Help changing gear box oil on sprintshift

Kuba8

Kuba8

New member
Hi guys,
I am a real DIY noob but have so far managed to service my 413 cdi sprintshift myself with the help of this forum.

Ive been advised that I should change the oil in my sprintshift gearbox since its done 300,000km without a change. Trouble is that I have no idea where to start. Ive purchase the correct spec oil from a MB dealership (2L for AU$100:censored:) and had a look at maxextc's how to guide on changing gearbox oil on a manual sprinter..

https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7205&highlight=gearbox+oil

I'm still a little lost:idunno:.

In maxextc's guide it says "To change the gearbox oil "manual transmission" first locate the filler bolt 1st pic "top left side" then the drain bolt 2nd pic"bottom beside cross member" remember to clean around the filler bolt so as not to get any dirt "crap" in there."

Where is the filler bolt on the left in the first pic im having trouble locating it and is it located in the same place for a sprintshift?

How much oil should I use?

Anything else I should lookout for when doing this job?

Thanks in advance

Jakub
 
Altered Sprinter

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
Sorry I thought Eric would drop in on this one. You need a pump for the refill top left hand side and drain the bottom plug have a look for metal on the thread, Like Max's hairy old goat.
you have enough fluid so that;'s not an issue unless you want the exacting amounts?,,I think sprintshift takes a tad more than manual, but not sure unless I check tomorrow.
Richard
 
Kuba8

Kuba8

New member
Cheers Richard

II'll try to do it on the weekend once I get my hands on a pump, Does 1.8 lt sound right?
 
mean_in_green

mean_in_green

>2,000,000m in MB vans
I understand there is a filler bung "behind" the hydraulic valve block on the right hand side of the Sprintshift transmission (viewed from front of vehicle). Some disassembly is required to gain access to it.
 
Oldfartt

Oldfartt

Active member
Hi Jakub,
This copied from a previous post I made.
Yes have replaced all the fluids in the sprinter except the hydraulic fluid used in the sprintshift gear control.

The gear oil I used is the MB 235.10 Schaltgetreibeol A001 989 2603. In NZ the only stuff available which is certified by MB. It is expensive, $52 NZD /litre and you need 1.5 litres So you have to buy 2 litres. This works out to be about $10/year on change every 10 years or 300,000kms. Do not use any other substitute oil. It is not just worth it. The cost of repairing/ replacing the transmission is huge compared to the cost of the oil.

To replace the oil:

1. Find the reservoir on the right side of the gearbox housing. It is held in place with a C clamp and two bolts. Remove a third bolt at the bottom front of the reservoir.
2. Pull out vent bleed connection on reservoir and swing the assembly away towards the back.
3. The oil filler plug can now be seen behind where the reservoir was.
4. Clean around the plug before removing. 14mm hex key plug is required.
5. The oil drain screw is found underneath. Remove and drain oil when oil is warm.
6. Remove metal particles off the drain plug. Screw in drain plug. Torque to 60Nm.
7. Fill with transmission oil.
8. Check the oil level with an allen key inserted into the oil filler hole and ensure that the oil level is exactly 10mm below the bottom edge of the oil filler hole. Do Not overfill. (and don't drop the allen key)
9. Screw in the filler plug. Torque to 50Nm.
10. Reposition pressure reservoir, Oil vent bleed connection. and screw in the single bolt removed in item1. Do not tighten.
11. Position C clamp on reservoir and tighten all three bolts to 15Nm.
12. Arrange for Significant Other to make a cup of tea while cleaning up!

Cheers

Ross
 
Last edited:
Altered Sprinter

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
Thanks Ross now I finally found it 1.5L manual 0.5L Sprintshift control circuit.
1.8 L for differential that's where I muddled up on that one.

MB oil is available in a 0.8 liter container but SP order only.Hence why combined collectively we have enough left over for a freebie, if sent in a paper bag..:laughing:
Richard
 
Kuba8

Kuba8

New member
WOW great guide :thumbup: .

I think I can manage the first 11 steps but teaching my pooch how to make a cup of tea may prove difficult.

Thanks Ross. :bow:

Oldfartt said:
Hi Jakub,
This copied from a previous post I made.
Yes have replaced all the fluids in the sprinter except the hydraulic fluid used in the sprintshift gear control.

The gear oil I used is the MB 235.10 Schaltgetreibeol A001 989 2603. In NZ the only stuff available which is certified by MB. It is expensive, $52 NZD /litre and you need 1.5 litres So you have to buy 2 litres. This works out to be about $10/year on change every 10 years or 300,000kms. Do not use any other substitute oil. It is not just worth it. The cost of repairing/ replacing the transmission is huge compared to the cost of the oil.

