Transfer Case Replacement Question '99 ML 320
 

My worthless, lazy, jobless, fat a$$ sister in law had to have this '99 ML 320 to impress all the other vain & vapid women of Rancho Santa Fe, so my wife & I had to buy her this POS. It's 5 years later, she hasn't maintained this pile of crap and she just gave it back to us, expecting my wife & I to buy her another new car, so she can drive it into scrap metal.

I've been fixing all the maintance items with the help of the great guys who run this site, but then a new snake bit me in the a$$ when I wasn't looking. Apparently my sister in law was having problems with thumping in the transmission area, but didn't bother telling me when she dropped this ML 320 off and picked up a beautiful mint condition Lexus GS300.

This 320 makes a loud thump noise when starting out from a red light and it makes 2-4 thumping sounds when you're backing out of a driveway, then while still rolling slowly back and put it into drive. I've been reading on various online forums that it's probably a bad transfer case and that they're the weak link on the drive train. I'm wondering if this POS has any strong links or is this pile of $hit just one gigantic circle jerk of repairs, just needing to be made.

Regardless, this 320 has 146,000 miles, after going through all of the receipts there is nothing that shows the fluid was ever changed in either the transmission or transfer case, so now I've got 2 new projects I need to do.

I've found a rebuilt transfer case by a very reputable company for $1100 with a 2 year warranty and I'm wondering how difficult it is to R&R the transfer case. Is there any online reference to show how it's done ?

How difficult is it to change the transmission oil & filter ?

I can't afford to pay a mechanic and I've got to do the work myself.

I swear to God, I've never seen so many problems with a car before and I'll never buy another MBZ.

Thanks for your help,

Ray