The factory fluid is like $30 or $40 a quart. You need 9 or 10 quarts (from memory). This is not the same transmission as the xj8, and requires different fluid. There is a Shell spec fluid, but I have never seen a price for it. I am about to do the same thing and use Mobil 1 synthetic and see what happens. If anybody else has done this, let me know.

 

Sorry to edit myself, but MB fluid is available for 15 dollars a quart here:
http://catalog.worldpac.com/ibusines...rt=A%2FT+Fluid
I may use that....and not live dangerously....

 

Yes, there are alternatives to the factory fluid. We sell it here:

http://www.motorcarsltd.com/_search.php?page=1&q=312

Remember, these is no "fill" hole for these transmissions. It's best to take it to a shop that can pump out the old fluid, change the filter, and pump in fresh stuff. It's not a driveway job.

 

WHAT????
This is an R he's talking about...the tranny fluid for the Mercedes 722.06 tranny is totally different from that used in a regular XJ8 with the ZF box (and that's a specific Shell fluid also which I wouldn't put anything generic into either.)

Mercedes ATF 236.10 MB part no. is A001 989 2103-10. You MUST NOT USE ANY OTHER FLUID....ATF is often NOT mix compatible although some MB fluids are and some are updates of older types. Put an all purpose synthetic fluid in your 722.6 and good luck to you...get the viscosity/temp range wrong and you'll be typing "722.6" into google frantically.

You can get the Mercedes product on ebay from any number of vendors...I recently paid $75.00 delivered for 6 quarts AND the Filtran OEM filter/pan seal delivered from a vendor that does 722.6 trannies all day everyday, so it's not even expensive if you shop around. (Same tranny used in Dodge Sprinter Trucks BTW!)

 

+1. I have spoken to ZF on several occasions and they only recommend the Esso fluid for the normally aspirated XJ's transmisson. Shell in the XJR's, Esso in the XJ8's.

 

would anyone recommend replacing fluids and filter at 100k. i bought mine from an out of state seller and dont know exactly what has been done but do know everything else is good. im a bit leery of changing the fluid and then looking for a new trans, would it be safe to do it??

 

Just did it with factory fluid ... pan gasket and filter ... Half an hour. Easy as pie....got two more cars to do it with....

 

So what, you didn't bother fixing the leak?

 

Funny thing...I bought it 18k ago, and figured out the sealed trans was low a few months ago. So I added fluid, and the problems went away. I was expecting to find a leak as we discussed, but the trans was dry on the outside. I would bet the leak was fixed, and an incorrect amount of fluid was added before I bought it. When I changed the fluid, I very carefully brought up the level to the correct level with a very hot trans. Now I have it parked on a clean spot in the garage, and we shall see. Maybe I am thinking positively about this, but the shifts seem crisper, all of that. I noticed again that when the level was about half a liter low the trans would not shift into fifth durin my test drives. As I topped it off, it shifted into fifth again. Now I am going to do the same with my other xjr, and then my sl600. I was really impressed with the quality of the seal on the pan. I have done alot of American tranmissions, and thought they could design the pan seal better. Well, this MB pan is done right.