To replace the oil:

1. Find the reservoir on the right side of the gearbox housing. It is held in place with a C clamp and two bolts. Remove a third bolt at the bottom front of the reservoir.
2. Pull out vent bleed connection on reservoir and swing the assembly away towards the back.
3. The oil filler plug can now be seen behind where the reservoir was.
4. Clean around the plug before removing. 14mm hex key plug is required.
5. The oil drain screw is found underneath. Remove and drain oil when oil is warm.
6. Remove metal particles off the drain plug. Screw in drain plug. Torque to 60Nm.
7. Fill with transmission oil.
8. Check the oil level with an allen key inserted into the oil filler hole and ensure that the oil level is exactly 10mm below the bottom edge of the oil filler hole. Do Not overfill. (and don't drop the allen key)
9. Screw in the filler plug. Torque to 50Nm.
10. Reposition pressure reservoir, Oil vent bleed connection. and screw in the single bolt removed in item1. Do not tighten.
11. Position C clamp on reservoir and tighten all three bolts to 15Nm.
12. Arrange for Significant Other to make a cup of tea while cleaning up!

Cheers

Ross
Click to expand...
 
Kuba8

Kuba8

New member
Thanks guys looks like I have all the info to get the job done! I still have a few questions...

While i'm getting my hands oily are there any other juices that I should replace?

The van has done 300,000km and only has service history to 160000km. I checked the service book and no major service have been done on the van since new. The second owner claimed to have serviced the van himself but judging from the state of the air-filter I have to assume the worst.

Richard just mentioned diff oil which makes make me wonder what parts I should replace or service at the 300,000km mark as a preventive measure?

I'm not sure if I should open a new thread on this one but the van is using about 500ml of oil every 2000km. Eric experience thinks that the engine may have been dusted because of tattered airfilter which I know is a good possibility but I would like to know if anything else could be causing such large oil usage. The van also suffers from a a slightly rough idle.

Thanks again,

:cheers:

Jakub
 
Altered Sprinter

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
Kuba8 said:
Thanks guys looks like I have all the info to get the job done! I still have a few questions...

While i'm getting my hands oily are there any other juices that I should replace?

The van has done 300,000km and only has service history to 160000km. I checked the service book and no major service have been done on the van since new. The second owner claimed to have serviced the van himself but judging from the state of the air-filter I have to assume the worst.

Richard just mentioned diff oil which makes make me wonder what parts I should replace or service at the 300,000km mark as a preventive measure?

I'm not sure if I should open a new thread on this one but the van is using about 500ml of oil every 2000km. Eric experience thinks that the engine may have been dusted because of tattered airfilter which I know is a good possibility but I would like to know if anything else could be causing such large oil usage. The van also suffers from a a slightly rough idle.

Thanks again,

:cheers:

Jakub
Click to expand...
Change it..your life span degrades at the half way year mark and or kilometer range if you remove the plug on the diff pock your little pinky in it it and if its a darker shade of Grey somewhat milky dump it.
1.8 liters
PS if your using oil ...your working your engine hard
Mineral oils, tend to use more oil than the top end synthetics oils.
Altered State Communications Hypoid oils trans and diff copy.jpg​
Richard
 
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Oldfartt

Oldfartt

Active member
Richard, Those quantities you list is what I found too and can confirm from experience.

Jakup,
No worries mate. The job is relatively easy to do. I used a tomato sauce bottle with a short length of clear plastic hose to fill the gearbox. It takes a little while to do but very little mess is created.

Cheers

Ross
 
Altered Sprinter

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
Oldfartt said:
Richard, Those quantities you list is what I found too and can confirm from experience.

Jakup,
No worries mate. The job is relatively easy to do. I used a tomato sauce bottle with a short length of clear plastic hose to fill the gearbox. It takes a little while to do but very little mess is created.

Cheers

Ross
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:You old scallywag spin the sauce bottle.:hugs:Pumps cost little, if your really hard up for a quid. go to the local municipal resource shop at your local tip and get a bicycle pump made for two, for a single note$1.00
Yep we do our best to help out with each other too:thumbup:
Richard.
pump 001 (Custom).JPG​
 
Wildmonkey

Wildmonkey

99.4% DNA still wild..
Crawlling underneath the van took some photies of the sprintshift gearbox.. Here is a photo the draining bolt! I think is a 14mm Allen bolt
 

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Wildmonkey

Wildmonkey

99.4% DNA still wild..
And now some photies of the filler plug.. it might be difficult to see as it is just behind the vent bleed connection. The first pict shows the reservoir (or accumulator).
On the second and third picts you can see the filler plug slightly better..
Hope this helps!
 

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Wildmonkey

Wildmonkey

99.4% DNA still wild..
Is there anything to watch out when changing the oil on the sprintshift gearbox?
Does it gets complicated at some point? Any further help on this will be appreciated..
 
