Auto trans fluid change.

[BenzBoy]

Before I begin, I am saddened to see how deadly quiet the forum has become. Time for all of us to get to work or it will die from lack of use.
Does it have a future? Yes, only if we make the effort.
Anyway, the real purpose for the post is to comment on the "sealed for life" auto trans. Here on this forum we never believed it and I always have the transmission fluid drained and changed every 60,000 anyway.
Having filled the service book for the ML I am now on a replacement book - a generic one that covers al kinds of MB cars and it's an interesting read. C, CLS, E and GLK class auto trans fluid and filter changes are recommended every 3 years or 50,000 ks; for the A and B class it's every 5 years or 100,000ks, for the CL and S classes it's every 5 years or 125,000 ks, for the R class it's at 60,000, for the SL and SLK it's 3 years or 50,000 ks etc. etc....
So, thus ends the myth of "sealed for life"....
We knew that anyway despite MB holding on to the marketing myth for as longs as possible.
Regards,
Brian

 

[c107]

Yes I think it was more of "sealed for the life of a 3 year lease"

 

[Helmet]

Before I begin, I am saddened to see how deadly quiet the forum has become. Time for all of us to get to work or it will die from lack of use.
Does it have a future? Yes, only if we make the effort.
Anyway, the real purpose for the post is to comment on the "sealed for life" auto trans. Here on this forum we never believed it and I always have the transmission fluid drained and changed every 60,000 anyway.
Having filled the service book for the ML I am now on a replacement book - a generic one that covers al kinds of MB cars and it's an interesting read. C, CLS, E and GLK class auto trans fluid and filter changes are recommended every 3 years or 50,000 ks; for the A and B class it's every 5 years or 100,000ks, for the CL and S classes it's every 5 years or 125,000 ks, for the R class it's at 60,000, for the SL and SLK it's 3 years or 50,000 ks etc. etc....
So, thus ends the myth of "sealed for life"....
We knew that anyway despite MB holding on to the marketing myth for as longs as possible.
Regards,
Brian

Yes I believe that the "life" in sealed for life was not very long, hence the return to changing fluid. Still curious why all the different intervals though.

 

[Michel]

Does your generic book mention how often to change the oil on the ML Professor?

 

[sean sherry]

Yes, I think Bryce has got it wright.. Marketing Men have a very cavalier attitude to the truth. My understanding has always been that the additives in the Oil provide the Friction Coefficient between the Paper Clutch Plates and the Steels. With age these tend to drop out and start to allow slippage. The death rattles of any Automatic.

 

[BenzBoy]

Does your generic book mention how often to change the oil on the ML Professor?

Regrettably it does not mention auto trans changes for the W163 - only the newer MLs where it is very vague. I believe it depends on how you use an ML - road or bush. For city use MBS recommends every 80,000 and it takes 2 days to completely drain the fluid.
Regards,
Brian

 

[Michel]

Two days
Jerry will have my ML repainted in 2 days (not prepared.. that will take a week)

Thank you Professor.

 

[c107]

Before I begin, I am saddened to see how deadly quiet the forum has become. Time for all of us to get to work or it will die from lack of use.
Does it have a future? Yes, only if we make the effort.

Indeed. I would encourage everyone to post a few updates on your cars. Who knows, you might start an interesting thread like this one.

 

[BenzBoy]

Two days
Jerry will have my ML repainted in 2 days (not prepared.. that will take a week)

Thank you Professor.

Only if you want to completely drain the box ....
I assume you have had your ML trans serviced?
Regards,
Brian

 

[sean sherry]

Can't understand the two days to drain an Auto Box. Long ago Torque Converters had a drain plug, and as they were fazed out we simply drilled a 1/8th hole in the bottom and welded it closed again. Many hundreds with no problems. Did also this with every rebuild as long as there was no metal in the oil pan. With metal in the Pan we always cut the Converter open to clean and repair as necessary.

 

[Michel]

Only if you want to completely drain the box ....
I assume you have had your ML trans serviced?
Regards,
Brian

Not yet.
I've just about done everything to make it very reliable, but no tranny service yet.
My ML has only done 158Ks