__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

The stop leak swells the seals. If the problem is indeed a leaking seal, it has a chance to fix it.

If you're going to reseal, there's no need to flush in the meantime. Once it's resealed it would be a good time to do a proper flush.

What I consider the proper flushing method is what I call the ASE method, because it is a test question on the ASE test.

Place a pan underneath the PS area. Disconnect the return hose from the reservoir and lower it into the pan. Temporarily plug the hole where you removed the line.

Have two cans of PS fluid open and ready. Have an assistant start the car and turn the wheel back and forth lock to lock while you try to keep fluid in the reservoir pouring in the two quarts. As soon as you have poured in the two quarts and the line is blowing air signal the assistant to shut off the engine.

Put the return line, back in place and fill the reservoir. Have the assistant start the car and turn the wheel lock to lock to bleed. Continue to add fluid as bleeding is going on and once air is out of the system and it sounds normal, top it off and put the cover back on.

Best of luck with it.

__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

The specified fluid in the owner's manual is:

"Automatic transmission fluid for power steering"


I'll leave it to anyone else to interpret such a statement.

Brian came through with the answer to your original question.

Just remember, that manual was written BEFORE Dexron went through a change.

__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

Indeed....it is syntactically ambiguous.

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 154k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 172k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

Just another data point - have owned my 240D since new and have used ATF in the power steering reservoir for 30 years with no issues so far.

__________________
Len
'59 220S Cabriolet-SOLD and living happily in Malta
'83 240D 351,500 miles original owner-SOLD
'88 560SL 41,000 miles - totaled and parted out
https://sites.google.com/site/mercedesstuff/home
'99 E300 turbo 227,500 miles
'03 SLK320 40,000 miles - gave to my daughter
'14 Smart electric coupe 28,500 miles
'14 Smart electric cabriolet 28,500 miles
'15 Smart electric coupe 28,000 miles

You and a whole lot of other people. I am reasonably convinced that the ATF fearmongering is "all hat and no cattle."

It's interesting that ATF is alledgedly destroying ZF power steering pumps, but works fine in ZF transmissions of the same vintage.

Consider yourself lucky.

I put altogether about a million miles on 123 MB's beginning in 1977. I also used Dexron in the steering with no issues until the late nineties. I did the same thing with my 300E. The 300E seemed to suffer more than the 123 cars, but they all suffered after the change in the ATF in the early nineties.

I am simply trying to share information with the forum. That said, it's your car, so I think that is important that you use the fluid of your choice.

__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

Transmissions are a totally different kettle of fish with clutches being the primary issue in play.

__________________
2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

FWIW I had a nice conversation with Chris Brown of C&M Hydraulics....he's an extremely helpful individual. As I'm sure most of you know, pretty much all they do are MB steering pumps and gear boxes. His opinion (based on years and years of rebuilds) is that either ATF or PSF is fine and that claims to the contrary (i.e. that one or the other NEEDS to be used) are unsubstantiated.

__________________
14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 154k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 172k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver, 142k mi, wastegate conversion

19 Honda CR-V EX 61k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

So clutches make the seals different? I suspect not.

Given the volumes that MB has published on approved and recommended fluids, I think their silence on this particular matter speaks volumes all by itself.

So…you can maintain your vehicle on the basis of the manufacturer's specifications. Or you can operate on the basis of unsubstantiated rumor. What a tough decision!

I only have W123's and have been running modern Dexron ATF in all of them P.S. and auto trannys, so far so good .

My brother has a 1987 300SDL and the P.S. fluid is dead black and smells like Navy coffee .

I want to suck it all out and replace with fresh, he says P.S. Fluid, as long as I don't get any shyte when/if it goes t*ts up that's fine but he tends to ignore my warnings and offers of free repairs / maintenance then gets all pissy when something goes wrong.....

Usually far from home it'll come to a halt and I discover I have to buy FOUR NEW TIRES in the Colorado Plains or take the cooling system apart on the side of the road in MAINE etcetera .

If it breaks that's one thing, me telling you to fix or let me fix a thing then telling me a few years later as it's cooling off by the side of the mountain in Yellowstone Park, isn't cool at all .

All these failures and more , never on my old jalopies .

Anyways, I can't get him to let me read the owner's booklet so I guess P.S. fluid it is .

FWIW, a $1 turkey baster works a treat, I'll change the P.S. fluid every routine LOF until it remains translucent and sweet smelling then change the filter .

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-Nate
1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

I did then what I knew how to do ~ now that I know better I do better

I have attached photos of the cover of the manual and page 94, which indicates the power steering fluid requirements.

Attached Thumbnails

   

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Mike Frederick
1986 300SDL, 240K+ miles
1985 300D KaliKar, 270K+ miles

From the manual...

For recommendations on recommended brands, see
your nearest MERCEDES-BENZ dealer.

This isn't hard guys. There's a MBNA Factory Approved Service Products list

Here's whats listed for Power Steering systems of this era:


MB Power Steering Fluid MB Part No. BQ 1 46 0001
Castrol Dexron-III/Mercon ATF F-30341
Castrol Transmax M-22257/22096
Chevron ATF Dexron III F-30108/30159
Citgo Multi-Purpose ATF D-21571
Exxon Superflo ATF Dexron III F-30111
Havoline ATF Mercon/Dexron-III F-30321
Texaco ATF Mercon/Dexron-III F-30321
Pennzoil ATF D-22413/F-30110
Quaker State Dexron-III/Mercon F30161
Sunoco ATF Dexron-III/Mercon F-30176
Unocal Multi-Purpose ATF D-22413/22431
Valvoline ATF Type D

Castrol Dextron-III/Mercon ATF F-30341 is what I use in reconditioning these steering boxes.


If you really want to go overboard you could possibly use the hydraulic fluid used in the SLS on w123 wagons.

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Onus probandi incumbit ei qui dicit, non ei qui negat

I recondition w123/w126/w124/w140/r107/r129/ steering boxes!


1984 300D "Elsa" odo reset 6/2011 147k
1983 300TD "Mitzi" ~268k OM603 powered
1995 E300 "Adelheid" 262k [Sold]