lakers2011

2000 ml55 anyone know what the 2 black plastic rectangular covers are on the bottom of the transmission...mine are leaking fluid......also what is the black hose right below the transmission, it also seems to be leaking soem kind of fluid...neither look or smell like the mobil one synthetic motor oil.....

cfwp81a

These two plugs are to access the torque converter drain plug. If you have the original trans it 'might' have a plug. Some 2000's do and some don't because it was the last year MB provided the plug drain. The hose is the trans cooler hose, which goes to the right radiator tank to cool the fluid. The hose has a small copper gasket that you can buy and replace. The other leak is either the plug (if you have one), the input shaft seal on the trans, or the rear main oil seal on the engine. If it is the plug, it too has a small copper gasket that can be purchased and replaced. It it is either of the other two seals... get ready to spend the big bucks to fix it. The trans has to be dropped to change either of those two seals. Since you do not smell oil however, it is most likely MB trans fluid. Good luck!!

lakers2011

thanks for the reply....seems to be the fluid leaking from the those black caps is kinda a red color so I guess it could be tranny fluid..however the fluid leaking from the black line underneath is clear???? any ideas? my ml55 only has 68k miles, is the common? Also, had the crakshaft position sensor changed the other day and when the old sensor was pulled out is had oil on it...any ideas? The independent that changed the sensor said it needs a rear main seal.......

cfwp81a

68k on any ML is usually when things start to go downhill... Sorry to say. You will probably start getting plagued with several issues in the next one to two years. The CPS is very common at that mileage for failure. The magnetic reluctor can no longer 'sense' the position ring that is attached in front of the torque converter and shuts off the engine sporadically as a safety measure even though the engine is not an interference fit. With regard to your issue, it is as I said prior and was confirmed by the tech. The rear main oil seal is leaking oil. If the oil has been changed recently, the oil will appear 'clear'. The same oil that is leaking there is what was found on the defective CPS but would not necessarily be the cause of its early demise. If I were you, I would try to seek a reputable German auto repair facility and get a quote for the rear main seal R&R. The stealer charges 222 dollars an hour for labor now here in AZ and will get you good. If it were a car, it wouldn't be as bad. But with an ML or a G class, the transfer case has to come out before the engine in order to access the flex plate and the rear main seal. Good luck with this!!

lakers2011

WOW......68k is when they begin to go downhill?????.......WOW..Mercedes must have took some serious flack if these ML's are truly that unreliable!!! There must be a ton of recalls....any lawsuits???

cfwp81a

The early ML's MY98' and MY99' were the worst for quality issues. In 2000, they began to improve but the 02-05 models were the most reliable. There is a ton of blogs out there on ML's and not all are good. MB took it all in stride for the most part. It seems that the people that can afford a new MB are not concerned with the problems that plague older models that they no longer own. Most three to five year leases get a person out of their vehicles prior to the issues we are seeing now. It is a relatively unused term called 'designed obsolescence'. The electrical systems are notorius for problems on most used German vehicles. Honestly though, when you drive around, how many older (2000 and earlier) BMW's, MB's, Audi's, or VW's do actually see on a consistent basis? Not many... How long has it been since you saw a 1984 Audi 5000 or any other 80's cars? Long gone... Brand new is the way to go for MB's, then dump em after the lease, No more problems!