I recently had some transmission oil leak out and I need to top it up again (my car refuses to go into gear now that the oil is low). I got a dipstick to check the level, but it’s a generic one so it’s not clear what level the oil needs to be at.
From what I understand it’s supposed to be a “lifetime” system and isn’t meant to be changed, so I can’t find a lot of info out there about it. The closest I saw was a video of someone changing their oil on a W176 A45 (I have a W177 A35) and that person’s transmission oil was at the 4th notch on the dipstick that looks the same as mine (as indicated by a MB Star unit).
Does anyone know where I can find some info on where the transmission oil level should be? Thanks in advance.
Obviously you have some car knowledge and know about your car, but are you sure that you want to save the ~100€ and not go to a qualified shop with the right dipstick and let them refill it to the correct height?
I’d be furious if at some point I drove with a little bit of oil always and destroyed my transmission.
I would either try to get the correct MB Dipstick or pay the money.
Also do you have a MB Star Diagnosis? If not how are you going to check the correct oil level? You have to get the transmission to do a special venting routine with the correct temperatures before checking the oil level…
It’s the correct MB dipstick; it just works for multiple models. If you check the link I posted, it says that it works with my model as well. It’s just not clear to me what the level needs to be at on the dipstick after filling.
I don’t have access to MB Star unfortunately. From what I understand that tells you the required level, but since I don’t have it I’m asking here if anyone knows.
I didn’t know about this venting routine though, so that’s useful info, thanks.
One of the biggest scams is “sealed for life” from manufacturers. For them, the life is 50k miles.
The reality is, every Mercedes transmission is designed for regular fluid and filter changes. It should be changed every 30-60k miles.
Source: I’m and ASE auto trans certified.