84 300td low on trans. fluid! Is it toast? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

10fords · #1 07-30-2008, 04:37 PM

Last nite my wife mentioned that the wagon was occasionly hesitating when taking off from a stop. I figured it was a clogged filter from running the tank too low so I changed the filter and took it for a drive to my fire drill. On the way down my road I noticed that there was no compression braking in first gear like there usually is. other than that it drove normally on the 2.5 mile trip to the firehouse. Then on my trip home it started to surge and it became apparent to me that it was transmission trouble. When I got home I checked the fluid level and it was just barely registering on the dipstick. I looked underneath and saw a leak from the very back passenger side of the trans. Judging from the fluid and dirt on the undercarriage it has been leaking for awhile. So, my question for the experts is can the trans survive this with a new filter and fluid change, or once it has started to slip is it toast? Also, if it can possibly be resurected is there anything else I should do- such as adjust bands or something like that? Thanks in advance for any advice and or real life experiences!-Scott

DieselClack · #2 07-30-2008, 05:54 PM

Well first bring the tranny fluid up to the proper level and then drive it and report back! Also smell the fluid and see if it smells overheated after topping it off!

10fords · #3 07-30-2008, 09:20 PM

I just dropped the pan and drained the convertor. the fluid looked OK except in the bottom of the pan it had a thin layer of greyish gunk. I'm gonna change the filter and fluid and see what happens! I'll post the results later, but I would still appreciate any input on what I might expect. Thanks-Scott

vstech · #4 07-30-2008, 10:30 PM

it really depends on how many miles are on the tranny, if it ever flared, how long it was driven how low, how well your cooling system is working, what kind of driving, and how lucky you are.
get that pan cleaned out, change the filter, top the fluid level up to snuff, and pray you are one of the lucky ones!

10fords · #5 07-31-2008, 12:31 AM

just finished changing the fluid and filter and went for a test drive. Everything seemed to work like it used to! The dipstick is a little hard to get an accurate reading with though. I put in approximately 8 quarts of ATF. Does that seem about right? Maybe I will be one of the lucky ones for once!-Scott

winmutt · #6 07-31-2008, 12:40 AM

You check the trans dipstick with the engine running and warm. How low was it? More than likely it will be ok.

10fords · #7 07-31-2008, 01:03 AM

I checked it with the engine warm and in park after driving it, but the dipstick doesnt seem to register a clean line. It looks more like it was splattered onto the dipstick! I would estimate that it was 2-3 quarts low. It didn't appear to leak from the pan gasket either. What is located on the rear right of the trans? I have what I thought was a full set of factory manuals, but there is nothing about the auto trans except changing the fluid/filter in the maintenance manual. Am I missing one manual? Thanks-Scott

DieselClack · #8 07-31-2008, 01:29 AM

Check your fluid level with the car level, tranny warm and the engine idling with the gear shift in NEUTRAL. If your fluid looks splattered on the dipstick, then it might be foaming up some from still being a bit low.

winmutt · #9 07-31-2008, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10fords

I checked it with the engine warm and in park after driving it, but the dipstick doesnt seem to register a clean line. It looks more like it was splattered onto the dipstick! I would estimate that it was 2-3 quarts low. It didn't appear to leak from the pan gasket either. What is located on the rear right of the trans? I have what I thought was a full set of factory manuals, but there is nothing about the auto trans except changing the fluid/filter in the maintenance manual. Am I missing one manual? Thanks-Scott

You're missing the ATSM manual. The rear would be the output shaft and housing.

vstech · #10 07-31-2008, 08:59 AM

8 quarts sounds like too much to me.
get another level check of the fluid. overfilling is NOT a good thing.

10fords · #11 07-31-2008, 10:36 AM

I'm gonna check it again today in the daylite. According to the maintenance manual the 722.3 trans should take 6.2 litres with a oil change. I think that is the one I have, or is it the 722.4 ? which takes 5.5 litres? What will happen if it is a quart or so overfilled? Thanks so much for all the help!-I will post later with results as my wife will be driving the car today.-Scott

vstech · #12 07-31-2008, 02:23 PM

too much and the oil foams and causes all kinds of problems!

10fords · #13 08-01-2008, 01:13 AM

So, my wife put about 100 miles on the wagon today and everything was fine with the trans. It looks like I may have dodged a bullet on this one! However, I checked the fluid when she got home and it was too high, and there was a definite leak on the right rear side of the trans. It appears to be just above the pan on some sort of cover with a few screws or nuts holding it on. Does anyone know where to find a good picture of the tranny so I can be more specific? Thanks-Scott

10fords · #14 08-01-2008, 10:43 AM

To all who may reply; I'm going to the ranch until Tuesday where there is no computer or phone (and I like it that way!), so I will check in when I get back. Also if anyone knows where I can get a good tranny manual please let me know. Thanks again-Scott

10fords · #15 08-10-2008, 11:39 PM

O K- Finally getting around to posting an update! The trans is shifting just fine after about 400 miles since the fluid change. I guess these trannys can recover from a low fluid situation as long as you catch it soon enough.

Thanks to all who replied, and I hope this info helps someone else. Now if I can just fix that leak....! -Scott