ap10046

The car was getting a bit "bogged down" and stuttery at low speeds, so decided to change the tranny oil.
I got a box of 10X1 litre cans and the oild filter and drained the horrible looking old oil. Only 5
Litres came out (??) Anyway, put in the recommended (?) 7 litres and the car wouldn't budge!!
Added another .5 litres, still no! It needed like 3000 rpm to even begin to move!!
All of a sudden, a whole lot of smoke from the back and vibration and refusing to budge, won't shift into the 1,2,3,4 mode!!
I just parked her on the side of the road till tomorrow morning!! What could be wrong??
I only added oil and changed the oil filter!

jcpca356

need more details on the car, model, year, mileage...etc

Clinton Horn

Ordinarily, I would not speculate but since I did the same service with better luck recently, allow me to make a few points.
1. We can assume the car is a 5 speed since there is no underhood filler for the 7?
2. I have an E320 and that tranny drained 136-138 oz (depending on the spilled puddle)That is about 4 liters. Some stays in the case and must be removed with shop equipment that I did not have.
3. If you have a dipstick tool. I believe it should register about 2-3/4 inches (70mm?)up the stick when measured at operating temp.
4. You don't mention the filler tube tamper tab etc. The right fill tube says workshop use only and the tab is broken when the cap is removed.
There are good photos to identify this at this thread https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...placement.html
5. Overfilling any auto trans is very risky. Causes seals to fail. Still your problem appears to be very serious. Could you have added the transmission oil to the engine crankcase? This would cause the kind of problems you describe.

I would not move that car. Consider having it towed

ap10046

5 speed, yes.
I will use a thin flexible wire to see the level. I think its absolutely ridiculous for MB not to include a dip stick!
The engine oil filler is a big cap at the front of the engine, the tranny filler is a thin tube coming up from the bulkhead at the rear so I'm sure I didn't get those mixed up. No tab on mine.
I got about 5.5 litres of fluid out.

MB211

Sounds like you added trans fluid to the engine oil----

toooo much oil in crankcase = smoking out of the tail pipe

no oil in trans = no shifting

MB211

BTW----The crankcase and trans dipstick tubes are right next to each other----the trans tube is slightly lower and has a locking clip in it that breaks on removal

Clinton Horn

I think MB211 is correct. You can recover from this maybe without any damage.
1. Check to see if the tranny fluid is low. A wire will certainly tell you something. I would add only enough to get the transmission to engage. Underfilling is clearly indicated by slipping. Overfilling is transparent. I suggest no more than 4 liters (maybe be add 3 to start).
2. If the engine crankcase has too much fluid you have added tranny oil to the wrong dipstick tube. The FSS might also indicate overfilled but I would not bet on it. If you added tranny oil to the diptube and there was no seal on the cap, I think you made a mistake. Again, see the photo in the post I hyperlinked.
3. If there is ANY reason to think that tranny oil has been added to the crankcase, an oil change with filter is a must.

If you are handy and the weather permits, you might get away with this on the side of the road but I would sure consider getting the vehicle to a safe spot, even if you have to push it. Starting the motor without verifying above is a grave mistake IMHO.
If you think this is impossible, there are others on this forum that have made similar mistakes. It is just a learning experience. Don't panic. You can make it right.

ap10046

I don't think that's the case on the E240..but its surely something im going to recheck on in a bit!!
But after putting 7 litres in, i thought it was a bit much so I drained 2 litres..so it has to be the right filler (??)

Clinton Horn

PS I don't think the tranny filler tube is visible without pulling the plastic air cleaner housing. Not on mine anyway.

ap10046

Mine is easily accessible behind the air cleaner housing. Also I dont have the red dipstick filler in the front of the engine.

Clinton Horn

I apologize, Should not have made the assumption it was a V engine configuration. I am at a loss but I would still MAKE SURE that you are not adding fluid into the wrong place. Perhaps the 240 engine does not have an oil dip tube. We don't get that engine in 211's here in the states.

