Omar1994

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Hi guys i have a mercedes W220 (S350)


Ive recently noticed that my transmission was acting weird, in terms of gears shifting feeling a bit gerky and taking longer to shift. Ive checked my transmission fluid level and there is oil in it. Ive also noticed that there is anti freeze liquid from the engine coolant in the transmission when using the transmission stick to see the level of oil in it. So speaking to my uncle who's a mechanic, he is telling me that the engine coolant which is now showing oil is probably the transmission fluid and is most likely due to the radiator. So i wanted to find out what is causing this and also wanted to know if its water that is flowing from the radiator to the transmission or if its oil from the radiator that circulating. Ive attached a picture on what i found online and wanted to know if its water that circulates or oil?


722.9_NAG2_7G-Tronic_Transmission_Cooling_System_Direction_of_Flow.JPG



can anyone help
 

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AMGeed

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It sounds like you have unfortunately fallen for the Valeo radiator problem where the coolant line has allowed the transmission to become contaminated.
You need a good indy read the current gearbox ECU fault codes to confirm, then drop the transmission pan, drain the fluid and probably replace the torque convertor as the clutch plates in side the torque convertor will be ruined.
You'll need a new radiator too.
 
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LostKiwi

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'93 500SL-32, '01 W210 Estate E240 (RIP), 02 R230 SL500, 04 Smart Roadster Coupe, 11 R350CDi
As above.

Oil circulates from the gearbox through a heat exchanger in the radiator. That heat exchanger is leaking and allowing coolant and oil to mix so will require a new radiator.
The active ingredients in antifreeze create serious damage to the components in the gearbox starting with the torque converter. If left there may be more serious damage deeper in the gearbox.
 

Botus

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S500/2010/500
circa
800 for a TC
200 for the rad
200 in trans fluid and antifreeze and filter
6 hours on the box
2 to fit the rad

so around 2k to fix … best throw it away? sell spares on ebay
 

Steve@Avantgarde

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You can get a TC refurbed for £250.
Radiator from ECP for about £100
Filter kit £10
Fluid £100
Coolant £20

8 hours is about right - £600

About £1200 and a very repairable job especially if the rest of the car is in good nick.

Sometimes the advice on here is so bad. :(:(
 

Botus

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You can get a TC refurbed for £250.
Radiator from ECP for about £100
Filter kit £10
Fluid £100
Coolant £20

8 hours is about right - £600

About £1200 and a very repairable job especially if the rest of the car is in good nick.


so you will charge the customer £100 ? the one I see is currently £184.99 ecp with 11% off
you don't mention the trans fluid, Antifreeze and other sundries?
the TC I can see easily are 600 and 970, whilst I'm sure there are others, maybe you can afford to swap it out if its no good but an owner might not be so happy?
whilst the box is out wouldn't you do the electro plate?
and as its still driving in a bath of antifreeze are you guaranteeing the rest is OK ?

this 1200 quote is do-able if the cars mint, otherwise little point. I was offering up the less favourable estimate so the owner knows where he is
 

AMGeed

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You can get a TC refurbed for £250.
Radiator from ECP for about £100
Filter kit £10
Fluid £100
Coolant £20

8 hours is about right - £600

About £1200 and a very repairable job especially if the rest of the car is in good nick.

Sometimes the advice on here is so bad. :(:(



you don't mention the trans fluid, Antifreeze and other sundries?
the TC I can see easily are 600 and 970, whilst I'm sure there are others,

Steve clearly mentions the ATF at £100, the coolant at £20 and the filter kit for £10 in his post above.
He is also conversant with the torque convertor repair company JPat and probably the prices too having mentioned them here on more than one occasion.

I'd be more inclined to go with a rough quote from an indy rather than taking an uniformed guess.
 

Steve@Avantgarde

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so you will charge the customer £100 ? the one I see is currently £184.99 ecp with 11% off
you don't mention the trans fluid, Antifreeze and other sundries?
the TC I can see easily are 600 and 970, whilst I'm sure there are others, maybe you can afford to swap it out if its no good but an owner might not be so happy?
whilst the box is out wouldn't you do the electro plate?
and as its still driving in a bath of antifreeze are you guaranteeing the rest is OK ?

this 1200 quote is do-able if the cars mint, otherwise little point. I was offering up the less favourable estimate so the owner knows where he is

As AMG'd has put below, I use JPAT, who are a national company and excellent at refurbing TC's and they do it for a fraction of a cost of a new one.

You can get a Nissens radiator from ECP/GSF or Parts Alliance as they are now called for about £100, you just have to ask for the right make because Nissens is rarely a stocked item but available on request.

I have noted most sundries for the job.

Would I do the electro plate? Not if there was no reason to. I may advise a TC lock up valve, but as you are flushing the system, unless you notice chunks of transmission in the sump, everything else should survive quite happily. I think I must have done at least 200 of these so i have a fair idea what Im on about, whats involved and where to get the parts to sort.

What you have actually done is potentially scaring him into thinking his car is beyond economical repair. You don't work for a MB main dealer do you because that is their trick?!
 

Botus

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thanks for the info, I'd heard of JPAT bit surprised they come out that cheap,

if he has a great car and gets it sorted for the price u mention, great. But with a 16 year old car running the sort of tech Merc throw at S classes and the salt we put down every winter it must be getting towards end of life
 

LostKiwi

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thanks for the info, I'd heard of JPAT bit surprised they come out that cheap,

if he has a great car and gets it sorted for the price u mention, great. But with a 16 year old car running the sort of tech Merc throw at S classes and the salt we put down every winter it must be getting towards end of life
If everyone thought that way there would likely be no 20+ year old cars on the road. Sometimes by the time you look at the cost of finding a replacement it can be worth doing the repair even if the basic equation of cost Vs market value says not to (and you've no guarantee the replacement isn't a bigger can of worms than the car you have)
 

robmc52

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W220 2005 S320 CDI Previously...W210 2002 220cdi, W202 2000 C200T Kompressor
I've recently had all this done on my W220. Refurbed TC, new rad, lock up solenoid, and new a/c condensor as the old one one fell apart when the rad was changed.
There wasn't enough coolant in the oil to muck the gearbox up, as it still changed ok, but there was vibration from the TC clutches, and there was still a slight vibration until the solenoid was changed (at a later date) Smooth as silk now, all done at Class Cars in Sandwich, who are top blokes.
 


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