Mercedes is known for manufacturing high-performance, luxury vehicles, and as the owner of a Mercedes you want to ensure that your vehicle is in top condition to avoid any expensive repairs. This includes having your vehicle’s transmission regularly serviced and maintenanced.

Your vehicle’s transmission plays an essential role in the vehicle’s ability to operate. The transmission fluid is vital to the transmission’s health, making it important for you to be aware of the signs and causes of a transmission leak.

If you ignore a transmission leak, you risk your vehicle experiencing extensive damage that will require costly repairs.

Common Causes of a Transmission Leak in Your Mercedes

There are a number of parts involved in the process of moving the transmission fluid around the vehicle’s transmission, lubricating the mechanical parts. If any of these parts becomes damaged or worn, then it can cause a transmission leak that will prevent the transmission fluid from sufficiently lubricating the transmission.

The following are common causes of a transmission leak in Mercedes:

• An improperly tightened drain plug can cause transmission fluid to leak from the drain pan because it is either too loose or was too tight and now the threads on the drain plug are damaged.
• A hole in the transmission pan is common because it is located underneath your vehicle and is susceptible to being damaged or punctured by rocks and debris that may fly up and strike it.
• A broken transmission pan gasket can cause a leak because the transmission pan gasket is a small piece of rubber between the transmission pan and transmission housing, and can become worn and crack over time.
• A crack in the torque converter keeps the converter from lubricating the transmission by sending transmission fluid around the transmission.
• Worn, broken, or damaged seals, valves, fluid lines, and fluid pumps all cause transmission fluid leaks because the transmission fluid is sent through them to lubricate the transmission.

Signs Your Mercedes Might Have a Transmission Leak

As the owner of your vehicle, it is your responsibility to be aware of any signs your vehicle may be experiencing issues. To avoid expensive damages caused by leaking transmission fluid, it is important that you familiarize yourself with the signs of a transmission leak.

Bring your vehicle in for an inspection and maintenance if you notice any of the following:

• transmission fluid, red and slippery with an oily smell, is pooling under your vehicle
• metal-on-metal grinding noises due to lack of lubrication
• issues shifting gears, such as the vehicle jerking or the rpms being higher than normal when shifting
• increased engine temperature
• transmission slips by slipping out of gear after shifting gears
• vehicle stumbling or jerking when accelerating

How to Prevent Your Mercedes from Leaking Transmission Fluid

Every vehicle has a manufacturer recommended maintenance schedule. The best way to avoid damage caused by a transmission leak is to bring your Mercedes in for its regularly scheduled inspections and maintenance which includes transmission fluid refills and transmission fluid flushes.

In addition, just as you should check your vehicle’s oil levels, there is a transmission dipstick where you should be checking your vehicle’s transmission fluid levels too.

When you do have your transmission fluid changed, ensure that it is performed by a professional who knows the drain plug needs to be tightened just right. Ideally, this would prevent your drain plug from being left too loose or tightened too much.

Bring Your Mercedes to Woodinville Sports Car

In any vehicle, you want to ensure the transmission fluid is able to do its job, and if there is a leak, then your vehicle’s transmission will suffer and cause expensive damages. At Woodinville Sports Car, you can trust our experienced and factory-certified technicians to keep your Mercedes operating in top condition. Woodinville Sports Car prides itself on providing excellent service to customers and their vehicles.

Located in Woodinville, WA, our repair shop serves drivers in Woodinville and its surrounding areas: Bothell, Kenmore, Kirkland, Mill Creek, Monroe, Redmond, and Snohomish, WA. If you are in one of these areas and are noticing signs of a transmission leak in your Mercedes, bring your vehicle to Woodinville Sports Car and our staff will provide you with excellent service.