I changed my transmission oil last Friday. Taking SIKwan's instructions, I was able to complete it within two hours, including changing the "Transmission Adapter Plug Housing." This is the van's first transmission oil change, and the van has 64000 on it of non-abusive, mostly highway driving. I have no transmission problems other than the standard NAG1 shudder, which I know how to avoid.
I had no trouble with getting a 1 1/16 inch socket and ratchet in. In fact, contrary to Doktor A's recommendation of cutting down a socket, I found that the socket depth necessary to extend out of the pulley well. The ratchet then fit perfectly between the socket and the radiator. I have a 2002 Sprinter with a single AC compressor. The motor turned over very easily.
I was stunned at the appearance of the oil and the whitish slime at the bottom of the pan. The oil was a reddish brown and not transparent. But no burnt smell whatsoever. The whitish slime at the bottom implied the detergent was taking out water.
Going step by step: The first picture shows that, at least my 2002 Düsseldorf assembled model has a grate magnet instead of the donut SIKwan's model has. While no picture, the grid had some dark colored slime, but nothing that seemed significant or different from SIKwan's:
Any chance of you opening that spent filter and posting a few pics so we can see what kind of debris is being captured?
Picking up on Contractor's curiosity, I broke open the filter. The first picture shows the top view (filtered oil flowing into the transmission) of the filter:
Other than the color, nothing particularly notable from my ignorant observation.
Now removing the filter and looking at the bottom of the filter (the intake side of the filter). Two things, on the metal part of the filter, note the white slime that also covered the bottom of my pan. Note how the transmission oil is actually beading on it. This, I guess, is the detergent and other additives pulling water and other stuff out of the oil. Also note the solids. Then, on the filter itself (remember, the orientation is actually the bottom of the filter) note the shiny metal flecks. There were no flecks of metal on the magnetic grid, nor anywhere else on the bottom of the oil pan - only here. Further, note the deposition pattern of the solids and the metal flecks - in line with the filters intake and through the center of the filter. I think this reflects the fluid dynamics of the oil and the weight of the flecks.
Looking more closely at the filter, on the complete perimeter there was a ridge of (for want of a better or more accurate word) tiny flakes of rust. [Not likely rust as the magnet should have been covered with this stuff if it was - and it was not.] This stuff must be relatively light and is pushed to the far edges of the filter by the transmission oil flow.
Being a firm believer of not panicking until something goes wrong and that what ever happened has happened, and there are no signs of transmission trouble, I installed the new filter, gaskets, and oil.
