Automatic transmission Fluid Top-Up

[Neil298]

Can anyone tell me if this is a DIY job? I have a problem in that the gears are not selected until the engine is warm,not sure if this means that the fluid is low, I have a tube on the back of the engine that looks like it should have a dipstick in it but it is just an open tube. Is this where the fluid is toopped up from and should it have a cap on it?

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome,

The 5G box is diy-able much easier than the later 7G boxes - being a '99 you might still have a drain plug in the torque converter as well

 

[Wighty]

Can anyone tell me if this is a DIY job? I have a problem in that the gears are not selected until the engine is warm,not sure if this means that the fluid is low, I have a tube on the back of the engine that looks like it should have a dipstick in it but it is just an open tube. Is this where the fluid is toopped up from and should it have a cap on it?

It should have a cap like this

Yes you can add atf with a small funnel is the easiest way

 

[Wighty]

Mercedes-Benz 140 & 724 gearbox dipstick tube cap and pin A1402700091 A140991005 | eBay

Fair wear and tear and parts fitting incorrectly are not covered under this warranty. Before buying.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Neil298]

Thanks, Its not got a cap on it so would that mean I would lose fluid from it?

 

[Wighty]

Thanks, Its not got a cap on it so would that mean I would lose fluid from it?

You won’t loose fluid , but dirt will get in as will more moisture, none of which help . £10 vs £3000+ for new gearbox

 

[Neil298]

OK Thanks for your help

 

[onefortheroad]

OK Thanks for your help

Stick a condom over it

 

[Wighty]

Stick a condom over it

This isn’t Vietnam buddy

 

[charlysays]

Really not ideal having no cap on it but unless you were driving in the desert I doubt that enough crud could get in there to cause an issue. Replace it ASAP though. Even a used one with no red tab would be fine.
Anything which went down there would land in the sump and all ATF which gets pumped around the gearbox is filtered first anyway.
The red tab breaks every time you remove the cap but it doesn't stop the cap working as plug for the filler tube.

 

[rayhennig]

Really not ideal having no cap on it but unless you were driving in the desert

I'd cover it immediately. You do NOT want dust in there. And NOT with a johnny. It should be possible to improvise something in the interim.

RayH

 

[charlysays]

I'd cover it immediately. You do NOT want dust in there. And NOT with a johnny. It should be possible to improvise something in the interim.

RayH

I agree, get it covered ASAP but from experience, these transmissions generate plenty of debris on their own which ends up in the sump so I doubt some dust will do anything- I've done a few hundred thousand miles on 5g gearboxes and never had one fail- at fluid changes it was common to find a layer of fine black material in the sump as well as what looked like fine aluminium and bronze particles, smaller than a grain of sand. On one occasion I even found what looked like bronze nail clippings and some other larger chunks of metal- that gearbox kept running without issue for years after that.
So, if any crud did land in the sump I doubt it's going to be any worse than what the gearbox deposits there itself. All ATF which is circulated round the transmission is first filtered to ensure there are no particles large enough to cause a problem.
What I'm saying is cover it ASAP but don't worry too much about what might have already got in there.
I would say a finger off a marigold and a cable tie would be the ticket until he gets a new cap.