Automatic transmission oil change

[Roy Gallafant]

I have a C220 CDI 09 which has done 48,000 miles, it has a 5 speed automatic transmission and the oil and filter on the transmission has never been changed. In the service book it says that the 7 speed auto should have the oil changed @ 50,000km. but there is no reference to the 5 speed. I have asked the main dealer but couldn't get an answer @ have emailed MB customer services but haven't had a reply. It is due for a B3 service but it is not included in it, any thoughts?

 

[oigle]

I have a C220 CDI 09 which has done 48,000 miles, it has a 5 speed automatic transmission and the oil and filter on the transmission has never been changed. In the service book it says that the 7 speed auto should have the oil changed @ 50,000km. but there is no reference to the 5 speed. I have asked the main dealer but couldn't get an answer @ have emailed MB customer services but haven't had a reply. It is due for a B3 service but it is not included in it, any thoughts?

General consensus is that you should service it every 60000 miles or so, depending on usage. I do mine more often but I tow quite a bit. I would totally ignore the "sealed for life" BS that MB has spouted in previous years. Oil is way cheaper than gearboxes.

 

[Roy Gallafant]

Thanks oigle, I tow a caravan with mine, how often do you change yours and is there a filter which needs changing or cleaning?

 

[oigle]

Thanks oigle, I tow a caravan with mine, how often do you change yours and is there a filter which needs changing or cleaning?

I changed mine at 60000km and also did the filter - plenty of sludge in bottom of pan. Oil was darkish. Changed it again at 130000km and oil was black. Didn't change the filter this time. Was very concerned at colour of oil - black is bad. Have now fitted an extra tranny oil cooler in line with the existing setup and hopefully that will fix the issue. I do tow in a fairly hot climate but am only towing 1600kg so was a bit disappointed to see the oil being burnt. If you tow a heavy van or in a hot climate, I'd suggest you do something similar or at very least, keep an eye on your oil colour.

By the way, you cannot easily change the oil completely. The torque converter holds 4 litres and there is no drain plug. You can either do a partial change as I did or empty pan and reassemble, add 4 litres and then disconnect the pipe where the oil flows to the cooler and run motor allowing the oil in the TC to pump out - you will need to add some more fresh oil during this process to replace that being pumped out. When the draining oil turns clearish, stop motor, refit pipe and replenish oil level to correct level. Of course you don't have a dipstick so you need to get one or go to a MB shop to get the level checked.

 

[ianstaley]

Changing oil in the auto box is reasonably easy, but unless you change the oil in the torque converter too then it isn't a complete oil change, but I have yet to figure out how you do that, drain the oil from the torque converter. There must be an easier way than partial fill pump out refill etc.

Any one know ? And there are many dipsticks for the Merc on the Bay. and yes they do work.

 

[S.Speed]

On later cars (Post 1999) there isnt a drain plug on the torque convertor..
I had mine changed with the filter which meant draining approx 4.5 litres out of the 7.5 - 8 litres..
I drove for about 10 miles and then used the Pela suction tool to drain through the dipstick tube.. I drained roughly 4.5 litres that way..
I then added the same amount of new fluid back, via the dipstick tube.

I do have one of the dipstick "tools" that I bought via eBay so I could top up the level correctly...

The method I used isnt ideal but it means that via a process of dilution you end up replacing the majority of ATF...
Mine was done at 40,000 miles.. I shall do it again at 80,000 miles.

 

[S.Speed]

Thanks oigle, I tow a caravan with mine, how often do you change yours and is there a filter which needs changing or cleaning?

YES there is a filter which should be changed every time you renew the fluid.. It is located within the gearbox and is accesses by removing the gearbox sump..
You give the sump and magnet a damned good clean whilst its removed..
I had an indy do mine last time but I was allowed to watch....

 

[MB TECH WARRINGTON]

New cars have the torque converter drain bolt fitted again.

7g box has it from 2005-2006

09 204 c220 should have drain in tc too, ones we have done had. Most dont check, and just assume it does not have one.

between 3.75 and 4 ish litres in the tc to be possibly drained.

 

[Rory]

... any thoughts?

How long are you likely to keep the car? Unless it's for several more years, you're chaning it for the next owner. Which is nice of you, but a bit pointless.

I got mine changed last year. Never been done before as the requirement to change it only came back on the ESS a few thousand VIN's after mine was built (and then it dropped off again) and my car has only done 60K.

Dealer was most reluctant to do it and I kind of wish they hadn't now. It's probably all in my mind, but there's an uncertain-ness about the box now which wasn't there before. Little jerks when cold, and down changes not as imperceptible as they were before. I've had them recheck the level and they say it's fine.

 

[Drue1]

My evo 6's every single oil in my car gets changed every 4.5k and my ml is booked in for a full going over

 

[oigle]

My evo 6's every single oil in my car gets changed every 4.5k and my ml is booked in for a full going over

Now that is what I call "overkill" Can't hurt, but a bit pointless unless you suspect contamination by water etc.

 

[oigle]

How long are you likely to keep the car? Unless it's for several more years, you're chaning it for the next owner. Which is nice of you, but a bit pointless.

I got mine changed last year. Never been done before as the requirement to change it only came back on the ESS a few thousand VIN's after mine was built (and then it dropped off again) and my car has only done 60K.

Dealer was most reluctant to do it and I kind of wish they hadn't now. It's probably all in my mind, but there's an uncertain-ness about the box now which wasn't there before. Little jerks when cold, and down changes not as imperceptible as they were before. I've had them recheck the level and they say it's fine.

That's unusual. Wonder what is causing that - would not be the fresh oil. That usually does the opposite - makes the changes etc smoother.
I had something similar in a different make when I fitted an auto oil cooler and the cooler was placed in the system after the heat exchanger instead of before. Resulted in oil running too cold in cold weather which caused slight but noticeable bumpiness etc. I imagine that in winter in the UK, the oil would tend to run rather cold - a good thermostat will keep engine temp up but not oil temp if the heat exchanger is positioned in the bottom of the radiator. OK in an ML with the HE on the side of the block but yours is in the rad I think. Not much you can do other than maybe block off most of the rad in cold weather to keep the heat in. Of course, when running cold after a startup, you can only put up with it until warmed up.

 

[Rory]

That's unusual. Wonder what is causing that - would not be the fresh oil. That usually does the opposite - makes the changes etc smoother.

That's the slightly niggling thing, the changes were perfect before.

It's not a cold weather thing - I actually had it done last Feb and got them to recheck the oil level when it went for MOT in Oct. It's perfectly possible that the odd little "fluff" was there before but changing the oil made me more sensitive to it. Don't use the car much - I work from home and do a long trip down South probably on average every couple of weeks - so there's not much oportunity to try things when cold.

 

[bigtwin]

Anyone have an idea of what an indep would charge for AFT and VC change?

 

[ashford charlie]

I don't know what a VC is but a couple of months ago the auto gears on my E200k started playing up and I had an oil change done by an Indie in Kent for £150 and the car is running really well since then. Hope this is of some use to you

 

[Robbostanhill]

Gearbox oil.. How I did mine

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=104633

 

[bigtwin]

I don't know what a VC is but a couple of months ago the auto gears on my E200k started playing up and I had an oil change done by an Indie in Kent for £150 and the car is running really well since then. Hope this is of some use to you

Thanks. I was thinking £250 was a bit steep. VC=viscous coupling (price was excluding that)