2005 SL500


I spilled tranny fluid after changing my radiator I forgot to install oil cooler hoses, started engine and started adding coolant then saw a huge puddle, I must of spilled 3 quarts of fluid. How do I top up the tranny fluid and check level?
also the fluid is black, shouldn't it be red brown?
can I start the car with no tranny fluid and just leave it in park is this fine? Where is tranny oil reservoir? Any and all help appreciated. see pictures.

 

FWIW......

I would change transmission oil filter, oil at a minimum.

Assuming you have the older seven speed, you did not say.
In addition I would also change oil pan{ if you transmission has the older pan, as the new pan has a larger oil capaticy. As you would have to remove the pan to change the oil filter.

The bolts on the pan are single use torque to yield bolts. You would require new bolts

You would need an oil filling adapter and pump to refill.

I changed the oil in my 7 speed two weeks ago, purchased a kit from FCP euro, 7 speed upgrade kit{ oil, new style oil filter, new deeper pan, new overfill tube, new gasket, six new bolts and new copper seal] for around $225.00
You would also need a scanner or dip stick tool to measure level.

Will try to post generic instructions from WIS, can not do that from a phone right now.

Joseph~

 

read next post please






__________________________________________________ ______________________________
There are many choices for DAS/Xentry Diagnostics for MB.
Ensure you have the right information before getting one. There is too much misleading info.
I’m a forum member and programmer who’s learned the hard way. PM me if you have any questions.

 

His MY2005 will have the 722.9 7GTRONIC transmission, so there is not even a dip tube for a dipstick. The level has to be checked by observing the flow rate from the drain plug. It's not as easy as using a dipstick from the top side, but it's not terribly complicated. Basically, the car has to be lifted so you can access the drain plug and the transmission pan must be lever. You start by adding half a quart of fluid. Since there is no dip/fill tube, it has to be injected through the drain plug. Observe that the flow out of the drain plug is a steady, thick stream. Close the plug, start the engine and allow the transmission fluid temperature to reach 113F. This can be measured electronically with SDS or other tools, or you can use an IR thermometer aimed at the pan. At that temp, open the plug and observe the steady, thick flow of the oil stream. Once it changes to a stuttering drip, close it up - it's at the right level.

Of course if you are doing this in conjunction with dropping the pan to change the filter, you put in about 9.5 - 10 quarts of fluid after installing the pan and draining the torque converter. If there is not torque converter drain, then put in 5 - 5.5 quarts. Then you check the flow rate at 113F.

 

I did a transmission control module change in my GL450 with the seven speed 722.9 tranny. Adding the fluid is not that hard, but there is a little bit of a learning curve. Just like Rodney said above, you will fill the tranny fluid to 113F, but when you're warming up the engine realize that the engine will continue to warm up even after you turn it off. In my case when the fluid got to about 103-105F, I cut off the engine and the engine temp continued to creep up about 1 degree ever 20 seconds. During this time, you should have filled the fluid enough so you can remove the filler device and only have a slight dripping from the tranny as you approach 113F. Once it's a very slow drip at 113F, then reinstall the drain plug. Also, when screwing in the drain plug, make sure you get a new crush washer for the actual drain plug bolt. The kit that I bought from FCP Euro had the drain plug washer included and I bought the filler attachment separately. But if you don't have one, I recommend getting the proper washer at a dealer. Also, I ended up using the same Motive filler as was shown in this video. I do not recommend using a small pump bottle as you will miss the temperature window to properly ensure the amount of fluid drip at 113F. This video was helpful for me in the process:

 

Attached are PDF file copy of WIS on transmission oil change, filling.

Regards

Joseph~

 

Attached PDF copy of WIS for torque converter draining.

The above posting would not allow me to make three attachments.

Regards

Joseph~

 

I recently read a post in the forum that stated the fluid volume difference between 113F and 190F is only about 100ml. If that is true, then at that small difference in volume, I would nto worry so much about the temperature if it exceeds the prescribed 113F.

 

Better on the floor than this!

 

Ohhhhhhhh fuuuuuuuudge!

