ROYAL PURPLE DONE! : initial impressions
10-26-2005, 07:25 PM
#1
ROYAL PURPLE DONE! : initial impressions
hey guys,
I FINALLY got my car back from the shop today. they installed Royal Purple's Max-ATF transmission fluid inside my tranny. The transmission only actually needs 4 quarts where as the manual says quarts but thats b/c 3 quarts is used to fill the torque converter (which i did not both changing this time b/c it would have costed ALOT more. The total labor was only $60 with the fuel pressure regulator. anyways onto the results.
The transmission shifts MUCH smoother now. I was amazing at how smooth the transmission shifts now. The upshifts are now more precise and you can barely even feel them now, upshift into 5th gear use to be pretty strong but now its super smooth i can barely feel it. The tranny just behaves more like it should. Also its more readily availible to downshift so it requires less throttle to enguage a downshift, instead of needing a ton of pedal, like 20% less pedal is required. The car not only shifts smoother, but it shifts faster too, not a huge deal faster but it is definitely noticed, the combination of smoother and faster shifts along with better driveability definitely makes it worth it. Obviously it takes time for tranny fluid to fully break in (especially royal purple which one gets better over time). There is one annoying downshift clunk when the car is coming to a stop from 2nd into 1st, its still there but its not as bad as it used to be. Remember this is only just a preliminary review. I will add more to this thread at the 1 week mark, as well as the 1 month mark to document its improvement over time. I am very happy with the results and i think the car already feels better.
anyways im glad i could be the ghinea pig or you guys, i will do another review after a few more days of driving time so be on the look out for another post.
Grade: Inconclusive at this point but i will give a grade at the end of the week.
I FINALLY got my car back from the shop today. they installed Royal Purple's Max-ATF transmission fluid inside my tranny. The transmission only actually needs 4 quarts where as the manual says quarts but thats b/c 3 quarts is used to fill the torque converter (which i did not both changing this time b/c it would have costed ALOT more. The total labor was only $60 with the fuel pressure regulator. anyways onto the results.
The transmission shifts MUCH smoother now. I was amazing at how smooth the transmission shifts now. The upshifts are now more precise and you can barely even feel them now, upshift into 5th gear use to be pretty strong but now its super smooth i can barely feel it. The tranny just behaves more like it should. Also its more readily availible to downshift so it requires less throttle to enguage a downshift, instead of needing a ton of pedal, like 20% less pedal is required. The car not only shifts smoother, but it shifts faster too, not a huge deal faster but it is definitely noticed, the combination of smoother and faster shifts along with better driveability definitely makes it worth it. Obviously it takes time for tranny fluid to fully break in (especially royal purple which one gets better over time). There is one annoying downshift clunk when the car is coming to a stop from 2nd into 1st, its still there but its not as bad as it used to be. Remember this is only just a preliminary review. I will add more to this thread at the 1 week mark, as well as the 1 month mark to document its improvement over time. I am very happy with the results and i think the car already feels better.
anyways im glad i could be the ghinea pig or you guys, i will do another review after a few more days of driving time so be on the look out for another post.
Grade: Inconclusive at this point but i will give a grade at the end of the week.
10-26-2005, 10:57 PM
#2
Hey guys, well after driving the car for about 30 min tonight i have already noticed an improvement over earlier today, shifts are getting progressively smoother and smoother and also quicker and quicker. upshifts and downshifts are much more readily availible and the car behaves much much better. that hard downshift into 1st is also getting softer but is still felt . at full throttle the car shifts VERY quick and does not lag at all between shifts like it used to. you can really see the difference in the way the car is shifting.
Grade: A+ (especially for only $25)
Grade: A+ (especially for only $25)
10-27-2005, 06:11 PM
#3
well guys, this stuff keeps getting better and better. that "clunk" i normally get when downshifting into first is almost completely gone and the shifts are now super smooth definitely alot quicker. I highly recommend it out there for all u guys, especially if you are having shifting problems.
10-30-2005, 12:16 PM
#4
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Mercedes S600 1997
Hi Omey
I'm about to change the Tranny fluid in my car.
I was told by the mechanics to buy the original MB ATF fluid , but reading your posts on this Royal Purple , I'm thinking about buying it.
Can I use it for the v12 5 speed Tranny?
I think I can , but please let me know if you disagree.
Keep up the good work on your Beast!
I really enjoy reading about the improvements.
Dennis
I'm about to change the Tranny fluid in my car.
I was told by the mechanics to buy the original MB ATF fluid , but reading your posts on this Royal Purple , I'm thinking about buying it.
