Ok so general consensus on Tranny Fluid.

[Eiknujrac]

Ok I just bought my 98 c280 sport litterally days ago. I love this car. Stylish, sporty, and comfy. I've been doing some reading on the board and came upon the bad 5 speed tranny issue. I'm a student, who bought a car hoping that it would last me another 6 years or so (already 84,000 miles on the clock). I don't need a serious problem like this. Had I seen all the threads on the tranny issue and the crank damper, I probably would have not bought the car.

But with the whining aside, I can find no records, 0, on any transmission work being done on the car. So I assume it is safe to assume that the fluid is still original. After reading up on previous threads, I can't seem to be sure whether it is safer or not to get the fluid changed at this late of mileage. If it will help, 200 bucks is sure a hell of a lot less than a new transmission. If not, do I just bite down and hope for the best?

Like I said, I'm a student with, lemme check, oh yeah $0 right now. But any little preventative maintenance item I can do, I will gladly fork out the cash (when i find it, it grows on trees right?) to do.

Thanks guys.

[Eiknujrac]

I guess another question is, does anyone have high mileage on their original transmissions? Do ALL the early 5 speeds go out eventually?

Damn this board has got me scared, any good news?

[Denlasoul]

I have 82K on my C43 without any tranny fluid changes. My car runs well, but I suspect it may be going. Do you have any type of warranty?

[misterblack]

To be on the safe side.......just go to your local benz dealer.....buy the trans filter and gasket kit....along with oil...(they give you Quaker State).

A person with basic mechanical knoledge should beable to this this themselves...all you need is a jack and basic socket set and a screwdriver.

When you take the pan down....take your time when you loosen the bolts as oil will start to leak out......just let it slowly drain...then loosen the bolts some more....let it drain....keep repeating this till you can take the bolts out completly. To take the filter out....all you need is a screwdriver to take some screws out.

When placing the new gasket on the pan....soak it in tranny oil...just to make sure it seals nice.

to add new oil....just pour it down the trans dip stick.....(measure the amount that you drained to make sure you don't overfill)

You should be fine.....not a hard job at all!

btw.....make sure the pan and filter are nice and clean before putting it all back together...don't want to get dirt or sand
floating around in there.

I change my filter and trans oil once a year..before i bring it out for the summer...I know you don't have to, but my C36 still shifts like a champ!!

[Eiknujrac]

And this method works for the 5 speed electronic tranny? Are the rumors taht it has to bet put on a computer to be changed just rumors? I would love to be able to do this myself (work on my car alot).

[Denlasoul]

To my understanding, anyone with the 5-speed can change the fluid. I know several Members who have done so.

[jnolte]

i have changed the fluid on my 5 spd elctronic tranny. You need to buy a dipstick form the dealership as the tranny does not have one. Make sure you torque the tranny pan bolts to the correct spec or you will strip out the bolts and have to use a heli coil

[kameraguy]

It seems to be a crap shoot for the 5-speed tranny for MY 1997 (is this the 744.6 tranny?). I don't think the 5 speeds made after 1997 are affected by the problems some of us had.

So technically I think the 98 onwards are ok (this is the tip-shift style, right?). At least i haven't read about any 98 trannys going bad.

I read on mercedes shop it's good to replace the fluids of a tranny around 90k. Of course this is guestimates as MB doesn't really have an official word on this. But it does seem to make sense to change the tranny fluid at fixed intervals instead of never touching it. At least in terms of preventative maintinence. MUCH cheaper than a tranny problem later!!!

[Eiknujrac]

I appreciate it guys. I'm really babying the car and I'm scared of really pushing it. Lately I've been leaving the car in W because it shifts earlier and wont downshift as much when the throttle is really pressed. I like this for my morning commute. Leaving the tranny in W permanately won't harm anything will it?

[714guy]

i change my tranny fluid every 30-40 k or every other year. It preventative maintence. I am due for a change soon.

[CKlasse]

I guess... it all depends on the dealership. The local denver ones use Valvoline.

I personally use AMSOIL! They work GREAT!!!

[benzaddict]

I figured I would throw in my 2 cents, since rebuilding the 722.6 transmissions was and everyday occurance for me a few years ago. As far as transmission fluid changes go, I would recommend changing the fluid and filter about every 30,000 miles. MB says the fluid is "lifetime fill", which to me means the lifetime is just a lot shorter. Original fluid at 50,000 miles looks horrible, not to mention the clutch/metal debris in the pan. Servicing this transmission is no tougher than any other transmission, except for the fact that there is no dipstick to check to fluid level when you're done. The good news is a dipstick is less than $15 from a dealership. There is no need for an SDS machine(factory laptop scan-tool) to service the transmission. There are no adjustments that can be made with just the pan off, so a "trans service" consists of changing fluid, filter and pan gasket.

When this trans was first introduced(1996 for V8/V12 and 1997 for I4/I6/V6) I was rebuilding 4 or 5 transmissions a week for a lot of different reasons. 1997 brought a few internal updates and 1998 brought a lot of updates. By model year 2000(introduction of tip-shift), most of the bugs were worked out and now we hardly ever crack a case-maybe 1 a month. In my opinion, this is a very well designed transmission that now is very trouble-free. Unfortunately, most people don't change the fluid often enough, or at all, and that is why they fail. You have to remember that this is still a mechanical transmission, it has clutch packs and planetary gears just like every other automatic transmission on earth, so why would you not change the fluid?

