722.6 is a sure way to kill your transmission!
Dumping Dexron III in the 722.6 is a sure way to kill your transmission!
04-26-2007, 05:40 PM
#29
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98 slk230, 98 ml230, #8 #24 and #17 Nascar race cars for promotional events see my home page.
A.T.F. ad naseum
O.K. heres the dealio.. Chryslers use the ZF 722.6 Trans. and they put the ATF+4 fluid in those vehicles as well as earlier years. I use Mobil synthetic on the ZF transmissions that I rebuild.
I am switching to ATF+4 which is a fourth the cost at the Chrysler dealer, M.B. wants you to be scared and pay the outrageous price for their fluid.
M.B. also wants you to believe that some transmissions are sealed for life. Guess thats why when my wife took the SLK230 in for taillight recall the service adviser tried to sell her a tranny service!
Does M.B. tell us to do the same thing with a engine?? I guess the engine which has friction,heat,wear, deserves its fluid changed but not the transmission??
For those of you who don't service your transmission at regular intervals, if you live near the midwest states of U.S.A. keep me in your thoughts, I would love to rebuild your transmission when it fails.
I feel most the stories about trans. failure after service don't include that there probably was a problem which initiated the service.
Everyone who has serviced their trans. has noted "burnt" and "discolored " fluid. "huh wonder what that means??"
Every site including this one has a long thread pertaining to this issue of service or don't service and then which fluid. Its like beating a dead horse.
Just service it and use whatever fluid you want, but make no mistake about it! Anything that generates enough friction and heat will need to be serviced and eventually fail...
I am switching to ATF+4 which is a fourth the cost at the Chrysler dealer, M.B. wants you to be scared and pay the outrageous price for their fluid.
M.B. also wants you to believe that some transmissions are sealed for life. Guess thats why when my wife took the SLK230 in for taillight recall the service adviser tried to sell her a tranny service!
Does M.B. tell us to do the same thing with a engine?? I guess the engine which has friction,heat,wear, deserves its fluid changed but not the transmission??
For those of you who don't service your transmission at regular intervals, if you live near the midwest states of U.S.A. keep me in your thoughts, I would love to rebuild your transmission when it fails.
I feel most the stories about trans. failure after service don't include that there probably was a problem which initiated the service.
Everyone who has serviced their trans. has noted "burnt" and "discolored " fluid. "huh wonder what that means??"
Every site including this one has a long thread pertaining to this issue of service or don't service and then which fluid. Its like beating a dead horse.
Just service it and use whatever fluid you want, but make no mistake about it! Anything that generates enough friction and heat will need to be serviced and eventually fail...
Last edited by dumokie; 04-27-2007 at 10:13 AM.
04-27-2007, 09:46 AM
#30
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CLK, R350
Im no expert but I used mobil 1 synthetic on my car after researching this subject 3 years ago. With 30,000 miles on the tranny fluid, and 116,000 on the transmission the car is shifting fine. "KNOCK ON wood". I will probably flush and change the filter again soon, using mobil 1. It is crazy to think that MB really has a "special" unique tranny fluid.
11-06-2007, 10:55 AM
#31
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98 slk230, 98 ml230, #8 #24 and #17 Nascar race cars for promotional events see my home page.
Random guy??
When did I become just a "Random Guy"?? I thought I was somebody??
I use Mobil 1 and ATF+4 in Z.F. transmissions.
I rebuild them all the time and EARLY failure is almost always due to neglet.
(not being serviced!!!)
I am not some oil executive, or brainiac. I am not gonna get into the micro-molecular structure of these fluids.
I am just sharing my experience. any auto. transmissmission will eventually fail, its the law of wear/tear and aging.
All I know is that servicing your trans. will extend its service life.
I have transmissions including my own in excess of 100k miles running mobil 1 and several past the 50k mark with ATF+4, but what do I know??
Chrysler trannys are the exact same as M.B.s but if its a M.B. it needs the expensive snake oil the stealership sells??
I use Mobil 1 and ATF+4 in Z.F. transmissions.
I rebuild them all the time and EARLY failure is almost always due to neglet.
(not being serviced!!!)
I am not some oil executive, or brainiac. I am not gonna get into the micro-molecular structure of these fluids.
I am just sharing my experience. any auto. transmissmission will eventually fail, its the law of wear/tear and aging.
All I know is that servicing your trans. will extend its service life.
I have transmissions including my own in excess of 100k miles running mobil 1 and several past the 50k mark with ATF+4, but what do I know??
Chrysler trannys are the exact same as M.B.s but if its a M.B. it needs the expensive snake oil the stealership sells??
02-27-2008, 05:16 PM
#32
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1990 300CE 24v
* domokie, do you offer a warranty on your MB auto trans rebuilds (722.6 specifically)? And, if you do, do you encounter any problems selling non-MB fluid for those rebuilds? How do you solve those problems? I guess I'm asking how you sell consumers on using the non-MB fluid, given the ubiquitous campaign to cloud the issue. Will there ever be a proof-positive argument short of Mercedes publishing a list of alternate fluids?
* I ask partly because I just read this thread and also because I've got a '98 C230 customer who's rightly thinking about a transmission fluid and filter and I want to do better than $15/liter for fluid.
* I ask partly because I just read this thread and also because I've got a '98 C230 customer who's rightly thinking about a transmission fluid and filter and I want to do better than $15/liter for fluid.
02-27-2008, 10:07 PM
#33
Senior Member
After all this chatter I've scheduled an appointment for my Transmission service ay my local dealer. I'm quite certain they'll rip me off but at least I'm assured I'm getting the right fluid. I have 86k miles and the Transmission has never been serviced. Works perfectly. I bought the car at 60k miles and have done the oil changes myself every 10kmiles (Mobil 1 0w40) Hasnt needed much else and I've never set foot in a Mercedes dealership. Anyone care to guess what else the Service Advisor tries to sell me? Those guys are commisioned salespeople by the way.
02-28-2008, 03:43 PM
#34
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1999 E430, 2006 Escalade ESV
I wonder
How much do you save really and is it worth the risk? I mean, how often do you change the fluid anyway? It is not like the oil every 10k miles.
02-29-2008, 09:51 PM
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97 E320
After all this chatter I've scheduled an appointment for my Transmission service ay my local dealer. I'm quite certain they'll rip me off but at least I'm assured I'm getting the right fluid. I have 86k miles and the Transmission has never been serviced. Works perfectly. I bought the car at 60k miles and have done the oil changes myself every 10kmiles (Mobil 1 0w40) Hasnt needed much else and I've never set foot in a Mercedes dealership. Anyone care to guess what else the Service Advisor tries to sell me? Those guys are commisioned salespeople by the way.
