No 4Matic - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

babymog · #31 05-12-2016, 02:38 PM

Just to add some experience here: My '91 300TE 4matic had the transfer case re-sealed by the dealer twice by the time I sold it in '96, first around 60k miles then again around 110k.

Styre-Puch made an interesting system, but it doesn't work as well as the quattro system of the same era, I many times wished that I had ordered it in RWD to save over $20k for the option and the headaches.

If I had one today and wanted to keep it, I'd figure out how to make it RWD, and keep the locking rear diff with a hydraulic valve to operate it.

400Eric · #32 05-13-2016, 04:11 PM

Guys, this car is dead in the water until I get a majority vote here. I have to choose one of the following two options:

The transfer case fluid is in fact already Dextron III so using D3 in the fluid reservoir obviously isn't going to hurt the transfer case. My question then is what about the rest of the hydraulic system? Will D3 potentially hurt anything else?

Conversely, if I only use the "proper hydraulic fluid" and it is constantly leaking into the transfer case, it is then diluting/replacing the transfer case's proper fluid (DexronIII) and isn't that a potential threat to the transfer case's well being?

Which is the lessor of two evils?

Also, regarding this talk of the "later versions" having a "steel sleeve" in their transfer case, is my January '92 build date 4matic "later" enough to have the steel sleeve equipped transfer case? This might then mean that my leakage problem lies elsewhere.

400Eric · #33 06-04-2016, 03:45 PM

Friends, please, I still need at least one more person to weigh in on this. I respect duxthe1's opinion greatly, his turbo 4matic wagon was in fact the inspiration for my purchase of this car. But I still need at the very least a second opinion or two on this issue. If I do as duxthe1 suggests, I'm going to end up with a transfer case full of hydraulic oil instead of the Dexron III the factory says it's supposed to have. If I understand duxthe1's post correctly, he doesn't believe this is an issue. Does anybody else concur?

Is there anybody here running Dexron III in the whole system instead? Since my car doesn't have the hydraulic shocks in back like duxthe1's car does, maybe this is a safer option for me. It certainly would be a cheaper option, that's for sure. Needless to say, I would like that.

Also, please, any answers to my other questions posed in my previous posts would also be greatly appreciated!

brooktre · #34 06-05-2016, 05:44 PM

My experience (91 4matic sedan - sold with 250,000 miles with original working transfer case):
1) I would drain / refill the transfer case every oil change (5000 mi). It held 0.6 liters of Dextron II. The internal leak caused hydraulic fluid to enter the same compartment as the Dextron II, so when draining more than 0.6 liters would come out. If you don't drain it, eventually the mixed fluids would overflow onto the exhaust and cause smoking. This happened to me once before I started to drain / refill the TC every oil change.
2) I always used hydraulic fluid in the 4matic reservoir. As the car aged, I contemplated switching over to all Dextron, but mine never used enough hydraulic fluid to justify. Others had done this (Michael Cole for one). The main reason to do the swap was the cost of Mercedes hydraulic fluid vs. Dextron. As I recall the last time I bought the hydraulic fluid it was about $10 / liter. I would guess that I used about 10 liters in 250,000 miles - so I never switched.

400Eric · #35 06-06-2016, 12:11 AM

Thanks for your response. I'd still like to know if anybody has gotten away with running Dexron III in the whole system.

Jeff, I seriously appreciate your very informative post. I'd really like to keep the AWD if at all possible. I won't be putting that many miles on the car so I'm hoping my all D-III solution will fly. I already have too many 2WD M103 W124s. I certainly don't need another one. A AWD one would come in handy sometimes!

Let's hear from the Dexron III fans!

lorainfurniture · #36 06-06-2016, 09:30 PM

Take it with a grain of salt:

I love my 93 300te 4matic. The car is simply amazing in snow.

Problem: my front axle abs rings got a bit rusty, and were no longer making effective contact with the abs sensors. This caused my 4 matic to turn on randomly, and also caused my abs to activate while braking.

No used axles exist. New aftermarket axles are $1,000 each side, genuine mb axles are $3700/ pair.

So now my 4matic is in the off position, and my abs still kicks in every time I stop, and I can't reasonably fix my car. So I'm stuck. I really like my car, and had planned to keep it for several years. Now, I'm considering selling it because I cannot economically repair it.