Our featured repair for Thursday is an Automatic Transmission Fluid Flush on a 1998 Mercedes C230
All automatic transmissions utilize fluid for function as well as lubrication. While not subject to the contamination and intense heat of combustion that engine oil is subject to, automatic transmission fluid has a pretty tough life.
Inside the transmission are a myriad of parts: gears, bearings, clutch plates and discs, bands, valves, servos and solenoids. All of these parts require lubrication. The transmission fluid also controls actuation of various solenoids and servos which engage and shift the gears.
Automatic transmission fluid becomes contaminated over time from wearing parts and is damaged from the heat of day to day operation. Flushing the fluid every 50,000 to 100,000 kilometers is critical to long transmission life.
A proper automatic transmission fluid flush service can be expensive to do properly. Proper service entails removing the transmission pan, cleaning the pan, replacing the filter and reinstalling the pan with a new gasket. Following this, a machine is connected which flushes out the old fluid and pumps in new fluid.
While the service can be expensive it is a fraction of the cost of a transmission replacement making it an essential part of a preventative maintenance program.
The C230 is fairly plain by Mercedes standards and is the entry level model. Its quality and durability is excellent and on par with any other Mercedes offering.
For more on the Mercedes C class click on this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_C-Class
For more on how automatic transmissions work click on this link http://jalopnik.com/this-is-how-an-automatic-transmission-works-517581894
