OK lets just think about this for a second.
Lets say there is a group of engineers at Mercedes (or a subsidiary company) that designed this transmission. They were at the design/production stage where they needed to come up with the service interval recommendation. Do you really think they came up with this idea that in SOME markets the transmission fluid should be replaced at 100,000km, but "ya know, I think it'll be fine without a change in some of these other markets"? "Idontthinkso".
NOT only that, but OK, for a significant amount of time that the transmission has been in the US market anyways, MB has had this free maintenance program, since model year 2000. One might start thinking "Oh yeah, they just don't want to have to pay to have that transmission fluid change, I get it." Uh, excuse me warranty go bye-bye at 50,000, fluid change due at 60,000, think again. Not only that but they would just tag a little more onto the price of the car if they were going to pay for it.
I think the real source of these rumors that MB is suggesting fluid changes on 722.6 trannys is techs that just can't seem to "get over" that they're not being paid to perform the work, simple as that. I may or may not attempt to research if there is a recommendation in Europe. I already double checked the recommendation here in the US based on a rumor at this site, and it was false, NO recommendation, and I'm sure this one is just another attempt to get people to shell out money for work that isn't recommended by Mercedes.

On a final note, I haven't had my coffee yet. OH! No, on a final note, I realize there have been failures of the transmission. Has anyone EVER said that a 722.6 has failed because of a lack of a atf change? I've never heard anyone make a direct connection. They've made alot of changes to this gearbox. LOTS of things beefed up, changes even to the control unit. BUT they haven't made a change to the recommendation on not changing the atf. Hmmmmmmmm. MB checks the boxes out that they get back, the ones that fail. Don't you think that they'd start recommending a change if this is was a problem?
Oh wait, no, they make more money selling you a transmission at 150,000 miles rather than a few atf changes. Very tricky these Germans .


Gilly