Auto transmission leak 4k after service

[BlackC55]

The sump pan bolts are always torqued ever ytime. There is no need to do them any tighter. Looking at the pic it looks like the pilot bushing is leaking.

Just in front of the sump pan there is a gearbox cooler pipe that is very common to leak on ML's and it spreads all over the sump pan.

It's booked in to check soon. Will report back

[Btbuk]

Olly So what we gonna do now as I already tighten up sump bolts? Should we open the sump change the gasket again, tighten bolts at proper torque and top up oil?
Would you get pilot bush and new gasket ready when I come?
How much is a pilot bush?

[Btbuk]

My coolant is blue/green ish

[BlackC55]

Originally Posted by Btbuk

Olly So what we gonna do now as I already tighten up sump bolts? Should we open the sump change the gasket again, tighten bolts at proper torque and top up oil?
Would you get pilot bush and new gasket ready when I come?
How much is a pilot bush?

Firstly we need to see where the leak is coming from.

Pilot bush is £25. For the part. I stock them as well as the gaskets. I doubt the gasket is leaking as we do many many ATF changes and the gaskets very very rarely leak after they have been replaced. I haven't had one leak in 10 years!!

[MYML270]

Sometimes owning a vehicle can be frustrating, but working on them for a living is even more frustrating.

Many years ago when I was in the trade, the one thing I used to hate was, and I am not saying that this is the case in this incident.

That was when an owner had had some work done, for instance the water pump. Two days later or there abouts, there is a noise from the rear of the car and the sway bar linkage falls off.

Back they come screaming and shouting that YOU have wrecked there car. YOU have driven it over something OR "YOU" should have picked up that the sway bar linkage was faulty?

Unfortunately, with all our diagnostic equipment and knowledge gained over the years, the one thing still mising in the workshop was a crystal ball.

Then we have the owner that checks everything. Hmmmm, that doesn't look right? I'll just give it a little adjustment, that should fix it better?

Then back they come to the workshop with another problem, they created, to put the blame back on YOU.

Always used to appreciate the customer who came back and asked questions about the work first. We are not infallable, do make mistakes and appreciate the opportunity to fix them correctly.

In this case I am certain that Olly, will be the same.

KenM

[Auto-mobile]

Originally Posted by MYML270

Sometimes owning a vehicle can be frustrating, but working on them for a living is even more frustrating.

Many years ago when I was in the trade, the one thing I used to hate was, and I am not saying that this is the case in this incident.

That was when an owner had had some work done, for instance the water pump. Two days later or there abouts, there is a noise from the rear of the car and the sway bar linkage falls off.

Back they come screaming and shouting that YOU have wrecked there car. YOU have driven it over something OR "YOU" should have picked up that the sway bar linkage was faulty?

Unfortunately, with all our diagnostic equipment and knowledge gained over the years, the one thing still mising in the workshop was a crystal ball.

Then we have the owner that checks everything. Hmmmm, that doesn't look right? I'll just give it a little adjustment, that should fix it better?

Then back they come to the workshop with another problem, they created, to put the blame back on YOU.

Always used to appreciate the customer who came back and asked questions about the work first. We are not infallable, do make mistakes and appreciate the opportunity to fix them correctly.

In this case I am certain that Olly, will be the same.

KenM

With you on that one! "since you did my service my horn doesn't work" as an example, I'm 100% this issue is the pilot bush seals, they can start leaking any time.

[Btbuk]

Ooohh!
This thread was not opened to accuse anyone doing bad job or something.
The intension was to take advice if I can drive the car and what I could do to protect better such a fragile device like automatic transmission. Have to drive 10 days before Olly will look at it. So I didn't want to do any worse and many things around the car I can do myself.
So I didn't know where is it leaking from and thought that may be a gasket, so simple task like tighting up the bolts I could perform myself and believed it may help.

And again I am not accusing anyone! In fact I thing that Olly is a top man where it comes to ATF services.

If you guys want to carry on topic like "oh my horn doesn't work becouse you change my oil" or similar please open your own thread (no offence).

Thank you

[MYML270]

Originally Posted by Btbuk

Ooohh!
This thread was not opened to accuse anyone doing bad job or something.
The intension was to take advice if I can drive the car and what I could do to protect better such a fragile device like automatic transmission. Have to drive 10 days before Olly will look at it. So I didn't want to do any worse and many things around the car I can do myself.
So I didn't know where is it leaking from and thought that may be a gasket, so simple task like tighting up the bolts I could perform myself and believed it may help.

