HI, have 2003 ML350 got a transmission leak see drips on the back of the oil pan. gasket and electric plug replaced. its leaking from somewhere else.
Looks like its coming from driver side of the tranny and only leaks out a little puddle after driving when i park. When i wiped everything real good started the car for a wile let it idle id didnt leak at all.
How can i pin point the leak? THanks

What oil pan, eng. or trans.?

Transmission.

well thats the problem i jacked up the car, wiped everything dry, started up for a wile and start looking. waited waited and didnt see a thing.

It could be the trans.front seal is faulty.

I was thinking maybe linkage for parking lock or seal for for range selector. If its the rear trans seal, how much work involved and does the transmission have to come out or just the transfer case? just wonder if its possible for me to do it in my garage and if i need any special tools. thanks

I edited my previous post to make it the front seal. This requires the removal of the trans.

You will have to see if there is oil leaking between the eng. and trans.

Hi, can't be the front seal because after i drive front of the pan is dry only the back of it have drips and its wet where brackets meet transmission from the exhaust pipes. Didn't get to check in to it more kinda busy at work will be working on it end of the week.

Post photos of where it is leaking.

I will end of this week, what else i noticed that transfer case is all wet, but i think its wet because of the transmission leak. i will post few pics of it after i drive it and get the fluid to start leaking, because it usually leas after driving.

The transfer case has a vent hose. Make sure it is not broken or detached.

Didnt check the vent hose yet. But i am suspecting that the leak actually comes from oil pan, because i tighten the bolt better and took it for a ride. Came home parked it and checked it out not much came out maybe few drops but not like last time, i had a little puddle under the car. I guess china new gasket is no good, ordered a MB OEM gasket will see if it will fix the problem. will let you know. Thanks

When you remove the oil pan, place the open end on a flat surface and see if you warped it by over tightening it.

The tightening torque for the bolts is 8 Nm.

Will put it on a glass and see it if its warped

looks to me like its leaking from range selector lever, the only place i found wet, what is the seal part #? and whats the steps to replace it? mainly how do i get the seal out and in? Thanks. I really hope thats the leak because, its getting to be annoying already

Here are the instructions. For the correct seal number, post your full vin #.

vin# 4JGAB57E83A424470
i called the dealer and ordered the seal, he said it will take 2 days to get. seal part# he give me is 0069970147.

They are correct.

Installed the seal today, very hard to get it out and press it in, not much room to work and i am lucky that i was in a middle of driveshaft replacement, that helped a lot, more room to work with.
Checked oil pan if its not worped, put it on a window glass and it was nice and flush. Tighten the screws to 8NM will see how it will go, hope its all good, will update when i drive it for a wile.
THANK YOU!!!!!

Good show.

Hi Mr Dundee, got a little problem. I didnt get to drive the car yet because doing bunch of stuff ti it still, new braked and other stuff. But i started the car and had to put it in neutral to engage low and high range. Well when i try to put it back in park it started to make clicking noise felt like i could not put it in Park for some reason. When i replaced the seal i didnt take much apart at all but one pin fell out on me few times, when i removed that black spring like plate, ill attach the picture.
To describe the clicking sound id say its like chain slipping on a sprocket and i feel it on the shift knob inside the car when im trying to put it in park, can you please help me and tell me what i might did wrong? Thank you

I have no idea what pin you are referring to because the arrow is not pointing to anything.

You had to remove one bolt to remove the lever and the seal. What happened after that I do not know.

To remove that bolt i had to take that black spring like metal piece off first, its held by 1 screw in the middle. But at the end of it if you take that spring piece out there is a metal pin id say its about 3 inch long fell out. I put it back didnt look like anything else fell out.
I was thinking yesterday< my front driveshaft is not on the car right now i am waiting for replacement one, because rubber boot was all messed up on it. Maybe when i put it in reverse or drive and it was spinning free on the transfer case maybe that is why it was making that clicking noise? would driveshaft off the car cause that noise?

I have no idea where that pin came from and you now have bigger problems with running the car without the drive shaft attached. There are only two pins in the parts diag., 70 and 140. You will just have to figure it out.

This is what happens when you want to tackle things that you have no experience with.

I didnt run the car without the shaft, it is jacked up, i just put it in neutral and back to park and that is when i hear the noise, so i shut off the car and it goes to park. cant have the experience if you dont do it and mess up few things.
Maybe if i install the shaft it will be ok ?! it should be here by the end of the week.
What can happen if i started the car and changed from park to drive or reverse without the shaft?