Can I use it for the v12 5 speed Tranny?
I think I can , but please let me know if you disagree.
Keep up the good work on your Beast!
I really enjoy reading about the improvements.
Dennis
10-30-2005, 06:53 PM
#6
well mercedes recommend mercon III, which Redline oils satisfy those recommendations and Redline oils even says its ok for mercedes use. however I have used Redline ATF in my BMW (BMW manual transmission use ATF oils). Redline oils start out decent but deteriorate over time. I then switched from redline to Royal purple and the results were amazing. Royal purple far exceeded my expectations and it only gets BETTER over time instead of worse (like redline). That is why i only use Royal purple oils in all of my driveline fluids from now on. You pay alittle more but it does wonders and you save alot in teh long run b/c your driveline components last much longer, run cooler, and reduce friction to make more power get to the ground.
www.jegs.com has royal purple at the cheapest price. i recommend it. I have 3 extra Max ATF bottles i will sell at a discount b/c i only ended up using 4, i have 4 unopened brand new bottles left. anyways lemme know,.
www.jegs.com has royal purple at the cheapest price. i recommend it. I have 3 extra Max ATF bottles i will sell at a discount b/c i only ended up using 4, i have 4 unopened brand new bottles left. anyways lemme know,.
10-30-2005, 08:06 PM
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1967 Morris Cooper "S", 1983 911SC, 1997 Toyota Tacoma, 1999 HD FXSTB, 1998 C43
Keep us posted, I'm using that next ATF change. I'm using right now the Mobil One Synthetic ATF. It's working great thus far...
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10-30-2005, 09:14 PM
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1997 S600 Sedan
Mercedes recommends Dexron III for transmissions up until the 722.6 models. The 722.6 transmission was introduced in 1996. For these, the factory recommends only the MB stuff. I have no idea why MB recommends only their fluid nor do I know the difference from other fluids. The skeptic in me says it's just marketing BS, but I don't know anything.
Brett
Brett
10-30-2005, 10:22 PM
#10
Originally Posted by brett san diego
Mercedes recommends Dexron III for transmissions up until the 722.6 models. The 722.6 transmission was introduced in 1996. For these, the factory recommends only the MB stuff. I have no idea why MB recommends only their fluid nor do I know the difference from other fluids. The skeptic in me says it's just marketing BS, but I don't know anything.
Brett
Brett
Royal purple also satisfies those requirements as well. Royal purple is the BEST fluid on the market and they have a fluid for literally every application (even race engine, which don't apply to our cars obviously).
Mercedes obviously only recommends their fluids for a reason... it costs more and they get all the profits. Most car manufacturers will recommend a specific fluid b/c of the politics involved. BMW recommends castrol not b/c its the best but b/c BMW has a special partnership with Castrol and exclusively uses all their oils. thats why. You are right it is marketing BS
10-31-2005, 06:33 PM
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1987 300SDL aka the "Money Pit"
Originally Posted by OmeyHomey
Mercedes obviously only recommends their fluids for a reason... it costs more and they get all the profits. Most car manufacturers will recommend a specific fluid b/c of the politics involved. BMW recommends castrol not b/c its the best but b/c BMW has a special partnership with Castrol and exclusively uses all their oils. thats why. You are right it is marketing BS
The later 722.6(I think) introduced in the late 90's is a 5spd auto. The trans fluid is claimed by MB to be good for life, although MB doesn't say what life means. I know of a few of these trans at or over 200k miles on the original fluid. A fluid change costs about $300 and really should only be done at the dealer. MB specs only their fluid and their filter. Also a special tool is needed to measure the fluid level. The fluid temp must be at exactly 80C to get a good reading. If it isn't the trans won't shift correctly.
So if you are going to change the fluid have MB do it, if you don't want to pay for that just leave the old fluid in their.
10-31-2005, 08:41 PM
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1997 S600 Sedan
It's a little premature to say that other brands of fluids cannot be used in a 722.6 transmission w/o success. But, I'm inclined to allow someone else to be the guinea pig.
Anyone with a few wrenches, the dipstick tool, and an IR thermometer can change the transmission fluid in the 722.6 transmission. It's not rocket science. The special tool for measuring the fluid level is simply the dipstick that the factory failed to give you when they built the car. It's available for about $30-40. The tube for the dipstick is there already. You can ping the transmission oil pan with the thermometer to measure the temp of the fluid on the other side of it. It should be pretty close to the outside of the pan. One should make sure to drain the torque converter as well, in order to get a complete fluid change, and there is a drain plug for doing this.
