W124 Changing ATF

[Mercedes 190E]

I always use NGKs in my cars. Never had a problem with them.

 

[television]

Thank you David

 

[television]

Thanks very much guys.

Kth, sorry for a daft question, but which direction is 'normal' please?

As an alternative, I've also been thinking of turning the crank by removing the spark plugs as Malcolm suggested, because the plugs are due a change, so could kill two birds with one stone, and avoid removing the fan cowl. Haynes recommend a particular type of Champion plug, so is that the type I should go with or are there better ones now?

Clockwise is the normal way to turn the engine

 

[lofty]

you could do worse than take a look at my site hopefully that will give you a few tips, no good changing any fluids if your dead! Sad thing is you would n't be the first or the last.

http://www.aclassinfo.co.uk/mypage.5.htm

 

[television]

Thank you Lofty for the link,, I will use it when these issues come up

 

[Tashman]

I was lazy so just turned the engine using the starter motor a few times untill the drain plug was at the bottom, took a few go's before it lined up. Didn't want to be bothered with sparkplugs, fan cowlings and crank pulley bolts ...

 

[White230CE]

Hi all,

Reporting back.

Changed spark plugs - they looked like they were due a change. Replaced with Beru as recommended by TeddyCatkin.

Tried pulling belt along with spark plugs out, to turn the crankshaft. Relatively easy to pull, but corresponding movement in crankshaft was small. Managed to insert ratchet with 27mm socket between fan cowl and engine, to get at nut, so .

Successfully drained off the fluid. Got new plugs and rings from MB, new sump seal from ECP, and already had an ECP filter from previous owner.

Took off sump pan and realised that the filter is screwed to the transmission, not the pan (contrary to my earlier post), so replaced it, cleaned up the pan and put it back on. This was the most fiddly bit: the pan took a while to locate, the rubber seal slipped a couple of times, and one bolt retains a hose bracket with it, so very fiddly to insert and get the bolt to bite. Got it in the end, and I'm pretty sure I kept the mating surfaces clean despite the fiddling. I had a friend help me locate/hold/bolt the pan, so if I'd been on my own, it would have been alot more difficult.

Got my oil from Wunderpartz on Ebay. Fuchs 236.6 Dextron II, paid £48 including carriage for 7 litres. Highly recommend them - they promised delivery by Friday, but Fedex let them down, so they pulled out all the stops to get Fedex to deliver on Saturday so I could get the job done.

Problem came when putting new fluid in. Put in 5 litres, no sign on the dipstick. Encouraged by the friend who was helping me, I ended up putting 6.5 litres in and it is now overfilled. Going to get a syringe or syphon to get the extra out via the dipstick channel.

Changed engine oil and filter, and air filter at the same time, and flushed cooling system and put in new anti-freeze. So all in all, car has had a major service. Cartridge filter was tight and in a difficult place to remove. I had to remove the air filter unit, puncture the cannister with a heavy screwdriver, and with that screwdriver in, use it to turn the cannister. Very easy then!

Thanks to everyone who made this possible!

Now for the solenoid problem (see my other post!)

 

[kth286]

The 4 cylinder cars take 5.5 litres at gearbox oil change.

You should pour in 4 litres initially, then start engine and run at idle with lever in Park.

Gradually add remaining 1.5 litres and move gear lever through positions RNDNR pausing in each position for several seconds then return to Park.

Do not use your car when overfilled so much.

 

[White230CE]

Thanks David. I was cautiously following Haynes to the letter until my friend encouraged what proved to be an act of folly.

I will definitely not use the car until I've drained it. I wasn't sure what the effect of overfilling was, but google soon put me right!

I did have to manoeuvre it on my driveway a little today, to position it in preparation for removing the starter motor, and I couldn't drain it before that, but it was short and gentle, so hopefully, no damage was done.

 

[SilverSaloon]

Thanks David. I was cautiously following Haynes to the letter until my friend encouraged what proved to be an act of folly.

I will definitely not use the car until I've drained it. I wasn't sure what the effect of overfilling was, but google soon put me right!

I did have to manoeuvre it on my driveway a little today, to position it in preparation for removing the starter motor, and I couldn't drain it before that, but it was short and gentle, so hopefully, no damage was done.

i removed some fluid from my transmission via the use of one of these.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/180cm-Siphon-...vels?hash=item3ca43c7cf2&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

the one i got (not the actual one linked above) was pretty poor at getting the fluid to the exit of the tube by pumping it with my hand due to the length and vertical positioning of the ATF tube, so i opted to suck it in with my mouth like a straw. this was OK as the "pump" area, which was clear on mine, filled up just before it would end up in my mouth (!!!!) and then i quickly withdrew the pipe from the dipstick tube into a bottle that i placed next to it and hey presto, a few ml of ATF has been removed.

quite messy though, but no ATF was drunk in the making of this post

 

[television]

i removed some fluid from my transmission via the use of one of these.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/180cm-Siphon-...vels?hash=item3ca43c7cf2&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

the one i got (not the actual one linked above) was pretty poor at getting the fluid to the exit of the tube by pumping it with my hand due to the length and vertical positioning of the ATF tube, so i opted to suck it in with my mouth like a straw. this was OK as the "pump" area, which was clear on mine, filled up just before it would end up in my mouth (!!!!) and then i quickly withdrew the pipe from the dipstick tube into a bottle that i placed next to it and hey presto, a few ml of ATF has been removed.

quite messy though, but no ATF was drunk in the making of this post

Wonderful if you just push a tube to the bottom and put your finger over the top and withdraw the tube ,that will also take it out. slow but it will work

 

[White230CE]

Thanks for the siphoning tips, chaps.

In case you're interested, I found a Heath Robinson approach online which basically runs as follows:

Take a redundant piece of electric cable with plug attached.

Cut insulation at plug end.

Step on plug, deglove the cable by pulling insulation at other end.

Insulation is now a tube.

Take plastic water bottle, eg Evian or similar.

Puncture small hole in cap, so that when tube is inserted, it is a tight fit.

Insert one end of tube into cap.

Insert other end of tube into liquid to be siphoned.

Squeeze water bottle and use as pump. Release cap periodically to even out air pressure.

I might just feel mad enough to try it. If I do, will report back on outcome.

 

[television]

A meter of thin tubing from a indoor fish shop would cost 50p,,you could use a kitchen or bathroom spray bottle and push the piping onto the end of the tube on the spray

 

[White230CE]

Having no fish shop or similar near me, I got some fuel pipe from gsf when I picked up some other parts. Fashioned an Evian bottle to use as a pump. This proved useless. Tried sucking, gave up.

Decided to just get under and release the drain plug. Had a spare sealing ring anyway. Put empty oil bottle under to catch the oil. It would have been fine, but I managed to drop the drain plug into the bottle! Had to tip it out quickly and re-insert.

Result was oil all over the drive, quantity unmeasured, but I'd estimate a litre, which was lucky!

On re-checking level, I had to top up with about 250 ml. This is where uncertainty has crept in:

At idle and after a gentle drive, it showed exactly half-way between max and min. I then took it for a longer drive, taking the speed up to 70mph. Upon returning, level was at max.

Which level should I take as correct? And if oil is at max, is that ok, or should I drain out a bit more?

Thanks

 

[television]

No you are OK,,this is a sump system after all,,you are around the marks and that is good enough,,you did the drive to get it hot,, so leave it at that