quicker gearbox oil change
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CL500, W212 e350 mega-spec
quicker gearbox oil change
Anyone ever seen the method of disconnecting the hose from the automatic gearbox oil cooler and using the internal gearbox pump to pump out the oil so you can change it?
I did this yesterday on my Volvo. The method is described on the Volvo forum and it's so easy and it changes all of the fluid.
1. start by opening the sump plug on the gearbox and draining out whatever comes from there. In the case of the Volvo about 4 litres came out.
2. Add the same amount of new fluid back into the top of the gearbox. I emptied the old fluid into a bucket which had measurements on it so I knew how much new fluid to put back in.
3. In the case of the Volvo you disconnect the top hose from the gearbox oil cooler. It actually comes off without using any tools, just push in the plastic clip and pull the hose out of the cooler.
4. Connect a clear hose to the hose from the gearbox and put the other end into a container. It helps if the container you're draining into has graduation marks so you can measure how much old oil comes out.
5. Have a helper start the engine while you watch the old oil pumping out through the clear tube. In the case of the Volvo it will pump about 2 litres of fluid before it starts to splutter. At that point shout to your assistant to kill the engine.
6. Add the same amount of new oil that came out back into the gearbox.
7. Repeat step 5. On the Volvo it will drain another 2 litres before it starts to splutter.
8. Add the same amount of new oil back into the gearbox.
9. Check the gearbox oil level and top up if necessary.
I can't see why this shouldn't work on other cars like it does on the Volvo. The pressure of the fluid coming out of the box to the oil cooler isn't very high. It takes about a minute for the 2 litres to pump into the container.
I want to change the oil on my Mercedes gearbox and I've been quoted around £400.00 which is prohibitively expensive so I've held off on doing it. That figure is for a full flush... which is basically what you achieve with the method described above.
Anyone ever heard of this method before? The reason I knew about it was because I did it a few years ago on another Volvo and remembered how easy it was. So did it again on the current car which was desperate for a change and it was really good. I'll probably try it on the merc in a few months time.
I did this yesterday on my Volvo. The method is described on the Volvo forum and it's so easy and it changes all of the fluid.
1. start by opening the sump plug on the gearbox and draining out whatever comes from there. In the case of the Volvo about 4 litres came out.
2. Add the same amount of new fluid back into the top of the gearbox. I emptied the old fluid into a bucket which had measurements on it so I knew how much new fluid to put back in.
3. In the case of the Volvo you disconnect the top hose from the gearbox oil cooler. It actually comes off without using any tools, just push in the plastic clip and pull the hose out of the cooler.
4. Connect a clear hose to the hose from the gearbox and put the other end into a container. It helps if the container you're draining into has graduation marks so you can measure how much old oil comes out.
5. Have a helper start the engine while you watch the old oil pumping out through the clear tube. In the case of the Volvo it will pump about 2 litres of fluid before it starts to splutter. At that point shout to your assistant to kill the engine.
6. Add the same amount of new oil that came out back into the gearbox.
7. Repeat step 5. On the Volvo it will drain another 2 litres before it starts to splutter.
8. Add the same amount of new oil back into the gearbox.
9. Check the gearbox oil level and top up if necessary.
I can't see why this shouldn't work on other cars like it does on the Volvo. The pressure of the fluid coming out of the box to the oil cooler isn't very high. It takes about a minute for the 2 litres to pump into the container.
I want to change the oil on my Mercedes gearbox and I've been quoted around £400.00 which is prohibitively expensive so I've held off on doing it. That figure is for a full flush... which is basically what you achieve with the method described above.
Anyone ever heard of this method before? The reason I knew about it was because I did it a few years ago on another Volvo and remembered how easy it was. So did it again on the current car which was desperate for a change and it was really good. I'll probably try it on the merc in a few months time.