I've purchased all the fluid, parts, and tools that I need to change my 722.6 fluid, but I'm still undecided whether to actually change it. I'm at 115,000 miles on my V12, and I think it's unlikely that a fluid change has even been done. No noticeable issues with the transmission. I find it heartening that you say you know of 722.6's at over 200K. I think I might just check the fluid level and top off if it needs it. I did have to add fluid recently because I removed my radiator, which involves disconnecting the transmission fluid cooler lines from the radiator. Some fluid inevitably drains out, so I just guessed at adding it back. I'll check the level properly when I get the factory dipstick.
I went back and forth a bit when deciding to get the MB fluid. I believe it was about $10/L, which is only about $1.50 more than Royal Purple. At that point, why not just by the MB stuff?
Brett
Anyone with a few wrenches, the dipstick tool, and an IR thermometer can change the transmission fluid in the 722.6 transmission. It's not rocket science. The special tool for measuring the fluid level is simply the dipstick that the factory failed to give you when they built the car. It's available for about $30-40. The tube for the dipstick is there already. You can ping the transmission oil pan with the thermometer to measure the temp of the fluid on the other side of it. It should be pretty close to the outside of the pan. One should make sure to drain the torque converter as well, in order to get a complete fluid change, and there is a drain plug for doing this.
I've purchased all the fluid, parts, and tools that I need to change my 722.6 fluid, but I'm still undecided whether to actually change it. I'm at 115,000 miles on my V12, and I think it's unlikely that a fluid change has even been done. No noticeable issues with the transmission. I find it heartening that you say you know of 722.6's at over 200K. I think I might just check the fluid level and top off if it needs it. I did have to add fluid recently because I removed my radiator, which involves disconnecting the transmission fluid cooler lines from the radiator. Some fluid inevitably drains out, so I just guessed at adding it back. I'll check the level properly when I get the factory dipstick.
I went back and forth a bit when deciding to get the MB fluid. I believe it was about $10/L, which is only about $1.50 more than Royal Purple. At that point, why not just by the MB stuff?
Brett
10-31-2005, 09:10 PM
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1967 Morris Cooper "S", 1983 911SC, 1997 Toyota Tacoma, 1999 HD FXSTB, 1998 C43
Originally Posted by Hattaresguy
Well if you don't use MB's fluid you are shooting yourself in the foot for $3k-$5k when the trans craps out.
The later 722.6(I think) introduced in the late 90's is a 5spd auto. The trans fluid is claimed by MB to be good for life, although MB doesn't say what life means. I know of a few of these trans at or over 200k miles on the original fluid. A fluid change costs about $300 and really should only be done at the dealer. MB specs only their fluid and their filter. Also a special tool is needed to measure the fluid level. The fluid temp must be at exactly 80C to get a good reading. If it isn't the trans won't shift correctly.
So if you are going to change the fluid have MB do it, if you don't want to pay for that just leave the old fluid in their.
The later 722.6(I think) introduced in the late 90's is a 5spd auto. The trans fluid is claimed by MB to be good for life, although MB doesn't say what life means. I know of a few of these trans at or over 200k miles on the original fluid. A fluid change costs about $300 and really should only be done at the dealer. MB specs only their fluid and their filter. Also a special tool is needed to measure the fluid level. The fluid temp must be at exactly 80C to get a good reading. If it isn't the trans won't shift correctly.
So if you are going to change the fluid have MB do it, if you don't want to pay for that just leave the old fluid in their.
"Life" means as long as it's kickin'.....talk about ambiguous! How naive can you be.
10-31-2005, 11:41 PM
#15
Originally Posted by Hattaresguy
Well if you don't use MB's fluid you are shooting yourself in the foot for $3k-$5k when the trans craps out.
The later 722.6(I think) introduced in the late 90's is a 5spd auto. The trans fluid is claimed by MB to be good for life, although MB doesn't say what life means. I know of a few of these trans at or over 200k miles on the original fluid. A fluid change costs about $300 and really should only be done at the dealer. MB specs only their fluid and their filter. Also a special tool is needed to measure the fluid level. The fluid temp must be at exactly 80C to get a good reading. If it isn't the trans won't shift correctly.
So if you are going to change the fluid have MB do it, if you don't want to pay for that just leave the old fluid in their.
