Non MB ATF fluid

[Locky]

Hi all .... while I've been sitting here with my autobox problems I've been thinking.
What are the implications of not using MB atf fluid on my 722.6 box. I had the change done recently by an indy, but they put atf in there from a large barrel. Pretty sure it said texaco on the side.
I'm wondering if I should get this changed again by some one like George Frazer. Or will it not cause any harm using non MB atf??

 

[jimmy]

I have been advised by others and by oil manufacturers that only MB ATF fluid meets the spec for MB gearboxes. Most other makes such as Ford, GM etc use Dexron or DexronII ATF fluid which is a more universal fluid and not suitable for mercs, my advice would be to change it to MB fluid if you are not sure what was used.

 

[guydewdney]

gotta be worth a try - its about 90 quid for the oil iirc - which is a bit cheaper than 1400..

did it start slipping shortly after the new oil was done then?

 

[Locky]

Well I haven't had the car that long. So I can't say wether it was slipping before. I have noticed it after the change though. I do remember them charging me £4 something per litre for the atf.
I was thinking if the atf has friction modifiers in it maybe this is the prob.
Does anybody use one of these used car warranty companies? are they worth it. I was thinking about going for one like Warranty direct from Autotrader. They cover auto clutches and brakebands etc... and you can have the car repaired where ever u want.

 

[panason1c]

The oil used in the 722.6 transmission is a fully synthetic oil supplied by MB and is the ONLY oil to use in Mercedes 722.6 boxes...i would recomend draining the 'Texaco' oil and refil with MB oil, part number...001-989-21-03-10 (Holds approx 8 litres @ £9 per litre).....i would also drop the pan, if i were you, and renew the 'pick-up' filter part number...277 00 95 (filter about £5) and a new pan rubber gasket.....271 00 80 (gasket about £5)
You, or the garage, will need the special dipstick, available from MB @ £20...part number..589 15 21/00

Make sure the torque converter is also drained separately to the 'box..


ps....I would have thought that you have could take issue with the garage in that by putting the 'wrong' atf oil in your 'box they may have caused problems that weren't present before.....if they argue that their oil is recomended in the 722.6 ask them to show you the recomendation!

 

[a1jatt]

i dont know about 722.6 , but i had called m benz dealer regarding 722.4 , they told me to put dexron 2 or 3 in it, its working great for me.

 

[panason1c]

The 722.6 uses a different oil which is fully synthetic and intended to last the life of the 'box (allegedly).....definitely NOT recommended to put any other type of oil in the 722.6

 

[tamrsoft]

Correct ATF for the 722.6 Transmission

PANASON1C

I have just done a partial ATF change on my 2001 E220 CDi (84K on the clock) which has the 722.6 transmission. I used the ATF as recommended by MB (part number...001-989-21-03-10 ) and was surprised to find that it was red in colour. The oil I drained out of the sump and although darkened by wear/age did not appear to be red as its original colour. I queried this with the workshop, they assured me that was the specified ATF and that is what they use on all their vehicles when servicing the transmission. However they could not give me details on its spec (ie fully synthetic etc). You seem to be knowledgable in this area, can you confirm for me.
By the way, I changed the filter and gasket also and was surprised how easy the job was ( I have photos of the various stages if anyone is interested). Do you think it worth dumping the sump contents again shortly and replacing with fresh MB ATF to dilute the original contents since the torque convertor cannot be drained.

 

[panason1c]

tamrsoft,
The part number you have quoted is for the fully synthetic oil for the 722.6 box. My model, as with yours, doesn't have a torque converter drain plug so i intend to renew the oil after about 30k to 'dilute' any old oil remaining.
Hope this helps.

 

[big x]

You need spec. Dextron III which is fully synthetic.A number of companies make oil for elecrtonic boxes for example the German company Fuchs who make Titan ATF 4000 and are a OE supplier to MB and Esso ATF LT 71141.

See;

http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showthread.php?t=12268

adam

 

[tamrsoft]

Which oil to use

I have scanned my MB service DVDs. They recommend the oil suggested in panason1c's feedback, they also recommend Shell ATF 3403-M115 which also meets the MB 236.1 ATF spec for the 722.6 tranny. Since MB is not in the oil production business they obviously badge an OEM brand with their name, question is 'which brand', I have read that the MB factory uses Fuch's TITAN ATF 4000 in their production line but I cannot get confirmation that this is a fully synthetic fluid. Does anyone have any comments on this or other products. There has to be a better answer than MB's £9/litre in litre only bottles.

 

[MDMB69]

I had similar problems with my 722.5 transmission and thought why pay the the dealer £9 a litre when I can get an extacting matching spec oil a lot cheaper.
Big mistake. I bought a cheaper Dexron 3 fluid and my gearbox was all but useless and hardly woked at all. So I bit the bullet and went for the exact MB stuff, only to find it was on back order from Germany for a few months. I spent a long time salvaging what drop of old oil I'd drained to get it to work for a while.
When I eventually put the proper MB stuff in it worked like a dream. I won't make that mistake again.