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HELP!!! Transmission Oil Change: Torque Converter Drain Plug Access Problem
Hi Everyone,
My 2013 ML350 is due for a transmission oil change but I'm having trouble removing the torque converter drain plug. I've removed the rubber cover and see the drain plug, but the angle and placement of the plug makes it almost impossible to remove. I've look in the workshop info system but the photo they have of the rubber cover and torque converter drain plug location actually looks different from what I see underneath my car.
Another thing I notice is the workshop manual requires removing the transmission auxiliary oil pump but I cant seem to locate it.
Something is very strange, because if you have access to the workshop info AR2700P2702W you would see that first you remove the aux oil pump in AR2730P0651GQ first then see AR2720P0200-03R on how to drain the torque converter--it's all explained and you haven't rotated the engine enough to gain the proper access.
You better read carefully before you stsrt putzing around with a very expensive system!!
I've looked at the workshop info over and over and I see in step 3 to remove the auxiliary pump but dont see it when I'm underneath my car. I actually have access to the rubber cover and see the torque converter drain plug by turning the engine. However the drain plug is at an angle where I can't fit any tools. The hole with the rubber cover is too small. It's about an inch in diameter. I've tried cranking the engine back and forth but still no luck.
If anyone has replaced their transmission oil before on their W166, please let me know what you guys did. Thanks.
OK... well haven't done my ML350 yet,(too new), but here a link/video done by 'Scott52', which I followed to the letter for my GLK350. Scott did a great job with the video, albeit, a little hard to hear sometimes!. Things are a bit different with the ML no doubt, but the main theme is there. good luck http://www.benzworld.org/forums/x204...er-change.html
OK... well haven't done my ML350 yet,(too new), but here a link/video done by 'Scott52', which I followed to the letter for my GLK350. Scott did a great job with the video, albeit, a little hard to hear sometimes!. Things are a bit different with the ML no doubt, but the main theme is there. good luck http://www.benzworld.org/forums/x204...er-change.html
Thanks for the link, but I've watched that video several times before I started working on my car. The hole to access the torque converter drain plug in the video is a lot larger than the one on my ML350.
The workshop info procedure seems to be an exact copy of the older model M class, W164. Even the photos used in the torque converter oil drainage procedure uses the old oil pan and not the new and current one installed on my vehicle.
It seems the W166 transmission oil change is different from the W164 as far as accessibility and location of certain parts but the workshop info is still using the old procedure for the newer vehicles.
i also need to change my atf...can you post a pic if you can??? thank you!
I just found out that the larger hole to access the torque converter drain plug was moved to 10 o'clock on the bell housing. The photos are what I took from under my vehicle and the last photo I found from another thread.
[QUOTE=pete87;6743669]I just found out that the larger hole to access the torque converter drain plug was moved to 10 o'clock on the bell housing. The photos are what I took from under my vehicle and the last photo I found from another thread.
[/QU
thanks for the photo man!! so all i have to do is drain from the pan and TC (1st and 3rd pic) correct?
I just found out that the larger hole to access the torque converter drain plug was moved to 10 o'clock on the bell housing. The photos are what I took from under my vehicle and the last photo I found from another thread.
[/QU
thanks for the photo man!! so all i have to do is drain from the pan and TC (1st and 3rd pic) correct?
That's correct but I still haven't been able to access the drain plug. It's at a very bad angle and no tools will fit the hole. I can't imagine putting the bolt back in if I was to successfully remove it.
Other posts mentioned that dealerships required taking out the transmission in order to drain the torque converter and charge over $1000 to do a full transmission oil drain.
That's correct but I still haven't been able to access the drain plug. It's at a very bad angle and no tools will fit the hole. I can't imagine putting the bolt back in if I was to successfully remove it.
Other posts mentioned that dealerships required taking out the transmission in order to drain the torque converter and charge over $1000 to do a full transmission oil drain.
oh my....i guess ill just drain and refill twice..haha thank you!
oh my....i guess ill just drain and refill twice..haha thank you!
Maybe I'm mistaken on the ML, but you can't just drain and refill! Please see the video in a link I posted further up this thread. For starters, there is no FILL pipe! Rather to refill the tranny, new oil must be pumped through the oil pan drain plug. The oil pan must be removed for two reasons, replacing the filter, and reinstalling the oil leveler above the drain plug( you must punch that out to drain most of the old fluid. The correct height of the new fluid is measured off, by heating tranny to 45*C..(can't remember exactly now) the excess will drain off. Oil cooler must be drained... blown out! MB takes a DIM view of not replacing all trans pan bolts with new bolts....
