load leveling fluid, is there anything cheaper??

[DieselBone]

Is it just me, or is the liter bottles (blue) of fluid for the load leveling a bit costly. Its about time to change the filter and oil in my wagon, and I hate to spend that much on the oil. I have noticed that regular jack oil is almost the same stuff, and its a lot cheaper. Now, I don't want to srew up the system and add something that can't work, but is there anything else?? Also, whats the best way to get all the old fluid out w/o burning the pump up.

BTW, I'm gonna try Delo 400 for my next engine oil change.

[JimmyL]

Pay particular attention to post number 6 of the attached thread. There is also 2 links on that thread, post #6. Happy reading.....
JL

300TD rear strut/shock removal

[DieselBone]

Originally Posted by JimmyL

Pay particular attention to post number 6 of the attached thread. There is also 2 links on that thread, post #6. Happy reading.....
JL

300TD rear strut/shock removal

Darn, I always get beefed when people don't search......stupid me.

BUT, has it been proven that the "tractor fluid" (AW-32) doesn't harm the system?? Mine doesn't leak and works well. I'm just looking for a cheaper oil. I have 2 John Deere's that use the fluid type above and have about 5 gallons of it, should I give it a try????

[TomJ]

I get the Febi/Bilstein stuff for $8/quart. Seems cheap enough to me?

LMK if you need a source.

[jayb79]

This may make for some interresting reading.
http://www.manufacturing.net/ple/contents/pdf/ple2004lubechart.PDF

[jayb79]

Notice the small print on the bottom of the first page.

This leads me to think that if its not synthetic(man made) then it is mineral.

[DieselBone]

Originally Posted by jayb79

Notice the small print on the bottom of the first page.

This leads me to think that if its not synthetic(man made) then it is mineral.

Good eyes! Looks like the AW-32 is of mineral type. Makes me think it isn't going to hurt it.

Edit:
But really, if the tractor stuff is similar, what is going to go wrong?? The pump in the tractor and other parts of the system are just like the system on the Benz, only on a different scale.

[R Leo]

FWIW, Passion Flower's left strut has started leaking again....right after I bought her from Thing One at X-Mas. One of the tranny cooler lines is dripping too...personally, I think it is because these cars have a soul and PF is POed because TO abandoned her for a BOAT!

Note that her SLS ran trouble-free for 20000+ miles on tractor fluid. Previously, it had been leaking like a sieve out of the left strut.

My opinion is that, if your system is working OK and isn't leaking, you should use the MBZ approved Febi fluid. It only takes about 3 qts to completely flush and fill the system...Jeeze, that's $35 tops. However, if you have a system that's leaking and you don't wnat to fix it right away, try some tractor fluid.

[Rick Miley]

RedLine makes 5 different weights of suspension fluid but, to my knowledge, nobody here has tried any of them. They're available from MyOilSHop.com for $5.50 a quart.

[odie]

Is clear power steering fluid mineral or petroleum based?

The suspension fluid is nothing more than a type or hydraulic fluid. ATF and power steering fluid is hydraulic fluid. So is jack oil.

Yes here are differnet grades, weights and types. But they are all similar too.

[billrei]

These kind of posts drive me nuts!! If you can't afford to use the proper fluids recommended by MB drive a Toyota! God, I can't believe someone objecting to paying and extra 3 bucks to do the job right...

[R Leo]

These kind of posts drive me nuts!!

I'm truly sorry if it's a problem for you. In the case of Passion Flower, there wasn't sufficient time to effect the 'correct' fix on her suspension. Rather than risk destroying the SLS pump from low fluid, I sent TO off to New York with the means to protect the pump (a 2 gallon jug of tractor fluid) until we could acquire repair parts. As it turns out, the fluid actually stopped the leak and allowed the car to be driven many, many more miles without worry.

While using tractor fluid as a replacement for Febi stuff isn't what I would recommend doing to a perfect working system, this information is useful nevertheless for someone in a situation as my son and I were a couple of years ago.

A Toyota? They're a joke...just ask me about the oh-so-fabulously-engineered 3VZE engine.

[phidauex]

Originally Posted by billrei

These kind of posts drive me nuts!! If you can't afford to use the proper fluids recommended by MB drive a Toyota! God, I can't believe someone objecting to paying and extra 3 bucks to do the job right...

What drives me nuts is MB not publishing the specs on the fluid they recommend. If I were an engineer, and you were a company who is hiring me to design a hydraulic system, you would expect detailed specifications about the fluid. If I told you, "Here is the suspension system I designed for you, and it will only work with Sam Brand Wonder Fluid." You'd fire me! And yet, that is what MB is doing to us. Instead of giving us the specifications we need to fix our cars right, they just say, "Use MB Brand Wonder Fluid." That isn't a recommendation, thats trickery. They don't make their own fluid, someone else makes it and pours some into MB bottles and some into another brand name's bottles. MB then marks it up because they can.

Now, sometimes I do just go ahead and buy the MB brand, because it is convienent, and I know it will work, but often I wish I knew what the fluid actually was, so I could buy the exact same fluid from someone else for less.

Your argument basically amounts to, "I can't believe you aren't willing to pay extra for the same product you could get cheaper somewhere else just because it has a three point star on it!" Which is a weird argument. I'm not trying to use any old mucus in the system, I want to use a proper suspension fluid, I just don't want to pay 15 a liter for it.

peace,
sam

[billrei]

Originally Posted by R Leo

In the case of Passion Flower, there wasn't sufficient time to effect the 'correct' fix on her suspension.

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!! This is the other thing that drives me nuts, people who refer to their cars with some kind of stupid cutsy pet name!! "Passion Flower"!! give me break... Do you expect everyone on the list to refer to your car (pet?) by name? Do you make sure strangers are properly introduced before they can be given a ride? To me this puts you in the same catagory as the disturbed woman who has 50 cats running around the house....

[R Leo]

Originally Posted by billrei

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!! This is the other thing that drives me nuts

It looks like it's going to be a short trip! Hahahahahaha!! All my cars have names, and my little dogs too!

Sybill - Benz of many personalities
Lilly - Charming, refined
Marlene - Wonder Wagon
Nellybell - Solid, reliable; mit gorilla knob!
Passion Flower - Read the book, it will make sense then
Jane Do-ner - Her name speaks for itsself
John Do-ner - Ditto
Toad's Wild Ride - Ribit!
Yet to be named 240D (W115) - suggestions?
Stella - Chowlet o' my dreams
Molly - Chowlet Two
Grizzly - little rescued dog
Colleen - SWMBO


Are we there yet?