Wildmonkey

Wildmonkey

99.4% DNA still wild..
Changing the oil is not difficult.. But I have to say be careful with the oil drain plug as mine was stuck and I almost rounded it! It needs an E12 Star socket to loose the u-clamp holding the accumulator and the vent hose, a 14 mm Allen for the filling plug and 17 mm Allen for the drain plug! I don't understand why the filling and the drain plugs are of different sizes but.. :yell: is the way it is! Just follow the instructions given on this thread.
Here are some photos of the tools and the parts to be removed.. I hope it helps, Good luck!:cheers:
 

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P

Poncho33

New member
Kuba8 said:
Hi guys,
I am a real DIY noob but have so far managed to service my 413 cdi sprintshift myself with the help of this forum.

Ive been advised that I should change the oil in my sprintshift gearbox since its done 300,000km without a change. Trouble is that I have no idea where to start. Ive purchase the correct spec oil from a MB dealership (2L for AU$100:censored:) and had a look at maxextc's how to guide on changing gearbox oil on a manual sprinter..

https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7205&highlight=gearbox+oil

I'm still a little lost:idunno:.

In maxextc's guide it says "To change the gearbox oil "manual transmission" first locate the filler bolt 1st pic "top left side" then the drain bolt 2nd pic"bottom beside cross member" remember to clean around the filler bolt so as not to get any dirt "crap" in there."

Where is the filler bolt on the left in the first pic im having trouble locating it and is it located in the same place for a sprintshift?

How much oil should I use?

Anything else I should lookout for when doing this job?

Thanks in advance

Jakub
Click to expand...
Thank you for adding this question Jakub. I'm a new owner as well (10 years later) and this is exactly what I was looking for. Cheers Ian
 
H

Hans88

New member
Oldfartt said:
Hi Jakub,
This copied from a previous post I made.
Yes have replaced all the fluids in the sprinter except the hydraulic fluid used in the sprintshift gear control.

The gear oil I used is the MB 235.10 Schaltgetreibeol A001 989 2603. In NZ the only stuff available which is certified by MB. It is expensive, $52 NZD /litre and you need 1.5 litres So you have to buy 2 litres. This works out to be about $10/year on change every 10 years or 300,000kms. Do not use any other substitute oil. It is not just worth it. The cost of repairing/ replacing the transmission is huge compared to the cost of the oil.

To replace the oil:

1. Find the reservoir on the right side of the gearbox housing. It is held in place with a C clamp and two bolts. Remove a third bolt at the bottom front of the reservoir.
2. Pull out vent bleed connection on reservoir and swing the assembly away towards the back.
3. The oil filler plug can now be seen behind where the reservoir was.
4. Clean around the plug before removing. 14mm hex key plug is required.
5. The oil drain screw is found underneath. Remove and drain oil when oil is warm.
6. Remove metal particles off the drain plug. Screw in drain plug. Torque to 60Nm.
7. Fill with transmission oil.
8. Check the oil level with an allen key inserted into the oil filler hole and ensure that the oil level is exactly 10mm below the bottom edge of the oil filler hole. Do Not overfill. (and don't drop the allen key)
9. Screw in the filler plug. Torque to 50Nm.
10. Reposition pressure reservoir, Oil vent bleed connection. and screw in the single bolt removed in item1. Do not tighten.
11. Position C clamp on reservoir and tighten all three bolts to 15Nm.
12. Arrange for Significant Other to make a cup of tea while cleaning up!

Cheers

Ross
Click to expand...
Hi Ross, thank you!

Writeup/questions oil change 2004 Sprinter 4x4:
Yesterday I changed both the fluid for the Sprintshift gearbox housing on my and the hydraulic fluid of the Sprinshift control housing.

Read up on what oil to use for the gearbox housing(not the hydraulic control), as it had RED colored oil/fluid before(ATF fluid?). Ended up using the prescribed MB235.10 oil from Febi Bilstein, after reading Ross post, the Sprint shift self study program SPS_372.pdf and the truckstar.com.ua link below; by using 6-speed manual selection.

Had a look at the service manual for the Sprintshift, and found a service manual for a VW 2006--> and onward model. And found the where it says that the oil level should be 10mm under the low point of the oil filler plug.

As when i opened the filler hole for the gearbox housing, some (red) oil came out, indicating that the last time it was filled to the rim of the filler hole.
This lead me to NOT following the instruction filling to 10 mm beneath the filler hole.


My question is therefore does the 10mm instruction apply to Sprintshift pre 2006 made by Mercedes? And would this 10mm instruction apply to all climates/ambient temperature ranges? The wan is to be used mostly in Norway. Should i drain off excessive oil?


For the front and back differensial I used the MB235.8, for the transfer case I used the MB235.10.

Oil capacities Sprinter T1N (BM901-905)

Oil capacities Mercedes Sprinter BM901-905 (T1N)
www.truckstar.com.ua www.truckstar.com.ua
 

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