I just bought two topsider's - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

tabo · #1 10-09-2002, 10:16 AM

I just bought two topsiders... one for changing oil and the other for changing my transmission fluids.. i was wondering.. u guys who own a topsider will the tube melt when u put it into a really hot engine? or do you change the oil with a cold engine? and is this the same method MB uses to change the transmission fluids by sucking it out of the dipstick tube? cuz I changed transmission fluids on other cars and it requires u to remove the transmission pan and the gasket+filter.. does the mb ml320 have this gasket filter setup? I checked my transmission fluid (bought the mb dipstick) and its all black.. just wanna do some preventative maitenance...

royaiii · #2 10-09-2002, 02:24 PM

Yeah that always worries me too but it hasn't happened yet. The hotter the oil, the more solubility of particles. But, if I feel that the tube is getting to hot, I let it suck up some air and then some more oil. Or just pull it out of the hot oil for a while. The best way not to melt the tube would be to ensure the speed of suction. Hot is the way to go. First I try to remove all the hot oil I can then I go and watch TNN on Sat. mornings for about 2 hours and come back in to suck up more oil. This is the procedure I use on all the cars that I have that I use Mobil1 synthetic. On a dino oil engine i.e. 300E, I just take a 15min break to clean up and then I come back to suck out more oil. The reason why I take a 2 hour break is because of the nature of synthetic oil. Their seek out and lubricate mechanism amounts to a good amount of oil still in the engine and not in the pan during an oil change. Just drop a little synthetic oil on a paper cloth and in about an hour, it will travel to the sides of the sheet. Some on this board, even let their cars sit overnight with no oil to drain it all out but I feel that the seals will become damaged this way.

2. No, a proper transmission fluid change would require dropping the pan.

tabo · #3 10-09-2002, 10:15 PM

well i think its a good idea to suck up the transmission fluid before pulling the pan out cuz i'd get transmission fluid all over my body hehehehe have u tried changing transmission fluid on the ml320?

Gilly · #4 10-09-2002, 11:58 PM

The reason the transmission oil is black is due to the graphite that is used in the friction linings. It is NOT dirt! This requires the special ATF from the dealer and a special filling procedure. maintaining the proper level is critical in this transmission. I don't recommend shade-treeing this transmission. IF you decide to do it anyways there is a drainplug on the transmission pan, so there is no neeed to worry about making a mess, just drain it out the drainhole (and the torque converter drain) then remove the pan. Depneding on the year you have there are a couple different modifications MB wants done in there.

Gilly

tabo · #5 10-10-2002, 05:03 AM

do you really believe in the no service needed for the transmission fluids? cuz I believe in preventive maintenance....
and how did they test this without driving the car for 10 years??

Gilly · #6 10-10-2002, 06:47 AM

I would consider changing the fluid at 100,000 miles if I were considering keeping the vehicle significantly longer than that, yes.
There is a service advisor at work who has a 97 E300 Diesel which has this transmission in it (722.6, same as an ML) which is approaching 300,000 miles (over 280,000 miles) in which the transmission fluid has never been changed, we have service the vehicle since new. A travelling salesman bought it who puts on miles very quickly. The salesman decided to get a ML since the Diesels weren't available from MB anymore. The service advisor bought it from the dealership after it was traded in. His current ML (the travelling salesman) has over 150,000 miles on it and again, the ATF hasn't been changed. This is a 2000 model year ML. We see it about every other month for an FSS service.
I believe MB has tested the transmission in a manner like this, drive drive drive.

Gilly

#7 10-29-2002, 10:13 AM

Where didi you find the topsider? I've been looking for one and can't find it.

thanks

Darkmann · #8 10-29-2002, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PuffPufffGive
Where didi you find the topsider? I've been looking for one and can't find it.

thanks

Here's some information:

Cal-Products - $38.00
http://www.cal-products.com/liquivac.html

Heartland America - $39.99
http://www.heartlandamerica.com/HTMLA/ProductTemplates/product.asp?sub=1052&
cat=1027&SKU=9409

Capital West - $44.95
http://www.capitolwest.com/jaguar_tools.htm#LiquiVac

This place still has some of the old Topsiders in stock:
BoatU.S. - $46.99
http://www.boatus-store.com/MC_Online/Browse.asp?ShowItem=16467

Kuan · #9 10-30-2002, 11:06 AM

Go to a marine supply store if you need one today. Otherwise you can try the liquivac from partsshop.

Kuan

LightMan · #10 10-30-2002, 04:27 PM

Overtons.com has a variety of oil suction devices. I bought the shurflo water wolf, which is a 12volt pump mounted onto a 3 gallon bucket, which is nice because the topsider's dont have much capacity. You just hook the little clips to a battery, hit the switch, and it sucks the oil out quickly. Also it's a 2 way pump so you can pump it OUT into empty milk jugs or whatever you use to take it to the recycle facility. It's pretty heavy duty, and i've pumped oil out of my engine red hot after shutting it off(although they dont recommend it) without probs. I still drain the oil the traditional way out the bottom of the car every other time to be sure to get out everything, I'm paranoid