You're really lucky if your Beemer went that far with no problems, Beemers have always been a "high maintenance" type vehicle. The dealer I work at sells used Beemers & we are always repairing some kind of problem with them.

That is definitely a dealer problem you are describing with the Merc dealer. I was a flat-rate mechanic for years & before I got into IT type work. I worked at a Ford dealer some years ago. All the mechanics at that shop where excellent (the stock car driver/builder Maynard Troyer worked with me)

~John

 

Probably took two guys with Ph.D's to keep the **** thing running.

 

I think you're right. They aren't exotic fluids, though. The tranny fluid is regular old Mercon and the motor electronics coolant is motorcraft premium gold engine coolant.

I suppose I could replace the Mercon with a synthetic. My '01 Saab has an Aisin-Warner (just Aisin now?) auto tranny and they are very clear that it just takes plain old Dexron III fluid. There was some problem using synthetics in them. (I think it had to do with the coefficient of friction??).

Thanks, everyone. I'll probably wait until about 30k and change the tranny fluid. I'll wait 3-4 years for the coolant.

 

That may be true for actual automatic transmissions that have wet clutches. The eCVT has no friction plates or bands, the fluid is just a lubricant, so I will be using a synthetic fluid in mine when it come to about 30K.