Hello Board,
I recently had a trans. service. The mechanic and I was wonderring if there is an aftermarket dipstick avail. a metal one than can be read. The tool require my MB the snake thing is not reliable. Any ideas. 97E420

The Mercedes tool is reliable. It's dumb to think otherwise--your mechanic's not better than Mercedes despite his fantasies.

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Kent Christensen
Albuquerque
'07 GL320CDI, '10 CL550. '01 Porsche Boxster
Two BMW motorcycles

It's not only reliable, it's durable. I've had the same one since ~1997, and it still works like new.

You don't need to buy a MB dipstick, you can easily make your own. Curtain wire is good enough. You could even use bicycle brake cable sheath/outer if you liked.

Measurements here:





The overall length of the stick is irrelevant beyond being able to reach the bottom of the transmission pan, it isn't designed to remain inserted while driving. Just get the markings on the end right, and anything will do.

That's just what I plan to do, Bicycle cable... Save myself $50 - $75..
I just changed mine fluid... I was not hard at all..

I had the TC plug and no magnet. I brought the magnet to put inside, they gave me two doughnut shaped magnets, I put one in.. I haven't refilled it yet..

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Peter L. House
1998 Sport E430
Azure Blue
110,000k Miles

1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon
V8 Bucket Seats
Factory Moon Roof

Thanks Guys.
Parrot of Doom. Is that the MB tool in the pic. Also bike cable and curtain wire? Is that really true? The MB tool; only the end of the tool is the measurement portion of it?

That is the factory tool in the photo.

Practice and locate the bottom of the pan and then mark the shaft of the tool with tape so it is easily repeatable...... Of course, that reference mark is only applicable to your engine/trans combo.

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

so that was just for his particular app? does anyone know what it is for a 01 cl600???

Looks like all 722.6's use the same factory tool.
http://www.peachparts.com/diy/mb_tools/mb_tools.php?page=30

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Terry Allison
N. Calif. & Boca Chica, Panama

09' E320 Bluetec 77k (USA)
09' Hyundai Santa Fe Diesel 48k (S.A.)

Those pictures are for all 722.6** boxes.

Yes, anything flexible will do. You only have to mark the end using the measurements above. After all its only a bit of plastic attached to a coily springy thing. Take a look at your engine oil dipstick, theres nothing special about it, its just a bit of metal with a couple of lines on the end, and a handle/seal on the other. Since the gearbox dipstick isn't supposed to stay in, you don't need a handle or a seal.

It just has to hit the bottom of the sump, thats it. Why pay good money for something you can make yourself for nothing?

Use a bit of mains electricity earth cable if you like!

Oh bear in mind I'm not sure if US inches are different from UK inches, over here an inch is 2.54cm.

aahh, i didnt see the 722.6 there ) great, this is really good info! thanks

If you want an accurate reading, use the tool. The valve body conductor plate has a“funnel,” which mates with the plastic tip on the dipstick, stopping and positions the dip stick several millimeters off the pan, for an accurate fluid reading.

Form a MB tech GTT group in your area, buy one tool and share it almost the group.

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Steve Cattaneo www.mastertechtrans.com


03 SL500
02 MB AMG
87 560 SEC
87 300D
928S 83
85 928 S2 EURO

it looks like its just the cone at the end which is about a 16th of an inch. so just deduct this and youve got your measurement, right?

Does anyone have an overall measurement from the tip of the dipstick to the handle end (where the dipstick tube ends)?

After some trial/error, I came up with about 28" (from the tip to the tape mark on the shaft) for my W210/722.6 and was wondering if I was in the ballpark - or not down in there deep enough.

The dipstick I bought was for a 722.6, so the graduations on the tip are correct, but the length is WAY long... I stuffed it all the way in there and the level is either over full - or it went in too far.

Thanks,

Matt

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'99 W210/OM606.962 - bone stock for now.
'94 Dodge/Cummins - NV5600, P7100, ~400hp
'96 Jeep ZJ - Cummins ISB 170/Allison LCT-1000 conversion project basket case
'00 VW Jedi - 345k, bone stock

I'm a little confused.

I purchased my 1989 206e used, and it already had an orange capped (locking) dip stick on the transmission refill port (at the rear of the engine near the firewall) installed (added pic of top of dip stick to this post - see below). I've always used the guides on this dip stick to measure tranny fluid levels at normal engine temp.

Have I been using the wrong gauge/tool to measure tranny fluid levels all this time?

Attached Thumbnails

 

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Steven
1989 260E (276K miles)
1995 E320 (50K miles)