The Mercedes manual suggests you change your transmission fluid every 30 K miles - more frequently with hard use (i.e. city driving, very hot climate, pulling a trailer). The major danger in changing the fluid is getting lint or dust into the transmission, so be compulsively neat when you do the job. Unless you put the car on sturdy blocks or jackstands, you will have difficulty getting to the pan and to the torque converter to drain the fluid. Use a small funnel to pour the fluid in through the dipstick hole and protect it from bits of the sound insulation on the hood that might fall in. You also need to be able to turn the engine over by hand to get the torque converter drain bolt to line up with the hole in the casing - make sure you can do this before you start draining the pan. You're right, it is pretty easy to do.
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Deborah,<br>
<br>
Don't 'flush' the transmission. I'm not sure why you were told that was needed but it's often a bad idea. You simply need to drain the pan and converter, replace the filter, reassemble and refill. Jackstands are not required but are a smart safety precaution. Bill is correct that you need to be able to turn the engine by hand to locate the converter drain plug. Now, for the record, I did this job once and decided that in the future I'd leave it to the pros at the dealership, even for the exorbitant ~$110 they charge. It's a messy, unpleasant job. It should be done every 30kmi with normal driving. It makes a big difference, I can tell that my tranny is not shifting quite 'right' at around 20kmi, and by 30k it's more noticeable. The fluid change cures it.<br>
<br>
Note: I've been told that synthetic ATF, like Mobil-1, Amsoil, or RedLine, makes the tranny shift MUCH nicer. I plan to try that next time I change mine, 12kmi from now...<br>
<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Dave M.
<br>
Don't 'flush' the transmission. I'm not sure why you were told that was needed but it's often a bad idea. You simply need to drain the pan and converter, replace the filter, reassemble and refill. Jackstands are not required but are a smart safety precaution. Bill is correct that you need to be able to turn the engine by hand to locate the converter drain plug. Now, for the record, I did this job once and decided that in the future I'd leave it to the pros at the dealership, even for the exorbitant ~$110 they charge. It's a messy, unpleasant job. It should be done every 30kmi with normal driving. It makes a big difference, I can tell that my tranny is not shifting quite 'right' at around 20kmi, and by 30k it's more noticeable. The fluid change cures it.<br>
<br>
Note: I've been told that synthetic ATF, like Mobil-1, Amsoil, or RedLine, makes the tranny shift MUCH nicer. I plan to try that next time I change mine, 12kmi from now...<br>
<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Dave M.
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