The later 722.6(I think) introduced in the late 90's is a 5spd auto. The trans fluid is claimed by MB to be good for life, although MB doesn't say what life means. I know of a few of these trans at or over 200k miles on the original fluid. A fluid change costs about $300 and really should only be done at the dealer. MB specs only their fluid and their filter. Also a special tool is needed to measure the fluid level. The fluid temp must be at exactly 80C to get a good reading. If it isn't the trans won't shift correctly.
So if you are going to change the fluid have MB do it, if you don't want to pay for that just leave the old fluid in their.
you are wrong.. my tranny DID CRAP OUT on mercedes fluid, it shifted like crap on benz fluid. I had tranny rebuilt and now i am running royal purple and I will never go back. Royal purple is used by more racing teams than any other motor oil, if you honestly think some regular mercedes dinosaur oil is going to be superior to the best synthetic on the market you are sorely mistaken... whatever, its your transmission. i learned my lesson the hard way.
11-01-2005, 10:35 PM
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1987 300SDL aka the "Money Pit"
I am wrong because your ONE trans crapped out out of several hundred thousand? Come on I have done a lot of research on this subject get over yourselves. The early 722.6 trans Ie 1998 ones had a lot of updates done to them so when they died they need to be replaced with an updated one.
I have seen fluid samples from three trans that had 120k, 150k, 240k on the fluid. All of them were darker in color and MB says that is fine. Remember tradition ATF is died red so it isn't confused with motor oil. ATF doesn't have to be red, it can be brown and work just fine. I am inclined to lean towards 80k-100k mile changes. Although if you get 200k out of any trans the rest is bread and butter, they don't last forever.
OmeyHomey how exactly did MB fluid ruin your trans? What parts did it cause to wear? The pump? Torque converter? Did the valve body get gummed up? If 3 quarts of Royal Purple made that much of a difference your trans must have been real full of varnish. Synthetic ATF of any brand will clean all of the varnish out of the valve body so it will shift better, so will Trans X for that matter. Besides you have a 93, that is just a regular 5spd not one of the sealed for life jobs. You can use any ATF in that.
So Staplegun how is your 722.6 doing on non MB fluid? We need a few guinea pigs...
I have seen fluid samples from three trans that had 120k, 150k, 240k on the fluid. All of them were darker in color and MB says that is fine. Remember tradition ATF is died red so it isn't confused with motor oil. ATF doesn't have to be red, it can be brown and work just fine. I am inclined to lean towards 80k-100k mile changes. Although if you get 200k out of any trans the rest is bread and butter, they don't last forever.
OmeyHomey how exactly did MB fluid ruin your trans? What parts did it cause to wear? The pump? Torque converter? Did the valve body get gummed up? If 3 quarts of Royal Purple made that much of a difference your trans must have been real full of varnish. Synthetic ATF of any brand will clean all of the varnish out of the valve body so it will shift better, so will Trans X for that matter. Besides you have a 93, that is just a regular 5spd not one of the sealed for life jobs. You can use any ATF in that.
So Staplegun how is your 722.6 doing on non MB fluid? We need a few guinea pigs...
Last edited by Hattaresguy; 11-01-2005 at 10:38 PM.
11-01-2005, 10:52 PM
#17
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c43
mb says you never need to change your tranny fluid.. EVER... which is a big lie, I changed mine to redline and have never been happier, shifted better than ever, and my tranny fluid was black and gross, it also had bits of metal in it, so I am glad to get that out of my car, I plan to chaning my tranny fluid every 6 months, I also work my tranny to death all the time, and mb trannys go out more than you would think, the c43 trannys, and 210 e55 trannys die often, more often than not...
11-01-2005, 10:52 PM
#18
well Life long trannies are different, 93 is a normal tranny. My bmw auto was a sealed tranny. I swapped over to stick transmission and thats when i used royal purple.
08-13-2008, 08:08 PM
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Used to drive E55
JUST DID THE RP ATF
I just did my RP Max ATF. You are right it's amazing. I got it from Kragen $9.99 a bottle. Only needed 4. No drain plug on my 99. I might drive it a little bit and then drain and refill again. just to get any old stuff out of the converter. So since you did yours any regrets? The guy at Royal Purple said they tested the MB ATF (which is really Shell 3403) and the Royal Purple is better than the MB oil. I am sure not too many people know that!
08-13-2008, 11:23 PM
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hey guys,
I FINALLY got my car back from the shop today. they installed Royal Purple's Max-ATF transmission fluid inside my tranny. The transmission only actually needs 4 quarts where as the manual says quarts but thats b/c 3 quarts is used to fill the torque converter (which i did not both changing this time b/c it would have costed ALOT more. The total labor was only $60 with the fuel pressure regulator. anyways onto the results.
