How to change the oil in a manual transmission on a Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz is one of the most famous and popular car brands. The company producing these cars was founded over a century ago, at the beginning of the 20th century. During the existence of the company under the brand name Mercedes, a large number of cars were produced. And there are many models with manual transmission.

But it is worth noting that among the Mercedes cars equipped with a manual transmission, there are all kinds of cars, trucks, buses and other types of vehicles. Yes, and the principles for replacing engine oil in the gearbox are somewhat different. Therefore, the article will be of a review nature.

The frequency of changing the oil in the manual transmission of a Mercedes car

The oil change interval depends on the specific car model. But there are a number of factors that affect the timing of an oil change. It is worth remembering that the dates are given for a machine that is in constant use, without damage to the gearbox and with the correct type of lubricant filled in. So, the following factors influence the timing of an oil change:

• Unit type. In four-wheel drive vehicles, the lubricant must be changed more often due to the increased load on the vehicle's transmission. Front wheel drive vehicles are not far behind. Less oil changes are required on rear-wheel drive vehicles.
• Intensity of exploitation. Lubricants last longer in vehicles that are driven on smooth roads (highways) without sudden changes in speed. But prolonged traffic jams and off-road driving shorten the life of the engine oil.
• Type of lubricants:
  • mineral gear oil is cheap but does not resist contamination. It has to be changed every 35-40 thousand kilometers.
  • semi-synthetic gear oil lasts longer due to its ability to reduce the wear rate of transmission parts and resistance to contamination. It has to be changed, on average, every 45-50 thousand kilometers.
  • Synthetic oil is the highest quality type of lubricant. It is enough for 65-70 thousand kilometers. The main thing is not to confuse synthetics for manual transmission and automatic transmission during the filling process.
• Machine type. For example, some truck models have their own rules for changing lubricants. Here it is recommended to check the information in the service book of the car. It does not hurt to consult with specialists at the service station.

As mentioned above, how often to change the oil in a manual transmission on a Mercedes depends on the operating conditions, car model and type of fluid used. Therefore, if you suspect the development of a transmission lubricant resource, it is worth checking its quality. It should be borne in mind that with intensive use and off-road driving, the useful life of the oil is reduced by 30-50%, depending on the model (its purpose for such conditions).

Used grease is very different from new fluid. And she has a number of signs indicating the development of a resource:

• The oil changes color, turns black, looks like resin.
• The consistency of the liquid changes: it becomes viscous and inhomogeneous. Lumps of unknown origin were found in the lubricant, it smells of burning. It is recommended to carefully check the condition of the oil: in certain situations (in particular with a used gearbox), metal chips appear in the oil, which occurs due to wear of parts. And this chip is easy to scratch.
• The oil peels off. Lighter, more liquid fractions remain on the surface of the manual transmission crankcase. And below it, additives are used, mixed with mud and soot, a thick, slimy substance that looks like river sediment. It is necessary to check its presence using a dipstick, usually fixed in a special hole to control the level and quality of the oil. If the dipstick is not included in the kit, you need to make it yourself (any thin metal rod will do) and check the level through the neck of the drain hole.
• The car moves with some effort, hardly picks up the necessary speed, stops more often, a knock is heard in the gearbox. This increases fuel consumption.

The state of the lubricating fluid is determined visually, by color, consistency, smell. It should be compared with a new fluid of the same brand. If the differences are visible to the naked eye, then you have received a replacement. The volume required for replacement is entered in the car's service book. In the absence of the necessary information, add liquid until completely filled: flush with the lower boundary of the filler neck.

What to do if oil is leaking? What are the types of breakdowns?

