Transmission Question
 

To touch or not to touch? Shifts semi-firm at low speeds, shifts smooth at moderate acceleration (is there any other kind), no odd noises and absolutely zero flare between gears. The question, should I leave well enough alone or do I perform a fluid chnge service on the thing. 177K miles, driven 100 MPD at 65 to 75 MPH.
Thanks.

Filter and fluid change. Why not? Can't hurt.

X2
I have never known a trans fluid change to make things worse, the change, including a filter could even improve things.

The factory recommendation for fluid and filter change on our cars is shorter than the usual American car recommendation... so most go further than that regularly...
I believe in changing it often... but there was a thread once where people swore that changing the fluid and filter caused things to go bad faster... I think Larry was on the wrong side of that one...
It is easy to attribute temporal incidents as having causation relationships. But that would be wrong when dealing with MB transmissions.. LOL.

'85 has a different transmission vacuum setup then the previous models. I would check to make sure it is in proper order.

Do a search there is plenty to read about transmission vacuum.



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What does vacuum have to do with making a decision about changing the fluid?

I think he was replying relative to my semi-firm shifts at low speed. It shifts pretty hard when I'm jammed up in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I generally just leave it in S until traffic clears up some.

Change but by all means do not use one of those pressurized change services. Your tranny seals will thank you!

Article on transmission adjustments.

http://www.continentalimports.com/ser_ic20242.html

Not just a fluid change. Change the fluid and filter. And I recommend Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF.

To change the filter you have to take the lower pan off. Be sure to clean the inside of the pan out carefully of all that gray mud before putting it back on.

The Mobil 1 ATF shifts better when cold and cuts way down on wear. When I recently changed the fluid and filter on my daily driver the pan was clean - no gray mud.

The effort to keep the fluid and filter changed on a regular maintenance schedule far outweighs the effort to remove, rebuild and reinstall the transmission earlier than would happen with good maintenance.

Ken300D