Gently driven and well serviced 2006 E320 CDI w/105k on the odo. Transmission previously serviced at about 50k with fluid and filter changed by dealer - no noted issues or wear at that time.

Transmission (722.6) went into Limp Home mode recently and threw the code for the Conductor Plate. I've drained the fluid and disassembled the filter and found the following:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3898604...n/photostream/

As you can see, there are no funny silver or copper colors on the towel I drained the fluid through or in the fluid itself.

I have a refurb Valve body from MB that I am prepared to install given that I expect to drive the car a long time. I'm disturbed by the particulate I found in the filter. I'm likely to have the fluid sent off for analysis to ensure I'm not missing something. I've seen pictures of 722.6s with far more particulate that members say have driven fine with a complete fluid flush and new filter.

Anyone have any thoughts on what showed up in the filter and on the magnet?? There were two or three red flakes that I particularly did not understand. My concern, as I am new to the 722.6, is what "normal" is for particulate to show up on the tranny service.

Thanks in advance.

Ron

 

I wish I could answer your question. I have 49,000 miles on the clock and I'm about to tackle the job myself so i'll be watching this thread

BTW, do you have to get the valve body re-coded in order for the trans cpu to register it?

Steve

 

I have not found any guidance that says that step is required for it to work. I purchased the valve body, complete with conductor plate, as a reman directly from MB. Maybe the parts guy didn't know but he treated it like the whole thing was plug and play.

I'm nearly finished with the job and have fingers crossed. It has been heavily stated/suggested in other threads that the level of particulate I found (almost exclusively in my filter which I had to tear apart to find) is typical and well within limits. I'm encouraged as well by the color of my tranny fluid.

I'll be finishing the job this evening by disconnecting the forward return hose to pump out as much of the old fluid as I can to ensure as many contaminants are out of the system as possible.

 

Valve body has been carefully replaced, connections made properly, and fluid filled to proper level using the Mercedes tool. Only genuine Mercedes parts and fluids have been used for this job (complete valve body, ATF, pin connector, filter kit).

Long story short, it appears the car threw the tranny code that has to be cleared by the SDS or Xentry because the car will barely move in either forward or reverse. I do not have any leaks or strange noises. As part of this job, I disconnected one of the transmission lines to the radiator and pushed out additional fluid, 1 liter at a time, to clear additional old ATF from the system. All told I pushed out at least 7 liters of old ATF. There were no truly suspect pieces in the fluid or tranny filter. All of the AFT was drained through a clean white towel to spot debris. The particulate I noted earlier appears to be well within normal limits for this transmission.

I am now attempting to find or possibly purchase a system so I can read and reset the tranny codes.

 

Where do you live? Maybe someone here can help you out.

Steve

 

I'm in TN.

 

Well, I'm well overdue to update this thread and apologize for the lengthy delay.

Long story short, my car is back on the road. It was off the road for a few weeks due to my overabundance of caution tied with lots of "life" distracting me from finishing the job.

After some analysis and LOTS of research (sorting through lots of disjointed information), I decided I did not have a larger problem with the tranny past a bad conductor plate (TCU). Given the mileage on the car (106k) and the fact that I love it and intend to drive it a very long time, and also that I'd have to remove the valve body regardless, I purchased a reman valve body from MB and replaced the whole thing at a cost of about $600. I could have saved about $350 by just replacing the conductor plate, but with the stories of broken valve body springs, etc..., I decided it would be faster and better in the long run to replace the whole thing.

The install was very straightforward. The problem was in the refilling and I feel like a gold plated horses *** for being so skittish. In an effort to get all of the old fluid and dirt out, I disconnected a line and pumped several more ltrs of fluid out. When I began refilling fluid, I inadvertently felt I may have overfilled the tranny and drained some fluid out. In the process I lost track of how much I'd drained and replaced. When I thought I had the fluid correct, I started the car and it would literally not move. I didn't try to move it further for fear of damage. I let it sit due to other tasks needing attention and frustration and took more opportunity to research. My thought was the TCU needed the SDS to reconcile codes but that turned out not to be the case. After reviewing the measuring and refill procedure again, I made sure to do so with the engine running which I was not sure I had done before. Turns out, I simply needed more fluid which I have filled to spot on, at the correct temperature. Car runs great.

Best,
Ron

 

Forgot to add - THANKS to all for comment and assistance.

Best,
Ron

 

Happy To hear it all worked out!

 

I've turned a lot of wrenches and consider myself a really above average or better mechanic. I'm embarrassed by how this worked out on the fluid but I simply did not want to take chances with the potential angst and expenditure if I made a mistake. In the end, the repair was easy and not too much to get wrapped around the axle about.

Thanks again for the well wishes. I'm happy to have my car back on the road.

Ron

 

well i'm tackling the tranny fluid service on both my E's in the next couple weekends, weather permitting. Since its cold now. Worst case is drop the tranny pan and replace filter and refill. At least i know 3-4qts will be fresh fluid out of the 12 that it has.

 

FWIW, I'd definitely change filter and strongly consider disconnecting the return line and pump out more fluid - its not a big deal. If your E is older, there is a drain plug on the torque convertor which is helpful. Clean the pan with lint free cloth and note how much material is there.

Even without disconnecting the return line, you should still see at least 5 ltrs drain from the pain.

Use a MB filter and fluid. I've been vetting alternatives to the MB fluid but have to to decide on a suitable alternative.