Just a heads up for those that think the job is just to open some drain plugs and refill... not a .5hr job
Maybe I'm mistaken on the ML, but you can't just drain and refill! Please see the video in a link I posted further up this thread. For starters, there is no FILL pipe! Rather to refill the tranny, new oil must be pumped through the oil pan drain plug. The oil pan must be removed for two reasons, replacing the filter, and reinstalling the oil leveler above the drain plug( you must punch that out to drain most of the old fluid. The correct height of the new fluid is measured off, by heating tranny to 45*C..(can't remember exactly now) the excess will drain off. Oil cooler must be drained... blown out! MB takes a DIM view of not replacing all trans pan bolts with new bolts....
Just a heads up for those that think the job is just to open some drain plugs and refill... not a .5hr job
wow thanks for the info! man i thought my bimmer was hard guess not..haha
Wait, MB of Tucson just told me W166 MLs do not have a torque converter drain plug when I asked the tech specifically to check. I went through this with an old W204.
Based on what I'm seeing here...they do.
MB Tucson just changed my trans fluid, not including TC. I'm interested if you guys find a definitive answer.
H'mmm if its too tricky to remove the t/q bung, why not arfter cleaning pan replacing filter, pan bolts + stack tube, just pump in extra oil then disconnect cooler return line, start + pump out a measured amount.
Repeating say a couple of times like you do on most vehicals (t/q bung is a luxury) reconnect line, then bring up to temp + drain off to correct level.
I've done our W164 which has good access to t/g bung, still pumped alitte bit out cooler line to flush cooler + lines, setting oil level is easyer than a vehical with fill tube / dipstick. I just removed the hose from my adaptor put on a small prepared plastic cap with a small hole punched in it then inserted the probe of a digital thermometer up into the oil.
Wow. My 2012 ml has 66k miles and I need to do this Tranny oil change.
This seems like a mission.
So not even a drain and fill is easy
It not really that hard to do, you just need a few essential tools to do it properly Just think of all the money you will save by doing it yourself and you know it will be done right
ECS Tuning makes a couple of prepackaged kits with everything you need to change the Automatic Transmission fluid and filter: ECS Tuning Kits
If you need a print out of the procedures just send me a PM with your VIN number and I will send you a .PDF file
Reviving an old thread, I know. But I'm curious as to why no one does a simple flush?
On my FJ which also has no dipstick or fill-tube, I simply popped the return (output) line from the oil cooler. I'd start the truck, drain 2-3 litres, shut and fill, then do it all over again. The oil was a disgusting jet-black at +/- 80k miles. 14 quarts later, the oil was a pure red...
Started the truck and held the brakes while accelerating in drive until the tranny case was barely above body temp. All this while the fill port on the tranny was open. It when the dripping was practically stopped, I put the plug back on and called it a day.
Why can't we simply do the same on an MB? I know I've over-simplified with my FJ which has replaceable filter..
Ok, so drop the pan, change the filter and clean the magnets. Fill the tranny with about 5-6 litres of oil thru the fill/spill port and then do what I stated earlier.
Coincidentally I am changing the filter and fluid in the transmission of my W204 C63 AMG tomorrow and looked up the procedure in the MB WIS Service manual. There is a flushing procedure exactly as you stated. Good job!!
The service manual "WIS - Workshop Information System" for the W166 does not list a way to flush the transmission without using the transmission rinsing device.
I find this kind of strange because the service manual for my W204 C63 AMG lists a way to flush it the way you stated and it also shows using the transmission rinsing device which is the exact same procedure for the W166.
When you use the transmission rinsing device per the service manual, on either vehicle, it does not mention changing the filter which is again weird.
The transmissions are similar but not the exact same model since my C63 has an MCT Multi Clutch Transmission which is a wet clutch setup instead of a torque converter. They are both listed as 722.9 transmissions.
I have attached the .PDF files for the procedures for the W166 and W204 so you can see the different procedures they list.
I do not see any reason you could not flush the transmission on the W166 the way it is described in the .PDF file for the W204, which is the way you suggested.
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Just think of all the money you will save by doing it yourself and you know it will be done right 