Regarding manual transmission breakdowns on Mercedes, we can say the following: Unfortunately, most breakdowns associated with the gearbox can only be repaired by professionals. The owner can only perform a simple gasket replacement procedure and diagnostics. The process looks like this:

• The front of the car is raised with a jack or a special lift. It is strongly not recommended to use homemade tools to avoid injury and damage to the car. Be sure to additionally secure the gearbox so that it does not fall.
• Control systems, wheel drive, cardan shaft (on rear-wheel drive vehicles) are disconnected from the gearbox. In this case, it is recommended to remove the wheels for better access to the transmission. It is necessary that the transmission is not connected to the manual transmission.
• The lubricant filled into the gearbox is drained.
• The bolts securing the manual transmission to the power plant of the car are unscrewed. The suspension mounts associated with the gearbox are removed.
• The manual transmission is removed from the car and disassembled for diagnostics and possible repairs.

Unfortunately, most motorists do not have the necessary skills and tools to carry out the described procedure. Therefore, in case of difficulty, it is recommended to contact the service station. However, it is worth describing how to determine an oil leak in a Mercedes manual transmission. This is evidenced by the following factors:

• Vehicle Difficult to Move: Vehicle starts but stalls when shifting out of neutral. Gasoline consumption increases, but the speed decreases, the engine runs with difficulty.
• Oil drips appear on the crankcase of the manual transmission. And you should pay attention to the frequency of the bands. If fresh grease spots are found after each trip, then the leak is quite serious.
• Transmission fluid level is low. Checked with a rod. And it's worth taking steps periodically to make sure the oil gets low.
• Gears spontaneously switch to "neutral", or it is impossible to switch at a certain speed. It often happens that the gears are difficult to switch, you have to squeeze the lever to move from neutral to a certain speed.

It is also worth figuring out what breakdowns are the causes of a manual transmission malfunction. It is worth considering: not always an amateur can determine the exact cause of the breakdown. But it is still recommended to know them:

• Depreciation of spare parts. The gears wear out, the gap between the parts increases, which leads to an accelerated development of the resource of both the gearbox and the filled oil.
• Using the wrong gear lubricant (or poor quality lubricant). Worth noting: filling the wrong oil is a hassle, so choose your product wisely.
• Careless attitude to obligatory service. If you do not carry out maintenance of the car on time (including changing the oil), repairs are inevitable. For this reason, experts recommend when buying a used car to carry out prevention. Mercedes is reliable, but without proper care, any car breaks down.
• Wrong driving style. Sharp gear shifts, constant change of driving mode, careless movement - all this leads to accelerated wear of car parts, including the Mercedes brand. This should be remembered by those who love to drive a car and squeeze everything out of the car that it is capable of.
• Replacing spare parts with cheap, but low-quality counterparts. A problem often faced by used car owners. Unfortunately, you can only get information about such a replacement with the help of a professional.

Under the hood of a Mercedes:

How to properly change the oil in the manual transmission?

Changing the lubricant in a manual gearbox is always carried out according to approximately the same principle. But the successful implementation of the procedure depends not only on the knowledge of the process itself, but also on the choice of the appropriate fluid. And choosing oil for a Mercedes is not always easy. It should be noted here that different models use different types of lubricating fluids. The marking, type (“synthetics”, “semi-synthetics” and mineral oil) and the volume required for filling differ. It must be remembered that only gear oil is poured into the gearbox, motor lubricant is not suitable here.

Preparation for an oil change in a Mercedes manual transmission begins with the purchase of an original lubricant or its equivalent. It is recommended to check the sticker on the gearbox (if any) and find out the brand of lubricant used to fill this car model. The same information can be found in the service book. It indicates the type of oil, its tolerance and a number of other parameters. If the label with the manual transmission is torn off, and the required information is not in the service book, you need to contact the specialists (in particular, the official representatives or dealers of Mercedes.

The next step is to buy a cleaning fluid for flushing the gearbox. At the same time, it is worth remembering: it is categorically not recommended to wash the manual transmission with water! In this case, special tools are used to remove dirt and decay products from the lubricant. But in most cases, it is enough to take ordinary gear oil, which allows you to clean the system in 2-3 days.

Finally, you must prepare the necessary tools and take care of safety precautions. Of the tools, you will definitely need a key to open the drain and filler plugs, a container for removing used oil and a dipstick to check the level and quality of the lubricant. In this case, the machine must be installed on a flat surface, hold the parking brake and start. It is also necessary to wait for the power plant to cool down - the oil should be warm, but in no case hot.

