I know this is an absolutely absurd question but hubby is out of town and I need to checkj the tranny fluid!!! Where the heck is the dipstick???

If it is running alright I would leave it alone - or better yet ride by Benzmac place of work and get him to check it for you. It is my opinion that getting the tranny fluid right is one of the hardest things to do on MB cars. Anyway to answer your question the tranny dipstick should be on the passenger side against the engine close to the firewall. Look for the red cap. Keep in mind, and I do not know if yours is applicable or not, but some of them do not have a dipstick on the tranny.

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Jim

NOT a dumb question at all!!! There isn't one!! For you to check the fluid you must buy one!!! IT'S a special tool. part number is 140-589-15-21-00, you must also buy a lock-tab to hold the plastic cover on the dipstick tube! 140-991-00-55 is the number for the lock-tab. Also the fluid is a special synthetic that must be bought from MB as well.

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OK, here's another "really dumb question"... my 1984 300SD has some type of a leak (rear main seal?) that makes it necessary for me to check the ATF level frequently.

The last time I (attempted to) check, I had streaking of ATF on the dipstick, but no point where the dipstick was totally covered, if this makes any sense. How much ATF corresponds to the distance between the "full" and "Min" lines? Once when my SD was in for an oil change, they charged me for 2 quarts of ATF!!

This is driving me nuts, because I want to add Mobil 1 synthetic ATF; in fact I bought enough to do a full ATF change because I found it locally on sale for $4.99 a quart... any help appreciated. Thanks,

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic

I guess my real question is: how do I tell where the ATF level really is, if it's streaking the dipstick, rather than covering it? Am I really low, or is the fluid just coating the inside of the tube? How much should I add to get into the ballpark? I added about 8 oz maybe a month ago but I think this is gone now. Any thoughts appreciated. Thanks, Bob

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic

Bob I determine where the level is as follows:
Drive the car at least 20 miles, park on a level surface and put the car in park. Pull the dipstick out and wipe off the fluid. Put the dipstick back in and pull it out. When I pull it out I look at it in really bright light and kinda/sorta turn it on edge where I can see where the first indication of it being all the way accross the dipstick is at - this is, what I consider, to be the level. You should be able to see where the "streaking" ends and the "all the way accross" part starts. I also make sure I look at both sides and go with the lowest side.

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Jim

Jim, thanks for the reply. That's kinda sorta what I thought, but I wasn't 100% sure, so I figured I'd ask. I wasn't sure why the ATF was streaking/wicking up the dipstick. I was afraid I was getting foaming or God-knows-what. Better to ask than to overfill my tranny a quart or more... thanks again,

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Bob Roe
Lehigh Valley PA USA
1973 Olds 88, 1972 MB 280SE, 1978 Datsun 280Z, 1971 Ford T-Bird, 1972 Olds 88, 1983 Nissan Sentra, 1985 Sentra, 1973 230.6, 1990 Acura Integra, 1991 Volvo 940GLE wagon, 1983 300SD, 1984 300SD, 1995 Subaru Legacy L wagon, 2002 Mountaineer, 1991 300TE wagon, 2008 Murano, 2007 R320CDI 4Matic 52K, some Hyundai, 2008 BMW 535xi wagon, all gone... currently
2007 Honda Odyssey Touring, 2014 E350 4matic