A problem with approved used car

[st13phil]

My guess is that it's a 7g+ 'box which uses (and must be filled with) a different fluid to the 7g 'box.

The fluid was apparently red but should have been green or blue

Bingo.

The 7g+ fluid is blue, the 7g fluid is red. Graeme ( @grober ) makes the valid point that this is for the MB-branded fluids, but if the oil change was carried out at an MB dealer then that would be most likely true.

Also... the 7g+ box requires the Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) to be changed every 5 years or 77,500 miles.

So if the approved used car you bought was under 5 years old or had less than 77,500 miles when you bought it, then it is unlikely that the ATF had ever been changed before you bought it.

Which is why I wouldn't trust the dealer's diagnosis blaming the 'wrong colour' ATF.

As you know, there has been confusion for years amongst MB dealers as to the transmission oil change interval because it kept changing and the 7g+ 'box requiring different fluid added to that confusion. While it's correct that the 7g+ 'box has a first fluid change at 77,500 miles, the 7g 'box was much sooner - around 37k miles from memory - so it's very likely that someone thought, "W204, 7g 'box, 37k miles, let's change the fluid" which would explain why there is the incorrect, red, fluid in the 'box now. A used car bought in 2015 with that sort of mileage would likely have been built around the changeover date from the 7g to 7g+ 'box (2011/2012), so is a prime candidate to get confused over.

Assuming that the Digital Service Record exists and indicates that a fluid change was done, it should be possible to interrogate the dealer's service record to find out what fluid was booked to the job - assuming that they haven't (conveniently) "lost it", of course.

 

[markjay]

As for which gearbox the car has... the 7G Tronic Plus transmission (aka 7G+) was introduced around 2011 to support the Stop/Start eco function.

So if your car has the Stop/Start feature, then the gearbox would be 7G Tronic Plus.

As said, it is due an ATF change every 5 years or 77,500 miles, so most likely the ATF was never changed on that car, in spite of what the dealer now says.

EDIT - posted before seeing st13phil response above.

 

[anderoo]

Call Star in Reading: http://www.starmotorservices.co.uk/mercedes-servicing/3789160

I've been using them for a few years now, including a transmission service.

 

[runju26]

Mercedes don’t play ball that easily and will always try passing back the blame. I’m currently in a battle with them and they keep giving me excuses after excuses, basically you need solid evidence that it was one of their dealers at fault.

But do raise a complaint with their CS team.

 

[BlackC55]

PM me the reg and I'm happy to take a look at the digital service records for you.

Natacha

 

[grober]

Generous offer Natasha but OP won't have enough [30+] posts to be able to PM

 

[BlackC55]

Welcome to send me an email to [email protected] instead

 

[Petrol Pete]

OK, let's look at this another way. What exactly could the damage be within the 'box after running so long with the wrong ATF ?
'Just' a confused or dead conductor plate ..or total devastation of ever moving part in the transmission ?

One is relatively easy to fix the other is not.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

PM me the reg and I'm happy to take a look at the digital service records for you.

Reg is in post #15

I checked it when I first viewed the thread but noticed after it's 2015 service (Approved Used?) the car wasn't serviced (by a dealer with DSB access?) again till 2017 at +22,226 miles.

There is no record in the DSB of any gearbox fluid changes.

 

[John]

That's probably game over without an MB invoice showing the ATF was changed.

 

[belongabob]

Also check out Automerc in Newbury. I used Gordon and his team for four years on my SLK. Just around the corner from Sytner Mercedes on the A4 in Newbury, Berkshire.
I plan to carry on using them when my new C 200 Sport is due for a service - or anything else it might need.

 

[runju26]

Hi all

Wondering if you can help please . Following recent diagnostics completed by a local Mercedes dealership garage (Slough) I have multiple faults with my gearbox and potentially will need a new one. The garage have indicated that some of faults have been caused by the wrong gearbox oil being used. I purchased the car in 2015 as an approved used car from Mercedes (sanddown), and the services I have had since the purchase have not changed the gearbox oil which leads me to believe it was the last service at the selling dealership which made this error. My question is do I have a leg to stand on to hold the merc dealership accountable/seek compensation? Appreciate your thoughts!

Hello and welcome to the forum.

I am in a similar situation as yours and have been going through hell and back dealing with these B****rd dealers blaming everything on me as they don’t want to take responsibility, I have now escalated this to the financial ombudsman and hoping for the best.

Mercedes will not make this easy and will try playing every trick on the book to wiggle their way out.

Also they are all liers, take your car to another dealer and they will come up with a whole different story, if they could they will try and tell you Thers something wrong with YOU lol.

It may be difficult to prove that the wrong fluid was used as mentioned on this thread they will just turn arround and say it could have been changed ina private garage without their knowledge.

I would put in a complaint anyway and see what the out comes are, you will probably be passed on to a CS representative called ##### another A** hole which gets his story twisted every time I speak to him

Have a look at some of my previous posts if you have the time .... it may help you...

 

[John]

Pamella has not been back since 17/01 so not sure if she will come back or not...

I wonder how she got on.