I'm sure that this has been asked and answered a lot, but I didn't find the answer I need (yet). I have a 2006 E320 CDI with 219,000 miles. Recent transmission issues. I ordered the Connector Plate / Electric Plug / filter. I watched 15 YouTube videos about how to change them. Seems pretty straight forward. Never changed the trans fluid on this car. (I'll pause for a moment for all of the scolding ... I absolutely deserve it). I want to flush the fluid before I change the connector plate / plug / filter. Gonna vacuum the fluid out through the fill tube, replace the fluid, run the engine, cycle through the gears, and repeat this process three to four times. When the fluid is red again (guessing that it is black now), I will do the connector plate / plug and filter replacement. I'm guessing that I will go through 12 to 15 quarts of ATF. I don't want to cheap out this job, but I also don't want to pay the dealership $23 / liter for ATF 134. I saw one video where the guy used Valvoline™ MaxLife™ Multi-Vehicle ATF. It is Full Synthetic. On the back, it said approved for Mercedes NAG-1. I saw somewhere that this is the Sprinter designation for the 722.6 transmission. So, here is my simple question after all that explaining; Can I use Valvoline™ MaxLife™ Multi-Vehicle ATF, or Shell ATF 134, or another type of fluid for the flush and refill? Thanks in advance.

amazon has it $52 for 5 L

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James 4:8

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Centrally located in North East Central Pa.

Yes, absolutely. MaxLife should be fine, but for a little bit more you might want to spring for the Shell 134. Your best bet is to buy by the case from a Shell distributor. Even if you have to pay shipping, it still comes out to $7 a quart or so.

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 157k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 175k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver on Tan, 144k mi, wastegate conversion, ALDA delete

19 Honda CR-V EX 70k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

I have two 722.6 transmissions running on Maxlife.

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Fuchs Titan ATF 4134 is correct for your car, and is about $23/gal from the South American River. One thing to consider, is that you may want to perform a post-repair flush. Replacing the conductor plate can introduce dust and other contaminants, so once all the new parts are in, and you've driven it for a few miles test drive, do another fluid change.

But lol on guessing the fluid may be black at this point... I'm guessing it was pitch black 100,000 miles ago.

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1998 E300 turbodiesel

America's Rights and Freedoms Are Not The Enemy!

I'm grateful for all of the responses so far. I will check out all of the options mentioned. Torsionbar, I absolutely agree that it will be darker than black. My super bad.

Stop, what specific issues are you having? Have you pulled any codes / looked at live data from the trans? While the conductor plate is a common point of failure, the shifter recognition unit can be a problem also so be sure to diagnose rather than throw parts at the car. Also have a look at the 722.6 problem fix offerings from SONNAX to see if your symptoms match .

That's a lot of fluid for little gain. Pull the pan / valve body and let the converter drain. The fluid used in these transmissions holds worn friction material in suspension so there won't be much junk in the pan / top of valve body, dark fluid will be common. Put car back together, drive 20,000 miles then maybe just do a pan drain , refill.

There was a thread a while back where a well respected MB trans shop recommended plain Dexron 3 ( maybe it was ATF +4 that is used in the Chrysler version of the 722.6 ) as a flush fluid because it is inexpensive.

Wal-Marts Valvoline max life red bottle is compatible with the 722.6. 20 for 5 quarts. They hold 8.5 quarts

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Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
2008 Chevy 3500HD Duramax 340k
2004 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 220k

My recollection is that I used just under 8 quarts of Shell ATF 134 when I did mine. I believe that it is the better product.
I use the transmission measuring tool to check level.

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1999 Mercedes E300TD daily driver sold at 238K miles 106K miles were mine, rust worm got it :-(
2006 Mercedes CDI new daily driver! 56,000 miles May 2016 now 85,625 Apr 2018 and Apr 2019 101,000 miles Apr 2020 109,875. March 2024 135,250, Dec 2024 145,000 miles

97 SL320, Thanks for the wise words. The problem we are having is as follows; for about 6 to 8 months now, when accelerating from a light, the trans will shift through the gears faster than seems normal or needed. Then, trying to pass someone by stepping on the gas, the trans will not downshift. I took it to our local Mercedes shop about 6 months ago. He saw one code for some boost valve. He replaced it (for $800) but it did not solve the problem. We have been living with the issue, and when we need to pass, we tap the shifter over to downshift manually. Seems to work well. A few days ago, my wife was coming off the highway after a 40 mile trip. After stopping at the traffic light, the car would not go past 3rd gear. She was close to her destination, so she limped there. After work, the car worked fine for the 45 mile ride home.

