Atf

[mark.t]

Can anyone confirm at which point auto boxes on 300tds (210) where sealed for life, i have just been to my mb dealer for some work to be done, as well ii was having the atf done he says its a electronic box and is sealed for life, it just requires topping up as the dip stick under the bonnet is sealed (he said 96/97,cars required changes @36000 mile and so on) is this correct

ps mine is a 98



many thanks

 

[pepe]

apparently they are sealed for life , mine is supposed to be on my 1998 C250td, but i and a few others on here have had the fluid changed. mercedes will say its sealed and never needs changing but the guy who changed mine said it definately looked like it needed changing. it had done 85k when it was done. I bought all the fluid,filter,gasket from mercedes ,the cost was £70 then was charged £40 by the guy that changed it. id recommend it just by remembering what mine was like. £100 quid now is better than a new gearbox later !! I think my main merc dealer quoted me £150 + vat to do it. At the end of the day its a fluid and its bound to get the worse for wear.

 

[vito113]

…sealed for life, yeah right!

Speaking as an ex-engineer type, I am always a bit suspicious of 'Sealed for Life' equipment. Sealed for what life? I suspect that someone 'decides' …'mmm 85K miles (or whatever) that's long enough' then the'll have to buy a new one for £1000's. Remember, oil is cheap(ish), it does wear out and the only people who benefit when your sealed for life item dies is the maker, ie MB!!

So I agree with the previous post, change the oil.

 

[jimmy]

Yep, agree with the others, for peace of mind and for what it costs I would change the gearbox fluid. I did mine myself and would only use genuine filter, fluid and seals.

 

[Shude]

Engine/tranny talk? Engine section please! Moving...

 

[Dieselman]

The box is not "sealed for life", or indeed sealed at all. Some dealers consider the box to be "filled for life". It can be but the life will be a short one.
I believe the oil to be rated for 100,000 miles by the manufacturer, but think 60k is a nicer figure.

Change the oil. Make sure you buy 7.5 litres as most dealers will tell you it's 5.5 litres...Wrong!
Make sure you use MB fluid, as auto boxes are sensitive due to the aditives in the fluid being unique to the application.

All 4 speeders should be changed at 36k, but this doesn't apply for yours.

 

[Steve_Perry]

I had my ATF changed at 60k miles and George said that from the look of the fluid that the oil needed changing. However, the dealers will tell you that your autobox is sealed for life and should not require any maintenance work unless there is a fault with gear changes

I believe the new electronic 5 speed auto boxes were introduced in 1997. If your car has a 'W/S' switch by the gear lever then it's the electronic box if it has the 'E/S' switch then it is the older mechanical box.

Also your fill tube will have a tamper proof seal, if you do open the cap you will find that there is no dipstick.

S.

 

[sym]

Had my car since 38k - its now approaching 55k, and the gearchanges are certainly not as smooth as they were when I got the car - especially when the engine is cold . . . . so I think I'll be having this job done pretty soon !

(not brave enough to do it myself !)

S.

 

[Shude]

...especially when the engine is cold.

Do you mean it holds it in gear for longer and changes strangely when it's cold? That's a "feature", until the engine gets to normal operating temperatures it changes gear in a very odd manner, the very second the gauge reads 80 degrees in mine it usually shifts from 4th into 5th .

 

[Steve_Perry]

Had my car since 38k - its now approaching 55k, and the gearchanges are certainly not as smooth as they were when I got the car - especially when the engine is cold . . . . so I think I'll be having this job done pretty soon !

(not brave enough to do it myself !)

S.

Get your MAS checked too, if that's possible. As I am sure that my cold gear changes were very weird/violent when my MAS was starting its slippery slide into faultsville.

*EDIT* Now my MAS has been replaced the cold gear changes are much smoother even though the ECU holds onto lower gears for longer until the engine is warm.

S.

 

[sym]

Do you mean it holds it in gear for longer and changes strangely when it's cold? That's a "feature", until the engine gets to normal operating temperatures it changes gear in a very odd manner, the very second the gauge reads 80 degrees in mine it usually shifts from 4th into 5th .

In 1st gear at the moment, it seems to rev wildly without much torque when I first start out . . . . . normally fine after that. Downshifts are a bit jerky when the engine is warm now though, especially into 1st when I come to a standstill . . . . not noticable when I use W - probably because its shifting into 2nd ! Will get the ATF changed and take it from there.

Steve - don't mention the "MAS" thing (!!). . I may get it swapped out if I can source the sensor part on its own, just for good measure !

S.