PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - Should I save it or ditch it?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by tyl604 (Post 3722347)

Correction to Maxbumpo's post. If you disconnect the vac line from the tranny and the tranny is working properly, you will have smooth upshifts and clunky downshifts.

Vac is only needed to give you smooth downshifts.

This isn't true. You need vacuum for smooth upshifts at part throttle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbo190D (Post 3722094)

This is a good point, but 4cyl Japancars are also pretty boring. I bought a Yaris 10 years ago for basically all the reasons you mentioned. I had no mechanic experience at the time so it was a good choice. I've still got the car and the only repairs I've had to do to it are a water pump and a MAF sensor in 102k miles. That being said, even with the supercharger and all the other junk I've done to it, it's just sortof boring. Most modern cars are in my opinion.

I bought my 190D to be my new daily driver, and even though the AC doesn't work and there's a bunch of stuff that's not quite right on it electrically it's doing great and is a lot more interesting to drive. Not to mention infinitely more comfortable.

It's all about your personal taste/needs. I'm a big advocate for Japanese cars for reliable daily transport for non-car people. If you want a thing that gets you from A to B and will do it for decades without problem, IMO they are the best option. For a lot of us though, they're just not enough.

100% agree on the boring part for most vehicles. There are also Japanese cars that are boringly reliable AND fun. Mr2/Miata/S2000/STi etc. The STi could be somewhat practical even, although sacrificing MPG.

Kind of regretting selling my Mr2, was my daily driver for ~100k miles. After the GTO, 112 hp just wasn't much fun anymore.

Mxfrank - you are correct. Generally speaking though all he needs to know is that he does not need vac to upshift. At WOT (as you know) it is designed to bleed off all vac and most people have the pedal down far enough when shifting that all the vac has bled off.

I have tested this many times with my 300SD with the vac line unhooked and never upshifted at so low a speed that it clunked without vac. That said you are absolutely right about the way the engineers designed it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxbumpo (Post 3722336)

No, changing fluid and filter on an old transmission will not cause it to fail, that is rumor.

Especially if just doing a drain and fill. I've heard that an actual flush can be detrimental ("stirs up sediment"), no idea if that has any truth to it.

With burnt, black fluid, I imagine it might take a few successive drain and fills to get enough of the bad stuff out?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bimmer-Bob (Post 3722391)

Using compressed air through the cooler line with the pan and filter off (TC drained as well) will get 90 + percent of the old fluid out. The remaining amount is inconsequential.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bimmer-Bob (Post 3722391)

A flush will destroy friction discs if the material is fibers are worn on the disc. Drain and fills don't hurt anything it's the high pressure of a flush that destroys a broken-in transmission.