FINALLY got the time (new child) to get under the car.

My car is a Starmarked '99 E300DT. Bought it with 49000 on the clock. ALL maintenance records with no record of ATF servicing.

Having dealt with "Lifetime" fluids in the past (Chrysler Type 7176 ATF circa 1987) and being disappointed in the deposits in the pan/color/smell of said fluid, I decided to change out what I could get out in my "new" Benz. Excellent posts dealing with this very subject on this Board also fueled my initiative and curiosity.

After jacking up the front of the car I noticed one of the belly pan screws were missing. No biggie, got one from The Stealer for $3.50. Pan drainplug popped off and maybe a little over a liter of fluid came out. I removed the six fasteners holding the pan on and after emptying the fluid into my drainpan, came out with exactly three liters removed. I didn't drain the converter. I suspect I have a drainplug as my build date is 5/99 but didn't have someone handy (she was nursing) to rotate the crankshaft for me while I could watch for it.

The color of the fluid was a light brown. The smell was not a "burned" one. Here's the kicker: NO, and I mean NOT A TRACE of sludge in the pan. I ran one of my super-duper magnets all through the old fluid and couldn't come up with anything meaningful.

I installed a new filter, new pan gasket, new drainplug gasket, new RED anti-tamper fillplug lock, and 3.3 liters of MB $11.50 a liter ATF. Prior to changing it I had checked the ATF level with the special tool after a 20 mile hard drive with the engine running and found it to be RIGHT AT the lower line of the 80 degree line. I originally had put in just the 3 liters I had removed and had noticed the level was BELOW the 80 degree line after the first post-change warmup drive. I added a TENTH of a liter at a time to finally bring the level up to a shade over the lower 80 degree line.
The Stealer didn't have the retrofitable pan magnet in stock and after my sweep with my own magnet, I wasn't too concerned.

I have several questions:

1) Do you think the ATF's ever been changed before? The original anti-tamper fillplug lock was BLACK.

2) Why do you suppose I got only 3 liters out when the other folks I've read who've done this procedure have gotten at least TWICE that (granted they've changed the fluid in the converter...how much does that hold?)?

3) Thoughts on doing this again, say at the next engine oil change, just to get more of that old (now significantly diluted) brown fluid out?

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2005 Pathfinder LE
2001 E55
1998 M3
1982 320i