First Stage

The oil change procedure in a Mercedes manual transmission begins with the removal of the used fluid. The fluid must be removed when the power plant is slightly warm. The ambient temperature plays a role here. In hot weather, a slight warm-up of the engine is enough, and the oil will become more liquid and fluid. In the event of severe frost, it will be necessary to warm up the engine well in order to achieve the desired lubricant consistency. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to drain the oil, which has thickened to a resinous state.

The drainage process itself is as follows:

• A pre-prepared container is installed under the drain hole, capable of accommodating the full volume of used oil. At the same time, it is advisable to ensure that the container does not leak, so that you do not have to clean up the spilled “exercise”.
• First, the drain plug is unscrewed, and when the liquid begins to pour out, it is poured. For unscrewing, socket, open-end or internal hex keys are usually used. In some cases, the plugs can be unscrewed manually.
• After the oil comes out, the drain plug is screwed on.

Step two

The second stage is the washing of the gearbox. It is important to remember here that there are three types of fluids that are specifically used to remove used oil and dirt. But most often, this type of product is used to clean the engine. And a few fewer compounds suitable for flushing both the engine and transmission. Therefore, you need to choose the right tool wisely.

In total, there are four main methods for cleaning manual transmissions from dirt and residues of used oil:

• Using the usual clean oil, poured 2-3 days. The procedure is carried out as follows:
  • the gearbox is filled with standard grease. Drivers recommend using cheap oil suitable for this type of power plant. If possible, it is recommended to fill in synthetics, but if necessary, mineral grease is also used;
  • for 2-3 days you need to constantly drive a car. Important: Mercedes should not be idle in the garage or in the parking lot. Otherwise, washing will not be performed;
  • after the required period, the oil is washed and new is poured, until the next scheduled replacement.
• With washing oil. The principle is similar to the method described above, but the packaging of flushing oil usually indicates both the principle of application and where it is allowed to use it. At the same time, flushing oil cannot be driven, it is only suitable for removing dirt and used grease.
• With fast cleaner. Some drivers call these trains "five-minutes" - 5 minutes of power plant operation is enough for washing. The agent is poured into the manual transmission, the filler neck is closed, the engine runs for 5-10 minutes. A trip in first class is usually sufficient.
• With mild detergent. This is the general name for products intended to be added directly to oil. What to look for when choosing a cleaner:
  • It is necessary to choose a composition intended for pouring into gear oil; products used to lubricate engines are generally not suitable here (with the exception of exceptions specifically specified by the manufacturer).
  • The composition is selected according to the category of oil used, under the brand name API GL-1, API GL-2, etc. Otherwise, problems arise due to the incompatibility of additives in the lubricant and in the cleaner.
  • Soft cleaner is poured only into new grease. When poured into used oil, there will be no effect. And in a certain situation, such an action will accelerate the wear of the gearbox.

After the manual transmission has been completely cleaned, you can start filling in new grease.

Stage three

The last and third stage is the filling of new and fresh gear oil. In addition, it is recommended to buy oil from a specialized store or (ideally) from an authorized Mercedes Benz dealer. Buying on the market is associated with certain risks. In particular, do not forget: sometimes you come across a “not the most honest” seller who can supply the wrong lubricant, the use of which will lead to breakdowns and accelerated wear of the manual transmission.

It is necessary to fill in the lubricant with a well-closed drain plug, into a cooled gearbox. At the same time, it is advisable not to fill in oil of several different brands, even products of the same category do not always mix well (if the compositions are from different manufacturers). The car will not be able to circulate even for a year, as it will have to be repaired. In order not to fill everything with oil, it is recommended to remove it with a syringe and fill it with manual transmission.

The amount of oil to be filled depends on the brand of the machine and the type of power plant. In most cases, the required amount of lubricant is indicated in the car's service book or on a sticker affixed to the gearbox housing. If the necessary information is not available, then the manual transmission must be filled to the lower boundary of the filler hole. Now it remains only to tighten the cork and the filling process is completed.