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.

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1985 300D 197K - Semi-Daily Driver Diesel
1998 Volvo V70 AWD 226K - Daily Driver 2
1998 Volvo S70 140K - Wife's DD
2003 GMC Sonoma ZR2 Option - Rusty Truck
THE BABY 1958 220S Sedan 66K All original, never restored and never will be.

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

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92 300D 2.5L OM602 OBK #59

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

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

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.

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?threadid=10414

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=156207&highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

'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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1983 123.133 California
- GreaseCar Veg System

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.

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1985 300D 197K - Semi-Daily Driver Diesel
1998 Volvo V70 AWD 226K - Daily Driver 2
1998 Volvo S70 140K - Wife's DD
2003 GMC Sonoma ZR2 Option - Rusty Truck
THE BABY 1958 220S Sedan 66K All original, never restored and never will be.

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

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"Life is tough...it's even tougher if you're stupid." John Wayne


Dave
Pawleys Island, SC

'79 300CD

Article on transmission adjustments.

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

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

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

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1982 300D at 351K miles
1984 300SD at 217K miles
1987 300D at 370K miles