And again I am not accusing anyone! In fact I thing that Olly is a top man where it comes to ATF services.

If you guys want to carry on topic like "oh my horn doesn't work becouse you change my oil" or similar please open your own thread (no offence).

Thank you

My posting definetely was NOT about blaming someone.

Merely pointing out the facts of owners who "could perform a simple task, like tightening up bolts."

Bolts could now be over torqued and stripped, pan twisted, gasket destroyed, etc.

Of coarse, I hope that non of the above is happening. Merely, pointing out the ramifications and the usual, "You service my xxxxxx last week and now xxxxx.

You received plenty of good advice.

Are you still driving the car?

KenM

[Btbuk]

I was pointing that was after service to let people know cos I thought it may help to diagnose the problem more accurate. Not at all "becouse you did this so that isnt working"

Just don't understand why you bringing that way of thinking up? And then other people picking that up and make me look like one who put blame on someone.

Anyways yes I am driving a car

[MYML270]

Btbuk,

If you care to read my original statement, I did say that "this may not be the case in this incident."

However, it may seem like I am critising you, but I am also trying to help you.

If you paid good money to have a job done, then you would expect it to be done correctly. (I have no doubt that it would have been)

If a problem arises, then the mechanic would expect you to take the vehicle back to him/them immediately.

There is no excuse to fob someone off for xxx days.

By continuing to drive the vehicle, you are in fact excepting responsibility for any further damage that may occur.

By self diagnosing and effecting repairs yourself, you have shifted the onus from the repairer to yourself, unless you can prove "faulty workmanship." Almost impossible in this case.

My guess is the same as everyone elses, pilot bush. In which case tightening the bolts up is irrelevant to the problem.

Hope you get the problem sorted out quickly.

KenM

[Btbuk]

Thanks for all info guys.
I have checked that pilot bush and decide to replace it myself.
It looks like the problem is gone now

That was a simple and cheap DIY.

The old pilot bushing I presume was an original one with red O rings and new one came with updates black O rings.

I have lifted car up from driver side and that helped not to lose to much fluid from transmission, I catched all fluid in the pan and that was about 300ml.
However I don't know how much fluid I have lost from the leak, but spotting the leak early I presume I didn't lost a lot of ATF and decided not to go crazy and added only 50ml extra.

Contacted Olly at PCS and he said that I can come anytime and he will check the fluid level.
Cheers for that.

It shifts a way better now. I am surprised.

Thanks for all good words and advice.

[Btbuk]

This got me thinking again.. Am I right??

Lifting up the car from driver side will make the difference to pour less fluid out of the transmission via pilot bush removed?
Or more likely I have lost that much fluid that only 300ml came out?

I have no dipstick to check the level and now I am confused again.. Drive or not to drive..

Anyone experienced changing the pilot bush and how much fluid is leaking out once the bush is removed on flat (ramp/lift) and lifting from driver side? Is it any difference or It doesn't matter and should be the same amount of fluid??

I am going to have level checked but no earlier then next week so I am very curious and worry again.

Any info much apriciated. Thanks.

[andy27168]

Hi,
I had my pilot bush replaced on my 43 by jacking the car up on one side, by a Merc Mobilo tech I know, and he lost only a small jam jar full of fluid, I would say it was no more than what you lost changing the bush.
He dipped the box after the bush replacement and only put in about half a pint, my bush had been leaking for a long time as the oil had wicked along the loom to the TCU and had contaminated the sound proofing in the passenger footwell, and as far as I was aware had not been topped up in this time, certainly had,nt been done in my ownership which at that point had been two years.
Hope this gives you some reassurance.
Could you not pop into your local main dealer, as in the past they have dipped my gearbox for me free of charge.

[mercsl320]

my money is on the pilot bush very common problem and if left the atf will also wick up the harness and destroy the tcm.

pilot bush is around £15 from dealers with the O-rings....its a part that has been modified and sold as a complete unit,as before they sold the seals on own. ...replaced many my self on the ML w163

[renault12ts]

Originally Posted by mercsl320

my money is on the pilot bush very common problem and if left the atf will also wick up the harness and destroy the tcm.

pilot bush is around £15 from dealers with the O-rings....its a part that has been modified and sold as a complete unit,as before they sold the seals on own. ...replaced many my self on the ML w163

Always check the date of the post you are replying to...the one before yours was in May. The problem was fixed...and as you say, was the pilot bush.