Thanks for the link! I have a half full 500 ml bottle of 000 989 88 03 MB PS fluid, which dates back to '92 when the sector seal blew out in my car. This same fluid is called out in the 2001 service product list for the E-class with a note that approved Dextron [sic] III fluids can also be used. Since Dexron is a GM trademark and they control the spec, it would be fair to assume that any product that carried the Dexron trademark should be okay as a substitute for 000 989 88 03(?)

The C, S, and SL-class call out 000 989 24 03 10 PS fluid, and there is no note that Dexron III can be substituted. So does anyone know why a different PS fluids are called out for different models?

I've always had a beef with MBNA about service products. Nothwithstanding that calling Dexron "Dextron" is inexcusable, some years ago I was trying to find a Pennzoil "xxxx" 85W-90 GL-5 gear oil that was on their approved service products list with no luck. I finally contacted Pennzoil, and they said this particular four-digit product number was not even marketed in North America, so I ended up using their 80W-90 product that was readily available. Thanks alot MBNA for sending me on a wild goose chase. It looks like they haven't improved the quality of their service products list... rant off.

I'd like to flush out my PS system anddon't want to pay $40 for fluids, but don't want to install something that may cause problems. I'm still trying to sort it out.

Duke

Duke,

The problem with ATF came about in the late eighties, early nineties when ATF went through a radical change. Earlier cars had seals that worked okay with early ATF, but once ATF changed it was bad for the seals. After awhile the manufacturers changed seals in many cars to a material that would not be attacked by modern ATF.

I believe that generic p/s fluid is safe for most any MB, but if you desire to run the MB stuff and don't want to be out all that extra money during the entire flushing procedure, I would recommend that you flush with the generic stuff and then once you seal everything back up, fill it up with MB fluid.



For all of you that insist on the turkey baster method, why don't you try the industry accepted flush method? It only takes about 15 minutes and does a THOROUGH job of cleaning everything out SAFELY. This is not to imply that the turkey baster method is not safe, it's just that it is not cleaning the system.

Best of luck regardless of the method your choose,

how much generic fluid residue do you think would be left behind?

__________________
Jonathan
1998 S600
2001 E430
1994 E320
1991 560SEL
1994 Turbo R

I've been a member of this board for awhile.

Larry Bible has replied to many of these power steering fluid posts.

I know that in many, he has mentioned going to your local McParts and buying plain ole power steering fluid. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive, just plain ole power steering fluid.

If Larry has been doing this for years, then I'd say plain ole off the shelf power steering fluid would be ok.

My 2 cents.

changing 87 300E power steering fluid

Is DEXRON OK in power steering

__________________
Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

according to the link it appears to be straight forward.

__________________
[FONT=Book Antiqua]ProMeds[/FONT]

My BENZ 4 SALE

This thread has taken on a life of its own....

Now how about tranny fluid, synthetic or Dexron III?

Just kidding.... or maybe not.

But according to the service products list posted by Kestas, Dexron III can be substitued for the 000 989 88 03 MB PS fluid that I think is correct for my '88, so that means my choices are the above MB fluid, Dexron III or commercially available PS fluid(?) From your explanation the implication is that Dexron III should not be used in my model.

I'm sorry to beat this to death, but the signals are very mixed.

BTW, how many miles/years on the commercial PS fluid do you have on your 300E?

As a related question, just out of curiosity, most commercial PS fluids say not to use them in Hondas, and I've seen some "Honda specific" commercially available PS fluids at Macparts. Anyone know the story on this situation? Maybe it can shed some light.

Duke

I'm sorry that you thought I meant that Modern ATF should not be used in ANY MB. That is not what I meant. There could be later models, like somwhere in the nineties, in which they call for Dexron type ATF. There are earlier models that call for ATF in the manual, but ATF went through its change after that manual was written.

Since MB says that Dexron can be substituted for that particular part number, I wonder if there is more than one P/S fluid available from MB. It's hard to imagine MB themselves authorizing such a substitution that would take money out of their pocket.

In my 300E I flushed the p/s system and changed to generic fluid right after I got the car at around 80,000 miles. The car now has 277,000 miles I think. I have flushed and changed twice since then with generic. I could look at my log book for exact mileage at which it was changed the last two times, but basically it was about every 100,000 miles.

Additionally my '84 240D started using generic p/s fluid at about 380,000 miles after the shaft seal went out. The shaft seal went out after running Dexron beginning with the previous flush. I would have to consult the logbook for exact mileages. I unknowingly switched to Dexron because the car was getting old and I was trying to save a few bucks. It wasn't too long, maybe 50,000 miles after switching to ATF that the seal went out. I can't confirm or deny that the ATF was the cause of the seal failure, but that was about the time that I read about the new ATF's causing seal failure in power steering systems.

At that point, I put in a wrecking yard pump and generic p/s fluid and it has run another 150,000 miles or so with no further trouble.

Good luck with your choice,

Yes, there are TWO different PS fluids called out for current generation cars and Dexron III is listed as a substitute for only ONE, which I believe is the "old" fluid that was OE in our vintage cars! Check out Kestas' link to the 2001 service products list, and I listed the two numbers an model applicability in a previous post.

Maybe we can get you confused, too.

Duke