wet footwell

[stevend]

I was having clean of the carpets on my 230k today and noticed some oil at the front of the footwell passenger side. The underfelt was soaked in it. It seems to be either ATF or brake fluid... as I don't have a gearbox dipstick (whats that about then?).. I can't see if I've lost any. I did replace the front pads and disks last week and had to push the pistons back quite a bit and I wonder, as I had loosned the brake fluid cap, whether it had overflowed and found its way into the footwell... seems odd that it should, but where else could it come from.... ?
steve

 

[c240yaz]

There is a big difference in smell, viscosity and colour between ATF and brake fluid.

It should be easy to tell which it is and where it is coming from.

 

[imadoofus]

You sure it's not water?

 

[c240yaz]

or has a bottle of Buckfast been spilled ?

 

[Dieselman]

It's ATF travelling up the loom from the gearbox plug.

 

[stevend]

The trouble is that ATF usually smells like burnt sugar and this don't. But I have read other threads that talk about ATF coming along the loom.Where is this seal. how do I get to it and what do I do when I have found it..
The car is 10 years old and guess its been doing this for some time. I have no problems with the electrics except the alarm doesn't work. Is the box behind the metal kickplate which has the loom going into it the alarm module.
Steve

 

[stevend]

Forgot to say that the oil is brown.... and I'm not tasting it for alcohol !

 

[Dieselman]

The plug for the gearbox is on the front o/s of the gearbox.

 

[stevend]

so if it is ATF, whats the best way of checking the auto gearbox level.... without a dipstick... am I the only one who thinks that not having a dipstick is just plain stupid.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

I had/have a similar problem

HERE

 

[c240yaz]

read this thread

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=40185&highlight=dipstick

and this

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w163-m-class/1329641-13-pin-connector-gasket-leak.html

 

[c240yaz]

so if it is ATF, whats the best way of checking the auto gearbox level.... without a dipstick... am I the only one who thinks that not having a dipstick is just plain stupid.

You need to buy a dipstick from Inchcape or borrow one.

 

[Wully]

I have the exact same problem on my C220 CDI W203.

I am 99% its a leaking evaporator, is your A/C still working? Is the oil green/brown?

 

[stevend]

Fantastic... thanks.... so jobs for the morning. Make dipstick, check levels...check plug on the gearbox.
what is that box on the back of the footrest.
steve

 

[Wully]

Are you talking about the silver panel, if so there are two units. One is the gearbox control module and the other is the parktronic system control unit if fitted.

My leakis from from behind the black soundproofing which i am sure is leaking from behind the dashboard.

 

[stevend]

Now I'm getting confused... I had the AC re gassed last week. The fluid was definitely oily... would the stuff they use to trace an A/C fault be oily?
It's definitely brown ... I thought the stuff they used was green.
steve

 

[stevend]

I don't have parktronic so it must be the gearbox brain

 

[c240yaz]

Fantastic... thanks.... so jobs for the morning. Make dipstick, check levels...check plug on the gearbox.
what is that box on the back of the footrest.
steve

You do not need to do it all at once. Take one task at a time. There is no rush.

The important thing is, you need to make sure the oil level in the box is sufficient. If it is, the other things can wait.