Not true at all, you were playing with fire my friend on that trans. MB now recomends trans fluid changes on there latest cars again. Take a look at the fluid in a 722 after 80k-100k miles, its black. You don't have to do it very often, but every 60k-80k miles its a good idea. Remember if it blows it will cost $3k-$5k to replace.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Correct they spray wax behind the door seals. Most MB dealers are clue less about the spring perch's. MB of North America certianly is not.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

That glue they put on the back of the gaskets are a joke, it does nothing to prevent rust, the best thing you can do is add some sort of rust preventer and touch up the rusty areas with primer and paint.

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2005 SL65
1999 E300
1995 E300
1994 SL320
1988 560SL
1987 300TD
1982 300D
1955 300SL

My 722.6 tranny has red tranny fluid. Not sure what color your light honey is.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Then the wrong fluid is in your transmission.

So the factory installed it wrong? It was reddish when it came out. A little darker than the one they gave me. It sure wasn't honey color which I think is brown.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

The stuff the dealer put in mine was honey color.. like a light brown. Same color as the stuff used for Audi ZF auto transmissions, and I believe BMW as well.

The $9 a liter MB ATF fluid (MB spec sheet 236.10) I used for my 722.6 transmission is cherry cough syrup colored red.

Old stuff was dark brownish at 60000 miles.

There is a new fluid out for the 722.9 transmission but I don't know the spec or the color of it. It's purportedly compatible on the 722.6 from what posts I've seen on it.

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2005 Pathfinder LE
2001 E55
1998 M3
1982 320i

Maybe I am getting my fluids mixed up with the ZF stuff.. I apologize. If you know the MB factory stuff is red, then I am mistaken.

I bought my 98 E300 10 months ago (105k miles at the time). It has a rare combination of performance, comfort, and fuel economy. That having been said, there has not been a single month since I bought it when something didn't need to be repaired or replaced. I am certain the reason the PO sold it was the evaporator leak (although he did not disclose it). Then I had an oil leak which led to a new vacuum pump and crankshaft seal. After that the starter failed, followed by leaking fuel lines and shutoff valve, blower motor brushes and fried blower motor regulator, stiff steering when first turning right on cool mornings, rear window regulator, evaporator temperature sensor, transmission leak at electrical connector, loose sleeve around steering column that rotates with turn signal, and now the steering is shaking at cruising speed (probably front lower control arm bushings). I am leaving out what I would consider routine maintenance items. It is an understatement to say they didn't build this one like they used to. I really wasn't expecting all of this to happen in the first year of ownership, but you can find all of these topics on this forum, which means they are not unique. I would like to thank the members of this forum for all the information they have provided. I couldn't have afforded to fix the thing if I hadn't done a lot of it myself.

My dilemma continues. I have surfed three different MB forums, and it's always the same. Three or four people love their E300, then the next thread discloses the horror story about problems. I don't know if I want a W210 after all that I have read. I can't believe these cars have all these problems at such low mileage. I guess it's a gamble. Thanks again for the info.

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1983 240D Automatic 320k, lt. ivory
1983 240D Manual 273k, lt. ivory
1983 240D Manual 225k, lt. ivory

Well, the only problems I have with mine are that the AC compressor crapped out and the seat heater broke down and I got a glow plug stuck. Other than that it has worked well.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

I went through the same saga with the 300E 2.6 I purchased. At one point I realized that the time spent getting it DIY'ed and getting it fixed making it sit at the dealer was more than what the time it was on the road being driven. But the forum has definitely helped a lot. At the end, I really want the car to be like a car. which would take me from A to B with time left to worry about more important things in life and not the car all the time.

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Whether you think you can or cannot, Either way you're right!. by Henry Ford.

I have had mine for about sixteen months and together we have covered twenty plus thousand miles. To be sure, mine suffered from all the flaws indemic to such vehicles, save the ripping spring perches. I have not yet attempted the glow plugs. The thing leaked fuel; needed its injection pump rebuilt; needed brakes; the fan clutch destroyed the radiator; the dash is cracked; all the stupid, flimsy plastic breaks off with little provocation &c. However, it is a fast, safe and comfortable car, for which I am especially grateful now that the price of fuel is so high. If you keep in mind the imperative for consistent maintenance, then you can face it realistically. I am very fond of mine and the colleagues here have provided all the alerts to areas of concern. I especially like the cast iron heft of the OM606 engine. All the taxi drivers I know in Vienna claim that the W124 is a far superior car, but I am thankful for mine and intend to keep it for as long as practical. The family dog is also fond of it, too. I did put Bilstein heavy duty shocks on it, which was likely a mistake because of the impact on ride and handling. But it does shrug off the lousy roads in California. I also had the transmission fluid changed, despite the lifetime claim, and the chief diesel mechanic at the local Mercedes place urged me to do so with some regularity.

I was overall pretty un-impressed by my 98 E300. Sure it was fast, but it just didn't feel like a real benz.. didn't have the quality and solid feel of a 123, 126 or 140. The last best diesel was the 87 300SDL