Get up under there and do it yourself- All you need is a new gasket and filter (around $30) and 4 quarts of ATF+4 from Autozone ($3.68 a quart). Don't be tricked into thinking you have to use that special MB Trans Fluid.
It takes 7 qts (some people get away with 4 because they forget to drain the torque converter). Also the cost of the filter and such, it would set you back about $150 at the parts counter. Getting it done for under $200 is a good deal and worth it. The rear dif is easier although messier and smellier, have a shop do it, I paid about $30. These are jobs that are not fun without a lift and don't have a good enough value proposition. For example I paid 180 to have the tranny fluid done, it's not worth $30 to get under the car and risk my life or worse, the tranny. Imagine messing it up and paying $3,500 for a tranny rebuild.
there is an excellent procedure for changing the differential fluid at slk32 com. Costs about $16 for the fluid. I just did mine for the second time a couple of weeks ago. Takes about 20 min.
could use your opinions on my transmission fluid change cost...
So, since my car was approaching 70K miles and listening to the posts about the "need" to change the AT fluid and I also noticed sometimes my car wasn't shifting out of first gear as it should; I inquired to my Benz Service about the cost to change the fluid, filter and check the diagnostics to see if there was anything they could tell me about the not shifting out of first gear problem. Initially, I got the "fluid is in their for life" line. When I asked them to double check their guidance and if they would would change it if I really wanted them to change it. The dealer said for $399. USD they would change the fluid, filter, use a new gasket on the pan and it would include their "minimum hour of labor" ($125.00/hour) to run the diagnostics to see if it showed any codes indicating any computor related transmission problem. When I dropped the car off, in their printed brochure of "A La Carte Services" at the service desk, there was listed an automatic transmission fluid and filter change for $169.95 USD (Called out as every 36 months or 39,000 miles) When I asked about the difference in price from the brochure to what I was quoted, they said, "that wasn't for my car." They could not tell me what Mercedes car it was for... "but it must be for older models." Anyway, right or wrong, I went ahead and told them to do the service. They came back with no error codes on the diagnostics and the said the fluid was really fouled, so at least I am glad I went ahead with the fluid change.
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'02 Black SLK 230, AT
'99 Firemist SLK 230, AT- Sold
Linear Mode
