2011 Mercedes ML350 tranny fluid

Update — Finished the job yesterday.

It was apparent that someone had serviced the transmission previously, which made me feel better because the SUV has 94,000 miles on it. Pan looked great, magnets didn’t have much on them. Fluid was dark but not horrendous...and it didn’t smell burnt. Which was great.

Pan wasn’t the easiest to get off because of the wire harness brackets towards the front corners, but not bad either (my 2018 Silverado was much tougher to do).

I ended up draining the torque converter too - you can really screw this up because the bell housing doesn’t allow you to fit a Allen socket into the bolt because it screws your angle up just enough where the Allen can’t go into the bolt cleanly. You’ll strip it...and I started to, so what I did was I decided to hammer the socket and extension right into the bolt and pray that I’d get it in enough to be able to loosen it. And I did. Bolt is not reusable...put the new one in just using an Allen wrench/key. That fit fine.

Drain and measured 9 quarts of fluid from the pan and torque converter.

Replaced my idler pulley while I had it on the lift. Easiest thing I’ve ever replaced on any car.

Up next I plan to do spark plugs and air cleaners and a wheel bearing.

Quick side note — A retired Chrysler tech walked over to me when I was doing the pan and said it’s the same transmission that’s in his jeep grand Cherokee. Not the SAME, but the same...as in Chrysler bought the transmission off of Mercedes and put it in their vehicles with “modifications”. Which means they cheapened it for mass production. Told me about a few problems Chrysler had because of those modifications.
 
Update — Finished the job yesterday.

It was apparent that someone had serviced the transmission previously, which made me feel better because the SUV has 94,000 miles on it. Pan looked great, magnets didn’t have much on them. Fluid was dark but not horrendous...and it didn’t smell burnt. Which was great.

Pan wasn’t the easiest to get off because of the wire harness brackets towards the front corners, but not bad either (my 2018 Silverado was much tougher to do).

I ended up draining the torque converter too - you can really screw this up because the bell housing doesn’t allow you to fit a Allen socket into the bolt because it screws your angle up just enough where the Allen can’t go into the bolt cleanly. You’ll strip it...and I started to, so what I did was I decided to hammer the socket and extension right into the bolt and pray that I’d get it in enough to be able to loosen it. And I did. Bolt is not reusable...put the new one in just using an Allen wrench/key. That fit fine.

Drain and measured 9 quarts of fluid from the pan and torque converter.

Replaced my idler pulley while I had it on the lift. Easiest thing I’ve ever replaced on any car.

Up next I plan to do spark plugs and air cleaners and a wheel bearing.

Quick side note — A retired Chrysler tech walked over to me when I was doing the pan and said it’s the same transmission that’s in his jeep grand Cherokee. Not the SAME, but the same...as in Chrysler bought the transmission off of Mercedes and put it in their vehicles with “modifications”. Which means they cheapened it for mass production. Told me about a few problems Chrysler had because of those modifications.
Hi DB.
The Chrysler guy is a little confused. The Grand Cherokee used a NAG1 in the petrol jeeps and a W5J400 in the diesel. Both are Merc', 5 speed, 722.6. The petrol engined version was built in Indiana and the diesel was made in Germany. The Grand Cherokee never used the 7 speed. Later models use the 8 speed ZF.
 
Hi DB.
The Chrysler guy is a little confused. The Grand Cherokee used a NAG1 in the petrol jeeps and a W5J400 in the diesel. Both are Merc', 5 speed, 722.6. The petrol engined version was built in Indiana and the diesel was made in Germany. The Grand Cherokee never used the 7 speed. Later models use the 8 speed ZF.
I’ll have to let him know. Thanks.
 
Update — Finished the job yesterday.

It was apparent that someone had serviced the transmission previously, which made me feel better because the SUV has 94,000 miles on it. Pan looked great, magnets didn’t have much on them. Fluid was dark but not horrendous...and it didn’t smell burnt. Which was great.

Pan wasn’t the easiest to get off because of the wire harness brackets towards the front corners, but not bad either (my 2018 Silverado was much tougher to do).

I ended up draining the torque converter too - you can really screw this up because the bell housing doesn’t allow you to fit a Allen socket into the bolt because it screws your angle up just enough where the Allen can’t go into the bolt cleanly. You’ll strip it...and I started to, so what I did was I decided to hammer the socket and extension right into the bolt and pray that I’d get it in enough to be able to loosen it. And I did. Bolt is not reusable...put the new one in just using an Allen wrench/key. That fit fine.

Drain and measured 9 quarts of fluid from the pan and torque converter.

Replaced my idler pulley while I had it on the lift. Easiest thing I’ve ever replaced on any car.

Up next I plan to do spark plugs and air cleaners and a wheel bearing.

Quick side note — A retired Chrysler tech walked over to me when I was doing the pan and said it’s the same transmission that’s in his jeep grand Cherokee. Not the SAME, but the same...as in Chrysler bought the transmission off of Mercedes and put it in their vehicles with “modifications”. Which means they cheapened it for mass production. Told me about a few problems Chrysler had because of those modifications.
Could have been the original fluid. Those transmissions do not shed much debris, even initially. MB designed that transmission to be serviced - everything is easily accessible.
 
The 722.9 has good internals. I just did my own 80k service, mine is a 2011 e350 and takes the blue fluid. Did the pulleys twice so far in its life.

Anyone changed the front diff fluid on an e350?
 
Hi DB.
I am not knocking the guy. He just probably saw it was a Mercedes you were working on and presumed it was the 5 speed. Easy mistake.
No, I didn’t think you were knocking him. He came over and looked at the pan and valve body and was able to point out something about the case on the side (that usually leaks), but you’re right...the jeep isn’t a 7-speed and probably much different.
 
The 722.9 has good internals. I just did my own 80k service, mine is a 2011 e350 and takes the blue fluid. Did the pulleys twice so far in its life.

Anyone changed the front diff fluid on an e350?
I have...it’s pretty easy. Actually going to do my rear diff this week.

Speaking of the pulleys, changed the pulley and must have missed a tooth on the belt...lost the belt during a snow storm (no power steering, battery light came on). Barely made it home.
 
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