So if my MB had 90,000 miles and the trans fluid had never been changed, I would definitely service it. If the damage is already done, then you're only out the cost of the trans service, and if you do it yourself it can be done for less than $100.

[jnenad16]

hey benzaddict, is the mb lifetime trans fluid a dexron 3 or dexron 4 fluid? if its dexron 4, I think that the perfect replacement would be redline's D4 ATF. This is what I'm running in my 740i and I love it. the tranny shifts smoother and a bit quicker and the performance increase is noticable as well. If the the mb trans fluid is dexron 3 fluid, then I would recommend B&M's Synthetic Trick Shift( I used this one in my C280 for two years and it performed very well), redline synthetic ATF or amsoil synthetic ATF.

nenad

[benzaddict]

Hey nenad, this is going to sound silly but I'm not sure exactly what type of fluid it is. I always just use the MB stuff they give us out of parts and never thought much else of it, just because it's so easy and plentiful. In MB's product specifications chart it just lists it by part number and gives no other reference to the generic label. I do know that it's synthetic if that helps. We also have a new type of fluid that is for the new 722.9 7-speed transmissions, and it is compatible with all older MB transmissions, but again I'm not sure of the generic label for it. Sorry to be a little vague.

[Will_w202]

God, this forum scares me!! You guys have great knowledge of how to rice-up your rides, but not how to maintain them. Do yourself a favor and go to www.mercedesshop.com, which has probably a dozen MB techs on there who can tell you the deal. End of rant.

The 722.6 in 1998 was in its 2nd year of production. Depending upon your car's in-service date, there were some updates done which prevented catastrophic failures that the earlier 722.6s (like my 97) were prone to. If your car was made after 6/98, you have the updates. If not, you have made it to 84k, and that is a good thing. However the MB techs on that forum will tell you that 50k is a cutoff. 30k may be excessive, but 50 is a good compromise. There is NO such thing as lifetime fluid. Additionally, the procedure for chaning the fluid is complex. You have to bring the car to 80*c and check the level, after adding the new fluid, with a computer. And you can only use MB fluid. ANything else, and you will destroy the 722.6. A dealer will charge you about $300 for the change, fluids and all, and that peace of mind sure beats having to drop $8000 for the dealer to install a new one that you broke. Change the fluid NOW, and take an oil sample. Send it off for analysis and see what your wear metals are.

Also, if you are a student and expecting this to be a cheap, reliable car, let me tell you about mine. Mine is a 97 C 230, and I bought it at 60k. It is MB Starmark certified, a total peach of a car, and has STILL cost MB $5000 to fix things that have worn out by 80k. Be prepared.

[jnenad16]

Originally posted by Will_w202


Mine is a 97 C 230, and I bought it at 60k. It is MB Starmark certified, a total peach of a car, and has STILL cost MB $5000 to fix things that have worn out by 80k. Be prepared.

This is probably the only reason I am not to crazy about newer benzes, I sold my 1995 C280, which I had no problems with, and instead of getting a newer one, now I have a 1996 740i, which has 65K on it, and it also hasn't given me any problems what so ever. Like I said in my previous post, I replaced the BMW OEM ATF with the redline D4 ATF, and the car runs noticably better, the running temps are about 5-10% lower, even though the bmw fluid is "lifetime fill".When I replaced the ATF, it was black, almost like an engine oil after 20k miles. As you can see, the OEM fluids may or may not be the best quality for your vehicle. And also, I see much more benzes that need tranny work or replacement than bimmers. So, it will be a while before I go back to a benz.

nenad

[Will_w202]

Actually, from what I understand, the fluid gets dark very quickly due to graphite, and it is NOT indicative of "dirty" fluid. I don't understand why it has graphite, but this is what a tech said.

[Brabus]

Yes, you need to change the tranny fluid. The cost may be quite high compared to other car transmission services but well worth it.

Also, I would suggest not deviating from the Mercedes Syn ATF fluid. Specially made :)

[jnenad16]

Originally posted by Will_w202
Actually, from what I understand, the fluid gets dark very quickly due to graphite, and it is NOT indicative of "dirty" fluid. I don't understand why it has graphite, but this is what a tech said.

My point exactly. As I said before, OEM may or may not be the best one for the job. If the fluid contains graphite, zinc, moly or any other solid, it helps with controling the clutch slippage, but it also helps kill the tranny, too. Redline ATF's dont contain any solid additives, and are pure synthetics. Best replacement fluid in my opinion, just find out which ATF is right for your vehicle by emailing or calling them.

nenad

[Will_w202]

I understand your point, and it is possible it would work, but if one OEM product is used religiously in these cars, it is the fluid. Even the techs on the other forums have said explicitly not to deviate from it.

The other thing is, my point in the last post - which is that dark fluid does not mean it is dirty, nor inferior - much like how the best Delvac 1 or Motul 8100 will turn black within 100 miles in a diesel - and that is perfectly acceptable!

