You should remove the exhaust hanger bracket.You insert it and tap gently upward until the overflow pipe is unclipped from above the drain. To drain faster, use a drift (punch tool) that is just slightly smaller than the drain plug opening. When you open the transmission pan drain plug, fluid will leak out slowly due to the design of the overflow pipe.I have attached a photo of the torque converter drain below. If you don't have one, go ahead and change what fluid you can from the pan (about 4 quarts). You could miss it, but it's also possible that your torque converter does not have a drain. It can be hard to recognize the drain plug - it's very small, less than 1/4 of an inch in diameter, and flush. Make a chalk mark on the torque converter to see when you've gone all the way around.It may be slightly messier with the bracket in place, but it can be cleaned. That requires removing several bell housing bolts that are hard to access and are one-time-use. You may be tempted to remove the bracket for those connectors, but I recommend against it. You may want to unplug the oxygen sensor electrical connectors to move the wiring out of the way.You enlist a helper, or do this yourself lying on your back with your face at the bell housing access port, your legs sticking out from the front bumper, and your arms under the front of the engine to operate the ratchet. The crankshaft must be manually rotated until the drain plug is lined up with the access port. There is an access port on the bell housing usually covered with a plastic/rubber cap (if it hasn't fallen off over the years). Start draining the torque converter first as it takes longer.You will need to remove all the underbody paneling for access.Xentry) can do this, as can most MBZ-specific diagnostic tools from Autel, iCarsoft, Foxwell, etc. A way to check the fluid temperature: You can use an infrared thermometer pointed at the transmission pan, or a diagnostic tool that can report the fluid temperature electronically.Usually the rear has to be raised higher than the front for it to be level. Lift the rear on the differential housing and slide jack stands in at the lift points ahead of the rear wheels. Slide jack stands in at the lift points behind the front wheels. Using a low-profile 'race jack', lift the front end on the rubber 'puck' protruding through the underbody covers, directly under the engine. This can be done in most home garages using the center jack points and four jack stands. You need the ability to SAFELY lift and support the vehicle so that you can work underneath with the engine running and with the transmission level. The tube needs to be 12mm x 1.5, but it might just be easier to buy the Assenamcher adapter tube model 'ATF 129' for about $30. If you don't want to spend the money on that, you can make your own setup using a cheap fluid transfer hand pump (or even a new garden sprayer) and a threaded tube. You don't need the more expensive larger pump - the cheaper, smaller one will work, you'll just have to refill it during the process. You should be able to find this setup for around $150. A pump and threaded tube for refilling the transmission via the pan drain hole: I highly recommend the Assenmacher driveline filler pump and adapter tube.If not, you can call your local Shell oil supplier and they will deliver it to a nearby retail garage or gas station. You may find that buying a 12-quart case of Shell ATF-134 is the most economical option. At least 10 quarts of 236.14 spec oil to refill: This includes some extra for priming the filler pump that you use as well as 1/2 a quart for 'overfill'.New overflow pipe for the pan: This doesn't necessarily need to be replaced, but sometimes it breaks when removing it so have a new one on hand just in case.A long handled ratchet wrench and a large hex socket to manually rotate the crankshaft. Allen wrenches) for the the torque converter and transmission pan drain plugs. New crush washers for the pan drain bolt and the torque converter drain bolt.

Six new transmission pan bolts: They are aluminum and designed to stretch so they are one-time use.New transmission pan gasket: It's just rubber, so brand is not really important here.This is not where you want to pinch pennies. New transmission fluid filter: I recommend an original MBZ or at least a good German brand.If you intend to DIY, here's what you need to know:įirst of all, here's MBZ's official WIS document for reference: I was a bit anxious on the first try, but now I find it fairly routine.

There are several threads in the forum about changing the fluid and filter on the 722.9, but I'll post my method.

Transmission fluid change