The transmission shifts MUCH smoother now. I was amazing at how smooth the transmission shifts now. The upshifts are now more precise and you can barely even feel them now, upshift into 5th gear use to be pretty strong but now its super smooth i can barely feel it. The tranny just behaves more like it should. Also its more readily availible to downshift so it requires less throttle to enguage a downshift, instead of needing a ton of pedal, like 20% less pedal is required. The car not only shifts smoother, but it shifts faster too, not a huge deal faster but it is definitely noticed, the combination of smoother and faster shifts along with better driveability definitely makes it worth it. Obviously it takes time for tranny fluid to fully break in (especially royal purple which one gets better over time). There is one annoying downshift clunk when the car is coming to a stop from 2nd into 1st, its still there but its not as bad as it used to be. Remember this is only just a preliminary review. I will add more to this thread at the 1 week mark, as well as the 1 month mark to document its improvement over time. I am very happy with the results and i think the car already feels better.
anyways im glad i could be the ghinea pig or you guys, i will do another review after a few more days of driving time so be on the look out for another post.
Grade: Inconclusive at this point but i will give a grade at the end of the week.
I FINALLY got my car back from the shop today. they installed Royal Purple's Max-ATF transmission fluid inside my tranny. The transmission only actually needs 4 quarts where as the manual says quarts but thats b/c 3 quarts is used to fill the torque converter (which i did not both changing this time b/c it would have costed ALOT more. The total labor was only $60 with the fuel pressure regulator. anyways onto the results.
The transmission shifts MUCH smoother now. I was amazing at how smooth the transmission shifts now. The upshifts are now more precise and you can barely even feel them now, upshift into 5th gear use to be pretty strong but now its super smooth i can barely feel it. The tranny just behaves more like it should. Also its more readily availible to downshift so it requires less throttle to enguage a downshift, instead of needing a ton of pedal, like 20% less pedal is required. The car not only shifts smoother, but it shifts faster too, not a huge deal faster but it is definitely noticed, the combination of smoother and faster shifts along with better driveability definitely makes it worth it. Obviously it takes time for tranny fluid to fully break in (especially royal purple which one gets better over time). There is one annoying downshift clunk when the car is coming to a stop from 2nd into 1st, its still there but its not as bad as it used to be. Remember this is only just a preliminary review. I will add more to this thread at the 1 week mark, as well as the 1 month mark to document its improvement over time. I am very happy with the results and i think the car already feels better.
anyways im glad i could be the ghinea pig or you guys, i will do another review after a few more days of driving time so be on the look out for another post.
Grade: Inconclusive at this point but i will give a grade at the end of the week.
08-14-2008, 11:04 AM
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W220 S65 AMG
Where did you have this done? At the dealer?
What would they say if you brought them Royal Purple and asked them to change your tranny fluid? Or will they only allow MB Fluid to be used if you do it at the dealer?
What would they say if you brought them Royal Purple and asked them to change your tranny fluid? Or will they only allow MB Fluid to be used if you do it at the dealer?
08-14-2008, 11:47 AM
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Used to drive E55
Mine is out of warrenty anyway so I don't mind if they say "it might void your warrenty"
08-14-2008, 08:32 PM
#24
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It is not
a matter of warranty,the 722.6 trans needs the mb spec 722.6 or backwards compatible 722.9 fluid for proper operation,use anything else and you risk the chance of early transmission failure.Oxygen,you need to check if you have a dipstick tube later models don't and you will need to have it changed at the dealer with that special unit that fills it via the over flow vent at the pan.
I've been doing 722.6 fluid and filter changes with mb spec fluid on my own and other members cars since they reach 40k miles and every 40k after and have not lost one.RP and mobil 1 are fine for the old trans pre 98.... 722.6 the trans and converter were designed for use with the proper fluid.At a few grand for a rebuild why risk it to save a few bucks?Need the special dipstick pm me.
I've been doing 722.6 fluid and filter changes with mb spec fluid on my own and other members cars since they reach 40k miles and every 40k after and have not lost one.RP and mobil 1 are fine for the old trans pre 98.... 722.6 the trans and converter were designed for use with the proper fluid.At a few grand for a rebuild why risk it to save a few bucks?Need the special dipstick pm me.
08-19-2008, 05:37 PM
#25
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SO i have a 93' 500SEL. All i need is 4qts of Royal Purple in the tranny gears? Oh yeah i also heard alot of great things about Royal Purple. The guys in the Mitsubishi forum recommends it also. Buy 4 qts is all i need?
