RichDMB

Is it straightforward where there are two bolts to remove, a lower to drain and an upper to fill? What mileage is it recommended to change, and which fluid do you use. I used Purple Synchromax in bimmers.

BOTUS

I don't get people - you don't use oil you like - these days seals, bearings and materials in most boxes / pumps / engines / etc. are all slightly weird, designed specifically around the fluids Manus develop to operate together - you don't chose what you want to put in - the most sensible thing is to buy the Exact Merc stuff from a Merc dealer, or if you like taking risks, find the correct Exact spec and use a very well know brand's oil that meeting it

budget junk, from we claim to make the world's best oil is like draining the fluid and running it on air - lots of these weird name oils people in the USA talk of, have never been heard of in the rest of the developed world and at best are barely any use and likely utter averageness at best

when I asked that they did mine at 45k miles they threw teddies as it was hard work getting the Merc fluid and they'd never bothered to stock as they only change on Mercs with an LSD

streborx

Exactly -- worrying about when to replace factory installed oil with what's on sale at Pep Boys makes no sense.

Here's an idea -- check your owner's maintenance manual for its stated service intervals and use a fluid compliant with MB's approvals.

nath_h

You can check the following link. I'm currently in Estonia and the website keeps switching to German, but you can switch it back to English. I think I used Valvoline for my differential, which was on the approved list.

https://operatingfluids.mercedes-benz.com/

Edit: No, wasn't Valvoline...I think it was Liqui Moly.

JohnLane

Liqui Moly offers many fine products. So long as it agrees with what MB specifies for the car you are golden.
I like to change differential oil every 30,000 miles.... Along with all the other fluids. Power steering.... ABC oil, P/S oil, Brake fluid. Coolant. Charge coolant. Transmission oil. I service the transmission (drain and fill) every oil change. Trans filter every 30K. Trans has a drain plug in the torque converter as well as the pan.

RichDMB

I can't find a link anywhere that mentions how often to change the diff fluid. I see to use 75W90, but nowhere does it mention the mileage interval to change the oil/

BOTUS

I believe as I mentioned above, non LSD models don't have a change - the idea, like it was with the early 7G boxes, is we will kill it (from an economically repairable cost perspective) all around the same time

they can't have its exact or everyone will work out the game - But dead gearbox, dead air suspension, dead seats, dead coils, rusted through brake pipes, knocking suspension arms where the rubber falls to bits, leaking condensers, dead hifi Amp etc. are all elements of we want you to buy a new car

where people don't fall in line they engineer in more and more extras to play up and push up dealer spares and labour cost till you do...

over various model ranges and facelifts that still wasn't working - so keep up the good work making them unreliable and they invent lease it cheaper than your service costs will be ideas