Update: I called the dealership and wanted to speak to another person to make sure there wasn't an error. I spoke to the guy and he told me the filter was
$109.00, and the gasket was $16.00. that would be $126.00 for parts.
And about 50-60 bucks for transmission fluid he said. So thats $175.00.

So I asked them how did they get to 450.00 (i figured an hour of labor at 100 bucks)

The lady tells me no, we charge $150.00 and they show it would take 2 hrs worth of labor.

I cant believe the dealership. I WILL NEVER go to the dealership for anything. This is a complete joke.



Anyone in the bay area should check out this place, I just scheduled an appointment for the transmission filter and gasket change this week.
The guy was VERY VERY helpful. Talked to me like a normal person would, told me that the transmission filter and gasket change would run 259.00 ( a much better price from the dealership)
also sounded very knowledgable, told me in the 92- 9? that the rear differential fluid doesnt really need to be changed, said he has really never seen one go out in those years. ALso told me he would check over the whole car for free and just recomend some things and let me know. The guy definitely didnt sound like he was trying to rip people off, he explained everything, recomended things I should do and told me the rear diff. would just be wasting money. So It looks like im going to check this place out and let you know what I think.

I only posted my thread because the process is similar :(

I check and verifier transmission fluid level and condition, then the vehicle is road tested for correct shift points with no slippage. Once on the lift the tech checks for any visible leaks, front cooler lines, any transmission leaks which includes front and rear transmission seals and differential. Front and rear flex discs are inspected, drive shaft inspected for any dents or looseness. The customer is informed of any potential problems.


Once the visual inspection is completed the transmission pan is removed and inspected for excessive debris, if minimal the pan is cleaned and a magnet added, filter and pan gasket changed. Transmission flusher/exchange is connected in sires to a cooler line, 4 quarts are added into the pan (my machine has that feature) the vehicle is started and the transmission flush / exchange begins. That a lot of labor for $250.


A transmission fluid flush/ exchange does not cause transmission failure, what are you hearing.

I'm actually going to this shop and there doing it for 250 bucks. So that price doesnt seem high. THe filter alone is 109 bucks. So thats what threw me off we would do it at the shops i worked at and other places ( not on mercedes) but for like 150 bucks out the door.

Charging $109 for the filter would require very large cajones. It's readily available for about $20. Dexron III should be $2 something per quart.

Where can you buy the filter for 20 bucks? I called the dealership for a 92 s600 trans filter and they wanted 109 bucks. And the cheaper shop wanted 81 bucks. Where can I find the filter for 20 bucks?

I just checked kragens and even there transmission filter is 67 bucks. which is 20 bucks cheaper but I would love to know where I can get a 92 s600 trans filter for 20 bucks, deanyel.

.... sorry double post.

That's the thing, they are NOT a Chevy Turbo hydramatic TH400 or something. You are talking about a Mercedes 600SEL. Different animal.

I last had my Automatic Transmission serviced in 2002 for the'91 560SEC back in 2002, they charged $141.00, that was Pete's Independent Mercedes in San Francisco on Pacific Avenue. That's reasonable, however, generally they ususally charge "Pacific Heights" (read: HIGH ) prices for their work)
It's been about 15,000 miles since then, much of it city running,so I probably should think about getting it done again next year...hmmm)

Since you're new with the car, I would be VERY careful about trying to do this yourself the first time. You have some mechanical ability, working on the Camaro and everything, but then this is the top of the line Mercedes, it was an over $100,000 car when new, so if you try it yourself without knowing too much about it, (Can you say right now what kind of ATF fluid to use, how many quarts to put in and what to adjust right now, and the gaskets have to line up perfectly?) you might make a terrible mistake, and mess it up or damage something, so if it were me, I would take it to a GOOD Mercedes shop, or a GOOD dealer, and see if they would let you watch the process, as you said. (Sometimes even a dealer or shop can mess it up- it happened to me once with a '79 Cadillac, the shop "serviced the transmission" and it grenaded 3 days later and the shop denied it was their fault, I got stuck for a whole rebuilt transmission). At least if you had it done at a Mercedes dealer, they would have to - I hope! stand behind their work. But stay away from the MB dealer in SF - they can't be trusted.

If the job got messed up you would need another transmission, and I would bet for a 600SEL it would cost a fortune. That you don't need.
(That's just my opinion and I am *no* expert, like some of the other guys around here)

Jim Im just going to end up taking it to this place in antioch, independent mercedes service center. Guys there have a lot of exprience and charge 250.

Could be a pretty good choice
 

I'd heard about that place too, Will, and I think they advertised on this site. From what I heard, they are a couple of guys who worked for many years at the Mercedes dealer in San Francisco, and have a lot of Mercedes repair experience, and decided to open up a shop by themselves, it is a new shop I think (just this year) but I think they probably could be trusted. I would probably go to them, but it would be nice if they could let you watch them do the work, I always like mechanics which would allow that.

By talking to them you will see whether and how much they know about your vehicle. Just a thought, (I have never tried this) but sometimes you can get off to a real good start if you bring them a box of donuts or a couple of sixpacks of good beer, they are people too and might appreciate it and give your car some etra good attention. I 've never tried it, but it might be something to think about, it wouldn't hurt their feelings, and they might respond to it very well, I don't know). DON'T bring your own paqrts though, that's like goin to a restaurant with your own steak and asking them to cook it, they need to be allowed to have a reasonable profit on the parts too.

If your experience is good - or bad - the people here would like to hear about it, I haven't seen any feedback about the place I can actually remember, maybe because it is a pretty new shop.

This isn't some old Ford Taurus or something, it's a 600SEL, and it deserves the best of care. Hopefully they will deliver that. I think you are on the right track here.

i will definitely let you guys know this week since im going on thursday. The guy seems real cool he was giving me advice a normal person rather then a mechanic was giving me.


I'm going to see if i can watch him do a few things on the car. He also said he would check all fluids and a few other things free of charge. Im going to ask him if he knows any place that can repair that amp, and ask him about the srs, abs lights and a few other things.

http://catalog.eautopartscatalog.com/mercedesshop/sophio/wizard.jsp?partner=mercedesshop&clientid=catalog.mercedesshop&baseurl=http://catalog.peachparts.com/&cookieid=1Z515Q6881Z70RZ511&year=1992&make=MB&model=600-SEL-001&category=All&part=AT+Filter+Kit

There is the filter kit for your car.

MB trans are cake to drain the fluid on. Drain the pan, drop it. Rotate the engine till you can drain the TC, drain that. In the owners manual it tells you how much fluid it holds. Put it all together fill it up run it and check it.

If you can do it on a Chevy you can do one of these, its much simpler to do and these cars are built 10 times better so they include nice things. Like drain plugs in the pan, and the pan bolts bottom out so you cannot over tighten them.

Don't forget you have active suspension as well, you should change at least the filter if not flush it. Not sure if they call for flushing, the FSM would certainly cover this.

MB sells the FSM in DVD form, about $180 covers all the models, you should get it.

Might sound stupid but what is fsm??