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I'll add that I replaced the front diff fluid about 3 months ago, at round 98k mi. I had an axle out to replace a howling intermediate shaft so figured why not. I will say that fluid looked terrible! I'm glad I did it. And since I'm going to have an axle out here shortly I'm going to do it aagain, For maybe $60 in fluid (if using the expensive Castro stuff they sell by the .5 liter)it certainly cannot hurt
I got quoted by a reputable mb shop in Chicago 750 for this service, including new axle seal. Remove axle, drain,fill,replace axle seal and reinstall.. Hefty indeed..
But then again they also quoted me 800 to install kw lowering springs 😭.. Diy everything for life!
I got quoted by a reputable mb shop in Chicago 750 for this service, including new axle seal. Remove axle, drain,fill,replace axle seal and reinstall.. Hefty indeed..
But then again they also quoted me 800 to install kw lowering springs 😭.. Diy everything for life!
@Mojo20032004 - I’m in chicago also and am DYING to find a new solid MB Indy shop to service my 15 E63. Fletcher Jones MB chicsgo charged me $400 to service my rear diff last year and part of that cost was $120 for the new 2 bolts for drain and fill!!!
let me know if you found a good MB Indy shop in Chicsgo or surrounding suburbs?
I used to take my car to Loeber MB when it wa sunder warranty because my guy Rudy was the MB master tech there but he left just as my warranty expired so I’ve started doing basic stuff on my own since I don’t trust dealers
@Mojo20032004 - I’m in chicago also and am DYING to find a new solid MB Indy shop to service my 15 E63. Fletcher Jones MB chicsgo charged me $400 to service my rear diff last year and part of that cost was $120 for the new 2 bolts for drain and fill!!!
let me know if you found a good MB Indy shop in Chicsgo or surrounding suburbs?
I used to take my car to Loeber MB when it wa sunder warranty because my guy Rudy was the MB master tech there but he left just as my warranty expired so I’ve started doing basic stuff on my own since I don’t trust dealers
I do 95% of my own work, but just hate lifting the e63 above my head. But today the new quick Jacks arrived so il be doing the front diff myself. I also did the rear diff and trans last summer on jackstands and it was a pain ughh
After several dealer calls/visits and a few different answers, I've settled on MBZ P/N 001-989-33-03-09 (75w85) as the correct fluid for an E63S front diff. .6L seems like the agreed-upon amount of oil.
I do all my own maintenance, I got quickjacks, youtube and laptop with merc diag soft from BenzNinja. I strongly recommend to get up close and personal with your amg or pay the $200 per hour for mechanic fee.
I got quoted by a reputable mb shop in Chicago 750 for this service, including new axle seal. Remove axle, drain,fill,replace axle seal and reinstall.. Hefty indeed..
But then again they also quoted me 800 to install kw lowering springs 😭.. Diy everything for life!
LIES! There is no reputable Mercedes shop in Chicagoland...north of the Cheddar curtain, maybe. Chicago to Rockford and south to Peoria...nope.
LIES! There is no reputable Mercedes shop in Chicagoland...north of the Cheddar curtain, maybe. Chicago to Rockford and south to Peoria...nope.
This shop in Lincolnshire, not Chicago, but close enough. Plenty of Mercedes shops around Chicago that work on MB only,but I have never went else where other than the one in Lincolnshire
Way way way way off topic...but, most SMB who could or can did or is moving out of Illinois. A big Mercedes guy down here in FL I used to see at GLD and Byron (drag strips) back in the day. He closed shop and did the smart thing - got out of Illinois. It was very odd to walk into a Benz shop and see a guy I knew from up north....
Back to the topic! Just completed front diff service. Drained the universal 75W85 MBZ fluid that was in there, which was changed at 95k ( 11k miles ago). Although it was not black like the initial drain, it was far from fresh looking so glad I did it again.
FWIW I installed the new gear oil by pumping it through the driver's side opening, which I accessed by removing not only the axle but the intermediate shaft.
As to the fluid, MBZ Sheet 231.1 states that sheet 239.72 covers front axles with alloy differential housings. Currently (and oddly) there is no MBZ-branded fluid listed under 239.72 so I installed Fuchs Sintopoid FE 75W85 which is on the list. This fluid also meets the spec for open rear axles (like our SLK55) so I'll keep it in stock going forward.
I did a front diff service on my S550 which also has no fill plug. There is an adapter you can thread into the drain hole and pump the correct amount of fluid up into the diff. It may be the same tool that threads onto the transmission pan (and the fluid is added the same way there, but considerably more). No reason to pull the axle and disrupt everything unless you want to do the seal(s).
I think everyone will agree this is a lot easier than pulling an axle. Also, you can pump a small amount extra to compensate for the tiny spillage when you swap the adapter for the drain plug. I barely lost any...
Can anyone confirm that the 2014 CLS 550 4 matic does or does not share the trans fluid with front diff? I was about to drain but unsure no info out there . And if.it doesnt share does it need to be pumped into drain plug only?
I also used a small kitchen scale and zero'd it before pumping (using a pressure pump from amazon). Helps get exactly .6 qt in there, plus extra for some spillage.
Very quick and easy to do, once you have the right tools, pump and a simple scale.
I also used a small kitchen scale and zero'd it before pumping (using a pressure pump from amazon). Helps get exactly .6 qt in there, plus extra for some spillage.
Very quick and easy to do, once you have the right tools, pump and a simple scale.
The fluid was black like molasses.
Wow, interesting the state of the old fluid. How many miles on the car?
Wow, interesting the state of the old fluid. How many miles on the car?
100k miles, at 75k miles I paid my local Benz dealer to change it during a recall or service of the front axle
Based on how black the oil is here (picture below)... I question whether the Benz dealer did a full change or just checked the level. If the former, these front diffs seem tough on oil and should have it changed more regularly.
With the process here, a change only takes an extra ~15 minutes if you're already under there doing an oil change.
Now that I know how easy the front and rear diffs are to change (rear is a dream...), I change them regularly. Same for the SL500 and E55, nice and enjoyable to DIY.
100k miles, at 75k miles I paid my local Benz dealer to change it during a recall or service of the front axle
Based on how black the oil is here (picture below)... I question whether the Benz dealer did a full change or just checked the level. If the former, these front diffs seem tough on oil and should have it changed more regularly.
With the process here, a change only takes an extra ~15 minutes if you're already under there doing an oil change.
Now that I know how easy the front and rear diffs are to change (rear is a dream...), I change them regularly. Same for the SL500 and E55, nice and enjoyable to DIY.
I leave most other things to my local indy.
the benz dealer 100% did not change the fluids @75K
I did a front diff service on my S550 which also has no fill plug. There is an adapter you can thread into the drain hole and pump the correct amount of fluid up into the diff. It may be the same tool that threads onto the transmission pan (and the fluid is added the same way there, but considerably more). No reason to pull the axle and disrupt everything unless you want to do the seal(s).
I think everyone will agree this is a lot easier than pulling an axle. Also, you can pump a small amount extra to compensate for the tiny spillage when you swap the adapter for the drain plug. I barely lost any...
Yep. worked good for Me. Unscrewed fitting until end of threads, quickly swapped in thumb then position drain plug next to thumb and quickly swapped again. Hardly lost any fluid at all.
Yep. worked good for Me. Unscrewed fitting until end of threads, quickly swapped in thumb then position drain plug next to thumb and quickly swapped again. Hardly lost any fluid at all.
excellent!
by the way, does front diff drain plug have washers that goes on it before or is it simply drain plug
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