Benz-O-Rama

I was going to say the same thing, but thought to myself 'surely, he didn't do that.'

gisham

Which proves the point its always good to include the specs of the vehicle in question...

MB211

Isn't 240 still a 6cyl? They all have a dipstick tube......

I still do not understand how draining trans fluid or adding too much trans fluid can make the tailpipe smoke...

....now having to much oil, and a detergent oil like trans fluid, in the crankcase is a different story----I am sticking to my assumption until proven otherwise

ap10046

Hi MB211,
what I mean to say is : the 2.6 V6 that we have has only a single filler tube at the back of the engine. Some of the pictures i have seen of US spec cars have a 2nd filler too..with a red cap? I don't have this. We fill in oil through the large oil cap at the front right of the engine, as you stand looking at it.

vettdvr

Ok,, I admit,, I have done this.

The transmission tube on the V8 is much lower than the oil dip stick tube. It also has a "semi" square cap with locking tab on it. To find and confirm the correct fill tube, start under the car at the transmission. Find the fill tube, then trace it back up to the top of the eninge. If you did not break off the locking tab prior to removing the fill tube cap you probably added the transmission oil to the engine. Remember we go through this because MB has a better idea and vs. clearly marking and labeling these tubes they make the black, lower them behind the firewall and don't mark them as to oil or transmission.

If the transmission oil was added to the engine then it must also be changed.

The real question is why was the fluid gunky? Coolant from the radiator? Remember the transmission wasn't performing properly when the fluid was drained.

MB211

I have yet to see a MB engine that does not have an engine oil dipstick tube. What does the cluster state on engine oil level. Are you sure it is not a 722.9 trans!? The .9 trans does not have a dipstick----and it would only drain the 4 liters you stated......

What year is your car? PM me vin and I can check....

The correct answer is usually this most simple----
You started with a trans problem and ended with an ENGINE and TRANS problem----
2+2=?

On a more positive note= The trans fluid does a great job of washing out engine sludge--not great for bearing lubrication and seals, but great detergent.

mcleantmw

I agree with others........sounds like you put transmission fluid into the engine oil tube at the rear of the engine. My E500 has two rear engine tubes: The first and higher one is the engine oil access tube which doesn't come furnished with a dip stick. The second tube is lower and further back and it has a black cap with red tab that says something like Workshop Only. If this is true that you put transmission fluid into your engine, you'll need to get both drained completely........engine may need special work by a MB specialist to ensure it's completely flused out. Also, sounds like your transmission may need more work than just adding fluid unless there's an obvious leak.

MB211

Any new news?

vettdvr

Correct I have done exactly that.

I ran my engine with the extra 4 qts of tranny oil about 60 seconds before I realized the . But I just drained the engine oil/filter and installed new, then added tranny fluid in the CORRECT tube and all is well. Nothing special to drain the engine oil as the transmission oil is an excellent lubricant and whatever is left after a full oil drain is insignificant.

Tariq

I agree the same it happen always

ap10046

Ok all,
I will get you guys a picture of the engine bay. Only 1 single filling tube at the back of the engine, between the air cleaner cover and the bulkhead and nothing in the front of the engine.
Well, all seems to be well now. About 2 litres of the transmission oil "leaked" into the engine..how this happened is beyond me. Drained both the oils overnight. Refilled the engine oil and then put 6.5 litres of thicker Mobil tranny specific oil (not the watery OEM MB oil) and she was as good as new..
I lost a fair bit of sleep there, i tell ya..!!

MB211

I smell something funny......

Oil leaked from the trans to the engine? Then the trans concern was fixed by putting the WRONG oil in trans?

ap10046

...basically....yes...

blas0827

if you done know the car or read up a doing that you can mess it up bad i know you done want to pay $4000 for a trans its much safer taking it to a dealer