I understand the later 722.6 boxes have no drain plug on the converter so how do MB dealers drain the 4 or 5 litres in it?
It is a service offered dispite the boxes being factory filled for life.
I wonder if the line to the cooler in the bottom of the radiator is removed and the ATF pumped out by briefly starting the car

thanx

adam

Drill a hole!


What I do with my Volvo that has no torque converter drain plug is to disconnect one of the transmission cooler lines and run the engine until tranny fluid begins to stop comming out. While this may not insure all old tranny fluid is removed, I will run a new batch of tranny fluid through again, repeating this process twice usually removes the majority, I feel what residule remains is OK. BB

not so safe with the clutches.

It is done with a machine that is connected to both cooling lines and the new fluid is forced into the transmission by pressure and they can watch the other line until they have pumped out the correct volume of ATF. It works...Jim

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James A. Harris

Drain plugs on the torque converter disappeared about September of 1999 on the 210's. Probably similar on the other models using that transmission.

Len

What year is the car? I just serviced my 97 S500 Coupe @60kmi, convertor and all.

Cheers,
Steve

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97 S500 Coupe 139Kmi.
92 300CE 150Kmi. Sold
89 F250 Diesel 220Kmi. Dead
98 GMC 1500 160K.

For those interested, here's the fluid change method I use on all my cars that don't have a torque converter drain:

1. Pull the transmission dipstick (located near the firewall in most cars). Fresh fluid is translucent and cherry red. Some darkening is normal, but if it is reddish brown or mustard color and smells like burnt varnish, it is worn out.

2. Make sure the fluid is warm.

3. Remove all pan bolts except for the corners. Remove the bolt from the lowest corner, then loosen the other corner bolts a turn or two. Carefully pry the pan to break the gasket seal at the lowest corner. Drain mostly from this corner. With good technique you can avoid or at least minimize the red bath.

4. Remove pan. Inspect the pan before cleaning. A small amount of fine grey clutch dust is normal. However, if you find metal shavings, there has been transmission damage. Remove all old gasket material. Clean the pan and magnet with solvent and wipe dry so there is no harmful residue. Shop air can be used to clean the magnet. Hammer back any pan damage from previous overtightening. If there is no magnet, MB offers an aftermarket magnet for your transmission.

5. (Optional, and not needed for MB vehicles) Drill hole in pan at low point and install a drain kit available from most auto supply houses. Make sure the kit protruding inside the pan doesn't interfere with anything on the transmission.

6. Replace filter.

7. Position gasket on pan. Some gaskets have four holes slightly smaller than the rest to allow four bolts through the pan and through these smaller holes to hold the four bolts and gasket in place.

8. Hand tighten pan bolts in a criss-cross pattern. After that, use a torque wrench to tighten bolts to proper ft-lbs as per manufacturer.

9. Refill the transmission using only the amount shown as “refill capacity” in the owners manual (or an equal amount that was drained), using the type of fluid specified for the vehicle.

10. You now have replaced the trans fluid and filter according to manufacturer’s requirements. Fluid is changed in the pan only.

You can stop here and go to Step 17 if you just wanted a regular drop-the-pan fluid change. For a complete exchange of the fluid (including transmission body and torquer converter) continue with the next steps.

11. Obtain the total system capacity of the vehicle from the manufacturer. Have this amount - plus a bit more - of fluid readily available.

12. Disconnect the oil cooler line from the oil cooler. Tickle the ignition to find the flow direction. Direct the stream of fluid toward a receptacle. It is better to use a clear length of hose with a shoplight laying next to it so you can see when all the old fluid has left the system.

13. Start the engine, let it idle to pump out old trans fluid until you start seeing air bubbles.

14. Stop the engine. Refill transmission through fill tube with fresh fluid - same amount as pumped out (usually about 2-3 quarts).

15. When either the fluid color brightens or the total capacity has been replaced, shut the engine off and re-attach the oil cooler line. All trans fluid has now been changed.

16. Button everything back up. Clean up the mess.

17. Recheck the fluid level. With the car on level ground, set the parking brake and the transmission in “Park” or “Neutral.” Let the engine idle for a few minutes. Shift the transmission through all detents, pausing momentarily at each position, before returning the lever to “Park” or “Neutral.” Check the fluid level again and check for leaks. Refill fluid so it is slightly undercharged. This way it can be properly checked and topped off after a long drive.

I don't think this method will damage clutches. The engine is shut off just as fluid stops coming out. Plus the clutches are never really get dry. They are still wet with fluid and receive boundary lubrication. Nobody has reported any problems with this method.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

How much does an aftermarket magnet cost, and where can I get one?

Kestas,

This sounds like a write-up for a GM vehicle. The first time I droped my trans pan on my Chevy Astro I installed a drain plug. GM was kind enough to route the exhaust pipe so it would interfere with dropping the trans pan.

My 98 E320 comes with a factory drain plug in the trans pan as well as the torque converter plug.

For step #12, would it work if you placed the other end (suction side) of the oil cooler line into a fresh container of ATF thus replenishing the old ATF coming out with fresh ATF going in?

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Ray
1998 Mercedes E320, 200K Miles
2001 Acura 3.2TL, 178K Miles
1992 Chevy Astro, 205K Miles

BusyBenz:
I believe the magnet costs $3 to $4. You can get it from the dealer or add it to the your next order from FastLane (the button on top of this page). Personally, I used a flat refrigerator magnet that vendors often send in with junk mail. Be mindful of placing it in the pan away from electrical solenoids.

rjnonnie:
Yes, the writeup is generic and created by myself from experience. The basic principle applies, though a few details are different for MB vehicles, such as the drain plug (which did include a disclaimer) and the gasket (my E320 has a reusable gasket). Naturally, if you car has a drain plug for the torque converter these instructions are not needed and transmission fluid change is even simpler.

I've read other writeups where the person plumbs one line to the drain and the other to clean fluid and lets the entire charge exchange at once. It all depends on how much prep work and plumbing you want to do, and where you can tap into the plumbing. This is an even better way to exchange fluid as you suggest.

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95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K