It could be that someone has but BMW synthetic fluid in. I seem to recall from working around those cars 8 or so years ago that the BMW synthetic fluid from the dealer was a green color. The factory fill fluid from MB in the .6 transmissions had a greenish/brown tint to it, but the fluid in a 96 E320 should be red. I agree with M.B. Doc about changing the fluid. Good luck.

__________________
Mercedes Benz Master Tech - Retired