ATF Change, and engine oil, 320 clk

[corradoman]

This car is new to me so feeling my way around so please be patient with me( Lots of questions) Basically the cars a goodun but has been sat on my fatherinlaws drive for at least 6 months without any use and not much more in the 7 years of ownership We have it now so its getting used on a daily basis, Im just wondering if it would benefit from a transmission fluid change as i don`t know when it was last done and it seems to change gear weirdly at low revs! lots of up down and also clonks in reverse when its cold and in drive, also i don`t have a manual so wondered how much engine oil it holds
Thanks in advance

 

[television]

It should make the car much smoother, and should be done at 40-50k miles and I doubt if it has ever been done.

About £175-£190 from an indie

 

[BlackC55]

£165 from me!!

Get it done asap. It is well worth it.

 

[corradoman]

Sounds like a good idea then, Probably never done and its done 70000 miles now

 

[television]

£165 from me!!

Get it done asap. It is well worth it.

Thats cheap

 

[corradoman]

Thanks for the offer blackc55 but it would cost me more than that to get there and back!

 

[Mark A]

Whereabouts in the country are you - surely there is someone close to you that could help.

 

[The Rock]

I have recently had my ATF changed for the first time (at 193000 miles).
Labour £72 (No VAT - Small business specialist)
Transmission Oil 6.5l x £9.95 inc VAT
Transmission Filter £8.80 inc VAT
Transmission Gasket £8.53 inc VAT

Total £154

Rock

 

[Mark A]

I have recently had my ATF changed for the first time (at 193000 miles).

 

[television]

well thats what MB thought that they could get away with

 

[The Rock]

well thats what MB thought that they could get away with

I was under the impression that MB say the box is "sealed for life" and therefore doesn't need the ATF to be replaced. It was my own decision to ignore that insane advice and have it changed.

It's made bugger all difference to the operation as far as I can tell, but I am happy in the knowledge that I've got lovely new fluid in there.

Rock

 

[television]

I was under the impression that MB say the box is "sealed for life" and therefore doesn't need the ATF to be replaced. It was my own decision to ignore that insane advice and have it changed.

It's made bugger all difference to the operation as far as I can tell, but I am happy in the knowledge that I've got lovely new fluid in there.

Rock

MB were hoping for a sealed for life box,but it did not work out like that. We also now know how to drain the fluid from the torque converter.

The odd thing was that when cars were accepted for Assyst the gear box fluid was changed at 40k miles as part of that agreement, but not for others, I have always thought that this was a weird strange thing. So on one hand they said that it needs changing,and on the other they say it does not.

Obviously the 2 people who wrote it all out were not on speaking terms

 

[jamesmc]

I'd do the diff oil too for good measure, but that's just me
Cheap preventative maintenance.

 

[Cole@MBS]

I'd do the diff oil too for good measure, but that's just me
Cheap preventative maintenance.

My R,class had its first service last week, part of the first service is to change the rear diff fuild????? at 15500 miles???

 

[corradoman]

Thanks for all the info guys, decided to take the plunge and get all the relevant parts this morning and managed to do the oil and filter myself which was easy apart from that dreaded sump guard which my son kindly helped me with, my brother is going to do the atf change for me next weekend as he`s a MB technician luckily, Also got a good 15% discount from my local MB dealer after a bit of groveling!! Here is a list of what i bought
filter element £11.90
seal ring £ 0.99

Gasket £6.38
oil filter £5.66
Transmission oil £36.77
seal ring £0.41
Pin £0.89

The oil was too expensive At the mb dealers so i went to my VW dealers who im very friendly with as i have a Transporter and a Corrado that ive spent a fortune on getting it to concours condition so they give me a healthy discount and i got 8 litres of q8 fully synthetic long life oil for £64. so hopefully next weekend i should have the fluids changed and also the star diagnostics set up and all the upgrades on the auto box to make it run smoother
Happy days

 

[lulu]

Make sure the oil you're putting in conforms to the correct MB specification for your gearbox.
Some of the gearboxes can very very particular about which oil they've got in them!

 

[corradoman]

The gearbox oil is from MB, its the engine oil i got from VW lulu,

 

[rf065]

well thats what MB thought that they could get away with

Mine is one of the sealed for life boxes, but when I entered my VIN in WIS, it now says the ATF should be changed at 60,000km or 37,000 miles.

Russ

 

[st4]

I have recently had my ATF changed for the first time (at 193000 miles).
Labour £72 (No VAT - Small business specialist)
Transmission Oil 6.5l x £9.95 inc VAT
Transmission Filter £8.80 inc VAT
Transmission Gasket £8.53 inc VAT

Total £154

Rock

Surpised the box held on that long without a fluid change. Was there any metal fillings @ the bottom of the pan, any of the oil gunked up etc.

Russell-change the fluid when you reach 37.5k miles. Its cheap preventative maintence.