CLK350 Auto transmission fluid change

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UKChris

Member
Joined
May 9, 2012
Messages
34
Location
Dorset, UK
Car
CLK320
Hi
I took my 2006 CLK350 petrol for service, and asked if they could take a look at transmission fluid level. When the car is cold first thing in morning, for the first 100 yards or so the car revs but seems to stick in low gear. It then frees itself, and no further problems during the day. Same thing happens next time though.

The garage did a routine B service, but were not familiar with the procedure for changing the ATF. Am I correct in saying that it is a specialist job, and that it is filled from the bottom? There is no dipstick present. The service guys rang a local Mercedes Indie who said that the unit is "sealed for life" and that oil cannot be accessed. I don't think that is correct..or am I wrong?

Anyone recommend a decent indie within comfortable drive of Bournemouth who could help with this, please?
 
My 180K does the same thing. It stays in a low gear to get the cat up to temperature quickly.
It aint broke....
 
I can't say I've ever noticed mine do that, and I assume it's almost identical to the OP (mine is a 56 plate).

It's always possible that I've jut never driven it in temperature cold enough to elicit that behaviour, but it doesn't do it when there's frost on the screen.

I think that "filled for life" really means "extra long service intervals", and that as suspected it has to be emptied and refilled from beneath. - I assume it's the same for every 7G-tronic box more or less?
 
Had my ATF changed last year (2009 clk280 with the 7G)

Should be done every so often (manual/service book will say)

There are some indies around Bournemouth or Southampton
You could always ask the local stealer for advice and even maybe a quote......
 
My 180K does the same thing. It stays in a low gear to get the cat up to temperature quickly.
It aint broke....

Correct. It's stated in the owners manual. When the engine is cold the autobox shifts at higher revs in order to bring the engine up to working temperatures faster. The reason is that the cats are not effective when cold and warming them up quickly reduces pollution.

However I found that you can force the box to shift down by backing off the accelerator slightly then depressing it again slowly - the car will shift up and won't hold on to the lower gear.
 
Said that, there's no harm in changing the ATF.... on the 5-gear autobox it should be changed at around 40k miles or 4 years (I say 'around' because different model years came with different instructions... quite confusing) .
 
Last edited:
Said that, there's no harm in changing the ATF.... on the 5-gear autobox it should be changed at around £40k or 4 years (I say 'around' because different model years came with different instructions... quite confusing) .


£40k, holy crap!! that's one expensive atf change....
 

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