The next day, I took the car for a ride. After about 20 miles, I stopped at a light. As I slowed down, I heard and felt a loud thump. Trying to accelerate from the light, it was like a manual trans in first gear with a completely slipping clutch. No power at all. I pulled over, turned the car off, waited about 5 min and restarted. It was normal again.

Have not checked codes (I don't have a tool), but it seems to be acting like most of the descriptions of what happens to a trans with a bad contactor plate or leaking plug. I agree that throwing parts at it is not the smartest answer, but I did go to the shop and he said "it might need a rebuild (at $2500)". Anyway, after 219,000 miles, a contactor plate / plug replacement and a good flush couldn't hurt. Thoughts?

So EDBSO, did you CDI have a TC drain plug? Apparently some do and some don't.

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14 E250 Bluetec 4Matic "Sinclair", Palladium Silver on Black, 157k miles
06 E320 CDI "Rutherford", Black on Tan, 175k mi, Stage 1 tune, tuned TCU
91 300D "Otis", Smoke Silver on Tan, 144k mi, wastegate conversion, ALDA delete

19 Honda CR-V EX 70k mi
Fourteen other MB's owned and sold
1961 Very Tolerant Wife

What you describe it seems to be more of a control problem than a mechanical problem. When the connector plug ( just a plastic sleeve with 2 o rings and no electrical connections ) leaks, fluid can wick up the wires to the trans controller.

The conductor plate has 2 hall effect speed sensors , a trans fluid thermister, reed switch for neutral safety and some copper tracks leading to the solenoids. If the speed sensors fail the trans will go into limp mode ( 2nd gear / max trans pressure )

Oil is an insulator however, graphite from friction material is conductive and can cause all sorts of issues once it reaches the trans computer. Do a search for "oil in transmission computer" , " oil in EGS " Another favorite is the shifter recognition module in the shifter. Liquid spills are not kind to this unit. You need a scan tool to look at " requested gear ", " actual gear " and see if they match.

Would not go past 3 rd gear as in it reliably shifted 1 - 2 and 2 - 3 but not farther than that or "felt" like it was stuck in 3 rd gear? ( RE 2nd gear limp mode )

I'm gonna have to plead ignorance here on 1-2 & 2-3 for her after highway experience. She is very intuitive when the car does something odd, but she may have been in 2nd gear and thought it was 3rd. She said that the engine was straining and she wasn't moving very fast, so she backed it down and drove slow the mile or so to work. She may have been in limp mode.

I just recalled another thing that has been happening recently. When the car is cold and we go through the gears a few times, when slowly coming to a stop, there is a grumbling as if the car doesn't want to downshift to 1st gear before stopping. Not every time, but often enough that I remember it. This is my wife's car, so I only drive it every other week to fill the fuel tank.

I saw a video with a wet TCU and the guy showed how the ATF crept up the wires to the unit. I will be looking for that when I get under the hood tomorrow.

I dropped the pan to do a complete inspection and was pleased to find very little in the bottom of the pan.

I do have a drain plug and probably later this summer will simply drain through the plug and refill with fresh 134.

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1999 Mercedes E300TD daily driver sold at 238K miles 106K miles were mine, rust worm got it :-(
2006 Mercedes CDI new daily driver! 56,000 miles May 2016 now 85,625 Apr 2018 and Apr 2019 101,000 miles Apr 2020 109,875. March 2024 135,250, Dec 2024 145,000 miles

I think in lieu of complete change, every 30k or so, draining the pan or using a vacuum extractor and replacing with fresh fluid would be a good idea. It is a lot easier too.

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-- Chris

'95 E300, 216k miles, Silver Surfer
'05 E320 CDI, 138k miles
'07 S550 4matic, 69k miles

Gone but not forgotten:

'76 300D, 350k miles?, SOLD in 1995
'75 240D, 300k miles, SOLD in 1991