I have a 2001 E220 CDi and have been having a poke around in readiness for servicing. Due to a lack of a manual for this model my best reference is a haynes manual for a C class. This has helped indentifiy most of the parts and procedure but there are a few major deffirences. The diesel filter shown on the C class is a disposable canister, on the E class it seems to be a plastic housing which I assume contains a filter, also I have yet to locate the diesel pre filter. Has anyone serviced these item before. I intend to change the gearbox oil and after reading several articals on this forum expected to find a torque converter drain bolt. After looking very very carfully and can confidently say my model does not have one, is it worth just changing the oil in the box or is there another way of removing the oil from the torque converter. My local dealer wanted over £40 for the dip stick, does this sound about right for a stick with some marks on it. Lastly, is changing the brake fluid just a question of cracking the caliper bleed screws and pumping fluid through. The C class manual talks of plugging in servise tools before changing the fluid. Any help and guidance will be much appreciated as the lack of a manual is making this quite a stressfull job.
jimmy
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The oil filter is a paper element type, the housing has a big black plastic cover with a socket type thing on the top.
The fuel filter should be a spin-on type, located near the front of the engine the pre-filter is not obvious but is housed in the same housing.
The torque converter should have a drain plug, rotate the engine carefully, slowly with a spanner on the crankshaft until the torque converter drain plug comes into view. Little point in changing just the gearbox fluid as the fluid in the TC will contaminate the new oil immediately. Make sure you follow the corrct procedure to check the fluid level, and only use MB fluid, filter and sump seal.
My dipstick cost less than £10.
The procedure for changing the brake fluid is basically as you say, drain the master cylinder reservoir and refill with new fluid, open each bleed nipple on the calipers and pump until new fluid can be seen, never allow the master cylinder reservoir to get too low. There is a recommended sequence to doing this, can't remember what order you have to do the wheels though, makes no differrence other than the correct way uses less fluid. **WARNING** If you are not confident in what you are doing, DO NOT mess around with your brakes!!
I don't know why Haynes recommend using some electronic kit to open the ABS circuit, never had to do it on the dozen or so MB's I have done.
The fuel filter should be a spin-on type, located near the front of the engine the pre-filter is not obvious but is housed in the same housing.
The torque converter should have a drain plug, rotate the engine carefully, slowly with a spanner on the crankshaft until the torque converter drain plug comes into view. Little point in changing just the gearbox fluid as the fluid in the TC will contaminate the new oil immediately. Make sure you follow the corrct procedure to check the fluid level, and only use MB fluid, filter and sump seal.
My dipstick cost less than £10.
The procedure for changing the brake fluid is basically as you say, drain the master cylinder reservoir and refill with new fluid, open each bleed nipple on the calipers and pump until new fluid can be seen, never allow the master cylinder reservoir to get too low. There is a recommended sequence to doing this, can't remember what order you have to do the wheels though, makes no differrence other than the correct way uses less fluid. **WARNING** If you are not confident in what you are doing, DO NOT mess around with your brakes!!
I don't know why Haynes recommend using some electronic kit to open the ABS circuit, never had to do it on the dozen or so MB's I have done.
Definatly no drain plug on the torque converter, I looked through both inspection covers while rotating the engine very slowly, the diesel filter is not of the spin on type, its a black plastic cylinder and it looks like the top should screw off and there no obvoius water drain.
LDJ said:
The service tool is plugged in to turn the ESP/ASR/BAS/ABS into service mode. This opens all the tiny little valves in the control end of the system to allow all of the fluid to be changed.
If you don't do this then no direct harm will result from bleeding the brakes, but you should be aware that you are only changing the fluid in the master cylinder, brake lines and wheel cylinders, and leaving all the moisture-sodden old fluid in the rest of the system.
Which part of the system most needs protecting from corrosion and would therfore most benefit from the fluid change? Well, my money is on all those tiny little valves at the control end.
Dieselman
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nickmann said:
Without wanting to disagree, I would say the brake callipers and rubber seals are most at risk as that's where the moisture gets into the system. The fluid is hygroscopic to draw moisture away from the callipers and disperse it.
By changing most of the fluid the valve block should be ok.
