[R129 SL] R129LIST Digest, Vol 31, Issue 7

[Lowanover at aol.com]

Hi Jan,
 
I have owned several Mercedes. I currently have a 1998 SL600, with a  sealed 
transmission that I can't check the oil level on. I also had a 1992  300E 
which I recently gave my to my son. That car has 400,000 km on it,  everything 
original and runs perfectly. I have done my own maintenance on it  over the years 
but have never replaced anything on the engine or transmission. 
 
On one ocaision a few years ago I noticed the transmission was slipping  
badly. I drove it home slowly and checked the fluid and found nothing on the  
dipstick! I looked under the car and discovered that one of the cooling hoses  had 
cracked, and drained most of the oil. I replaced the hose and filled it up,  
and it still runs and shifts perfectly to this day. I say this because in  my 
experience Mercedes transmissions are pretty tough, I find it hard to  imagine 
that having a little extra oil would destroy the transmission. Obviously  you 
shouldn't be overfilling it, but I think you would have to put a lot more in  
it than you had before doing damage. I think I am guilty of overfilling some 
of  my other Mercedes in the past, but have never had a problem.
 
 That is not to say that some internal part of the transmission, such  as a 
pump, couldn't fail and cause your problem. You could easily drain the  fluid 
and drop the oil pan and see if there are any metal pieces, and you  could 
change the filter too, which if clogged could cause problems. You can even  drain 
the torque converter with a little extra work. But if you hear grinding  
noises then obviously there is a more serious problem. Here in the States a  
rebuilt one can be found for around $2000. Labor extra. Hopefully if your  
transmission is bad you can find one for a reasonable price. Good luck!
 
Dave
 
 



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