Anthonyb summed it up very nicely. It's really, really difficult to accurately read ATF dipsticks, at least on MBs. Even my very experienced tech has to do it 5-10 times before he's convinced he's got it right.

Couple things to add. Anthonyb alludes to the dipstick being hot. If you DO check it hot, make sure that the ATF is hot (which is not the same as having the engine coolant at its usual temp). Takes about 15 miles of driving to get ATF up to normal running temp, and yes indeed, the dipstick will be pretty darn hot so be careful.

Make sure the car is on very level ground when you check ATF level.

Lastly, although there's some dispute on this, most techs do recommend against using paper towels to wipe off the dipstick so as to avoid adding any foreign fibers to the ATF. Some techs will wipe off the dipstick with their fingers and then wipe their fingers with a cloth. I'm told that the factory-recommended method is to use a piece of leather to wipe off the dipstick.

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Steve
'93 400E