Merc ML W164 auto transmission fluid change

[RMVS]

Hello,

Could someone tell me the proper torque for the transmission pan bolts as I am seeing varied opinions online. Also, could you let me know the best order to tighten the 6 bolts ie corner to corner and finish middle or start in middle.

I have tried already but get an oil leak. I do believe I over tightened the bolts though so I have ordered a new sump, gasket and bolts to go again.

The vehicle is year 2008

Thanks

 

[Jobsworth]

The spec is, use new bolts, tighten all to 4nm then an additional 180 degrees. I like to go corners diagonally first and then the two middle ones. You can’t cause a leak by overtightened bolts because the stand blocks wont crush before the aluminium bolts shear. The leak can only be caused by an incorrectly placed rubber seal. Just place the pan rim side down on a flat surface to check it isn’t distorted

 

[RMVS]

The spec is, use new bolts, tighten all to 4nm then an additional 180 degrees. I like to go corners diagonally first and then the two middle ones. You can’t cause a leak by overtightened bolts because the stand blocks wont crush before the aluminium bolts shear. The leak can only be caused by an incorrectly placed rubber seal. Just place the pan rim side down on a flat surface to check it isn’t distorted

Sorry for delay I just saw this. Haven’t done the job yet will do it tomorrow. I ordered a new pan to do the job so the surface should be fine now. One other question, I put brand new oil in when doing the job the first time however I did notice when it came back out a day later it looked dirty/discoloured. Is there a way to filter the new oil to remove any unwanted dirt? I got told coffee filters worked but it was too thick to go through

 

[philnewmerc]

Sorry for delay I just saw this. Haven’t done the job yet will do it tomorrow. I ordered a new pan to do the job so the surface should be fine now. One other question, I put brand new oil in when doing the job the first time however I did notice when it came back out a day later it looked dirty/discoloured. Is there a way to filter the new oil to remove any unwanted dirt? I got told coffee filters worked but it was too thick to go through

You got told wrong, or someone's pulling your leg. It's probably dirty because draining it leaves a lot behind and if it was very dirty this will discolour the new stuff, but still better than not doing it. If you're on a tight budget just put it back in, but best to add new. Also note when you add up the costs it is often cheaper to go to a specialist!

 

[RMVS]

You got told wrong, or someone's pulling your leg. It's probably dirty because draining it leaves a lot behind and if it was very dirty this will discolour the new stuff, but still better than not doing it. If you're on a tight budget just put it back in, but best to add new. Also note when you add up the costs it is often cheaper to go to a specialist!

So eventually got round to doing the job. All has went well using brand new stuff. I was defo over tightening the bolts.

However, I now have a couple of small issues you may be able to help with. As the battery was drained I recharged it and now the aircon blower is not working. Am I right in thinking the resister is built into the blower in these cars so it’s a full unit change if a change of fuse doesn’t sort it?

Car is also vibrating at 70-80mph. It’s mainly vibrating through seat but you can feel it in the steering wheel. I doubt it’s the wheels needing balanced as I just had a couple of new tyres and the company does balance them. I noticed this in brake pads though (see pics). One pad has a few mm left in it and the other side of car has several mm left. As one side is getting low could this cause the vibration at high speeds?

Thanks

 

[philnewmerc]

Sorry I don't know about the blower motor. Anything that's out of balance will cause a vibration, if you're certain it's not the wheels it could be the prop shaft. You could try swapping the wheels front to back and see if that improves things which will tell you if it's the wheels or not. Or of course it could be something terminal in the gearbox, but hopefully not. The brake pads don't rotate so they cannot possibly have to vibration. Discs don't normally go out of balance but I suppose it's possible if they were very corroded or something...

 

[Smiley]

The most likely culprit is the wheels / tyres balancing - I would ask the place that put the new tyres on to double check them. Maybe a weight came off?