[Will_w202]

http://www.club202.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=54417#post54417

Like I said, you gotta pay to play when it comes to an aged Benz. If you don't have a factory warranty, I would make other plans if you can't stomach the repair costs (and I do not blame you if you can't!)

[714guy]

Originally posted by CKlasse
I guess... it all depends on the dealership. The local denver ones use Valvoline.

I personally use AMSOIL! They work GREAT!!!

what weight do you use or is it just tranny fluid??

thanks

jason

[ryhi]

what are the exact parts i need if i were to go to the dealership so i can do this myself?

[98c43amg]

Originally posted by kameraguy
It seems to be a crap shoot for the 5-speed tranny for MY 1997 (is this the 744.6 tranny?). I don't think the 5 speeds made after 1997 are affected by the problems some of us had.

So technically I think the 98 onwards are ok (this is the tip-shift style, right?). At least i haven't read about any 98 trannys going bad.

no tiptronic on the 98. Mine's been bouncing on the 1 - 2 shift, at least two bounces and worse when cold. I'm just waiting for the day when I have to buy a new one.

Just the other day, I had two incidents in one week where the tranni was either in D or in 3 then I shifted to D, where it popped into N on its own (though gear shifter was not in N) ; then another time where it stayed in 2nd, no matter what gear I selected.

Jeff, the guy who did my engine swap, just put about a 1/2 qrt of tranni fluid into it, and all's been solid (though of course it still double shifts 1 - 2, which has nothing to do with oil level)

.... just an FYI.

[hangup]

if you guys haven't seen this already . . .

http://www.mercedesshop.com/Wikka/Trans7226Fluid

i personally still don't know if i should change mine or not. it's at 60K. i opened up the dipstick pipe and stuck a dipstick down there. fluid looked like it was very good quality still. not dark at all.
btw, i don't think graphite is an additive, it comes off some part in there. filter is supposed to filter it to a degree.

on other trannies MB has service intervals, etc, but not on 722.6. So i don't think there is just a "conspiracy" over there to screw us owners over.
if they just wanted to screw us over, they'd tell us that there is no need to change fluid on all trannies (and engines for that matter) not just 722.6.
i mean, it makes sense to change it, but the old saying goes "don't fix it if it ain't broken".
i've already tried cleaning my MAF once and that cost me 200 bucks for a new MAF :)))
I guess it's OK to change but you have to make sure it's done correctly.
how do you make sure?
1) do it yourself
2) do it right
problem is most of us haven't done that before so there is an opportunity for us to screw up.
for example: you can overtorque the pan bolts, you can overfill it. how do you make sure that you've reached the operational temp of 80C without a computer?
also, how to do you install a magnet correctly? what kind of magnet do you want?
draining the torque converter is kind of a pain . . .

i think that in general, if one wants to save his/her tranny, it's better not to kick the crap out of it and not change the fluid than to kick the crap out of it and change fluid every 30K :)))

[98c43amg]

Originally posted by Will_w202
God, this forum scares me!! You guys have great knowledge of how to rice-up your rides, but not how to maintain them. Do yourself a favor and go to www.mercedesshop.com, which has probably a dozen MB techs on there who can tell you the deal. End of rant. Rant to your rant.

MB Shop sux. I hardly have any posts answered. I hardly ever find anyone engages you in a conversation. I'll only lurk there now. JMO.

[98c43amg]

Originally posted by Will_w202
Additionally, the procedure for chaning the fluid is complex. You have to bring the car to 80*c and check the level, after adding the new fluid, with a computer. And you can only use MB fluid. ANything else, and you will destroy the 722.6. A dealer will charge you about $300 for the change, fluids and all, and that peace of mind sure beats having to drop $8000 for the dealer to install a new one that you broke. Change the fluid NOW, and take an oil sample. Send it off for analysis and see what your wear metals are.

Maybe the fluid needs to be warm, and torque converter filled for the proper fluid level reading ... but no, you don't need to connect up the Star Diagnosis Computer. Are you talking from experience or from what someone else heard someone else say to someone else and decieded they'd tell everyone on MBShop the "answer"? (I've seen the moderators get pretty po'ed by people posting such info as "fact" in the past.)

[Denlasoul]

Found a DIY for tranny fluid change: Click me (http://www.mercedesshop.com/Wikka/Trans7226Fluid)

[Ashkan's C280]

well I just had my tranny flushed at 94.5k with redline, changed the filter and I am good to go, it seems to shift smoother and you guys were right... the fluid was black as hell and it looked dirty as fuck.... but it could be the metals, either way I paid 164 with tax for 4 qts of redline the filter and for them to change it, sort of a rip but meh worth it to me to keep my tranny alive, I don't plan on changing the tranny until i ever do a c55 conversion so it needs to last for a long time, I am going to do it again in another 6 months which is what the people said to do saying that it gives time for the fluid to mix with the other fluid left in there, something about flushing from the pan vs some other part, iether way total is 8 qts, and from pan is 4, they said it might make it worst if it has a complete flush, so whatever, it was worth the smoother shifting