Flushed my tranny - Benzworld.org

yumling · 04-10-2008, 05:39 PM

OK I found that this line IS the one bringing hot ATF into the cooler. Flushing the ATF was really easy. But I botched it so it was a mess for me. I had gingerly opened the line wondering if it was ATF and it was ! So I bought a 5/8 inch clear tubing and marked a few gallon bottles with 1 liter intervals.

However, for me this is where I screwed up. It got hot and I decided to drive 30 feet into a sheltered area with the line still unhooked (I kind of hand tightened it thinking heck it is only 30 feet).

The result was that the whole engine compartment was doused with ATF.

Anyway the rest of the process is really easy and anyone can change their ATF without any mess and no need to climb under the car!!!

Remove plastic tubing that attaches to Air Filter housing. Click for larger pictures.

This is the hose I loosen using an adjustable wrench. Picture is looking from the top and the hose is on the passenger side of the radiator. The oily mess was because of the earlier mentioned fiasco. When you open the hose (engine NOT running) nothing leaks out.

Next step connect 5/8 inch tube to the cooler line and thread the tubing through the air intake next to the grill.

Thread tube through hole for air intake

Stick tube into marked bottle and start the car. 1 liter out, stop the car and fill in 1 liter of fresh ATF. Then start the car again and stop engine when another liter is out followed by 1 liter of fresh ATF. Liquid is brown. A very easy job.

**Musikmann** · 04-10-2008, 06:47 PM

Thanks for the nice DIY post Yumling! If the Gods (Moderators) are smiling this evening, you might have even earned your immortal place among the DIY Stickys with this one.

E430SportMB · 04-10-2008, 07:02 PM

That is totally diryy. Far from the color of a new, fresh fluid. Is this your first tranny flush on your car? How many miles ? Thanks.

yumling · 04-10-2008, 07:13 PM

Car has 80K and what you see already has 3 liters of fresh fluid mixed into it when I dropped the pan earlier, changed filter and put in a magnet.

Trust me it is a very very easy job. And no mess at all. And all that ATF is pumped out by the transmission with the engine at idle.so should be safe. ATF fluid is cheap so if you want to do a great job just go buy 15 liters and run it through the tranny.

I suspect that even if you botched up and pump too much out without filling in fresh fluid there should be no damage to the ATF because it is only for such a short time and engine is only at idle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by E430SportMB

That is totally diryy. Far from the color of a new, fresh fluid. Is this your first tranny flush on your car? How many miles ? Thanks.

E430SportMB · 04-10-2008, 07:56 PM

Yumling,
Magnet is already in the pan right? Just clean the old one ?

yumling · 04-10-2008, 10:45 PM

NO in the 2001 V6 there is no magnet. I was given the magnet. BTW I think there is a MB part number for this magnet. But I guess any magnet will do.

But although the fluid was brown, it smelled like ATF and I suspect that there is still quite of bit of life to it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by E430SportMB

Yumling,
Magnet is already in the pan right? Just clean the old one ?

ohlord · 04-10-2008, 11:20 PM

had some extra magnets the ones with the special slots that help trap any small metal from floating around so I sent him it free with the trans dipstick he purchased.Little did I know he would reinvent the complete trans and torque converter drain procedure I posted months ago

Less the unintentional spraying of the engine compartment with high pressure trans fluid

I am sure he won't make that mistake again

ohlord

JeffreyP · 04-11-2008, 09:56 AM

Hi Yumling

Very inventive, great job. By the way, how many liters did you flush out using this method? You must have spend at least $200 for the new fluid right?

JeffreyP

ohlord · 04-11-2008, 10:35 AM

the drain his way takes about 11-12 because he has no torque converter drain plug.Your 98 has one so you can use the diy procedure and save some money since you won't get all of the 9.5 nor back in

figure on getting 9 and selling the left over or saving it for the next 60k mile change

ohlord

yumling · 04-11-2008, 01:07 PM

I think to do a complete flush you would need about 15 liters. The reason is because I dropped the pan to remove any crud and change the filter prior to the flush. After that I had to put in 3 liters of fresh fluid which is then mixed with the old. And on top of that you would need another 12 liters to flush everything out to be absolutely sure.

It does not cost that much if you buy it from online sites.

I also suggest that after you do the pan drop and new filter and 3 liters of fresh fluid, you drive around for 200 miles or so to clean out the system (that 3 liter of new fluid will have fresh additives) then do the cooler line flush with 12 liters.

I would imagine that your tranny is good to go for another 100K miles.

Remember, a more correct term would be ATF fluid exchange. Flushing sounds like forcing fluid through the tranny. All we are doing here is getting the tranny to pump out the old fluid while we pour in fresh fluid. There is no machine involved. And no revving of engine.

You can get AT fluid online for about $15/liter. You can get away with only 10 liters but I figure that since you go through the trouble might as well spend another $50 on fluids and get it super clean.

After this, I think I will do 50K miles fluid change via cooler line. Really easy and shouldn't take more than 30 minutes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffreyP

Hi Yumling

Very inventive, great job. By the way, how many liters did you flush out using this method? You must have spend at least $200 for the new fluid right?

JeffreyP