 

That video is a reminder for all of us to put the tools away when finished.
Still funny though.
Anyway, I have exact same setup on my 05. I bought the new transmission pan, actually the transmission service kit from FCP. It comes with all parts needed. If you plan on doing the complete flush then order an extra gallon of fluid. I’ve chosen to put a container (actually 2of them) in a closed loop before the cooler. First one was empty, second contained the fresh fluid. It will be fairly easy for you since you have all the hoses disconnected.
By the look of the current state of the fluid I would also get an extra filter for the initial flush. Your old one is probably quite clogged and it will just contaminate fresh fluid.
So, drain the pan.
Remove, clean and replace the filter.
Put the old pan on with old seal and bolts but only hand thigh. Do not torque the old bolts! Pan is only there temporarily.
Fill the fluid from the bottom, and close the plug or the valve if you are using one.
Start the motor and you will see the fluid fill the empty container you have setup earlier. It happens fast, be ready to shut it off.
Disconnect all the extra contraptions from the cooler lines.
This time don’t forget to attach the hoses to the cooler 😀
Drain the pan again.
Remove the pan.
Remove and replace the filter again.
Install new pan with new seal and new bolts.
Follow the PDF from above to set the proper level.
PS;
Our car does not have the drain plug on the torque converter. For some reason there is a small plate factory welded over where the drain plug would be. From what I researched so far it was only the case with 05 models.
Hope this helps
Good luck

 

Sorry I'm having trouble understanding, I'm not very experienced doing this. What do you mean by closed loop?
There are 2 hoses that connect into the radiator, do both of them have to be put into the empty container?
does your method get rid of the old fluid in torque converter?

Also is it absolutely necessary I upgrade to the new pan, ai haven't found any reason why the new one is better.

Also I found a lot of little metal shavings inside the old fluid, is this normal?

Thanks a lot

 

Close loop is when your fluid can circulate. No way to escape.
New pan has close to the same capacity but is design for better flow.
Since you have metal shavings a complete system flush is a must.
Let Rodney comment on it though.

 

Okay so I will set up the hand pump to the drain plug with the adaptor, the hoses that connect to the radiator what do I do with them? What's the purpose of getting the extra gallon of fluid? I'm assuming I have to flush it twice to get all the old fluid out of the torque converter?

Also can I have the engine running in park while I work elsewhere on the the car until I get the tranny kit in the mail or will this damage the tranny at all

 

Do not run the pump dry!!!
You will probably need more than a gallon of extra fluid due to current situation (system contamination).
lets hope there is no major damage to the transmission.

 

Where about are you anyway?

 

Toronto

Will this drain the torque converter? There is no drain plug for it

 

Provided you run it long enough it will flush the converter. There is no way to drain this specific unit.

 

First of all, let's assume you did not dump a bunch of fluid on the floor from the improperly connected cooling line - I'll talk about that in a moment.

When your torque converter does not have a drain, you have two options for doing a "full" fluid change that will get the fluid out of the torque converter. One, you can drain what you can from the pan (about 4.5 quarts), change the filter and and refill. Then do three cycles of driving about 100 miles, daring the fluid and refill. That will have you changing close to 95% of the old fluid out for new. Since you have to drop the pan each time (to deal with the overflow tube), you would technically need a new gasket and bolts each time, but you can probably get away with only using new parts for the last pan drop.

The other option is to do a flush by detaching the transmission cooler lines. The outlet line is put into a bucket to collect the old fluid as it is expelled, and the suction line is in another bucket full of clean, new fluid to pull it in. I don;t have the documents for the 722.9, but here are the ones for the 722.6:

http://benzbits.com/722_6/TransmissionFlush.pdf

I think it's pretty much the same except that the fittings on the 722.9 are different. Most people find a way to fashion some rubber hoses to the cooling lines to make this easier. There is also the question of when to change the filter, which should be done after the flush, which means you need another 4-5 quarts for refilling after that.

Now, having said all that, since you've already dumped a bunch of fluid from the cooling lines, I'd go with the first option. The first thing you need to do is replace the filter and and properly refill and set the level. Instructions for that have already been posted. i suggest buying the proper screw-in adapter for the drain plug. You can buy a nice Assenmacher pump that comes with the adapter and a shut-off valve, or just buy the adapter and use a cheap Harbor Freight fluid transfer hand pump. Since you probably have the older pan style, you need a new pan and a new overflow tube. My advice there is just buy a kit that includes those items plus the bolts and gasket.