[MadMikeyL]

The transmission fluid is just older and dirtier. Not dirty enough to be worried about it, but the color difference is just from it being older.

 

[MadMikeyL]

That will be fine. Pretty much any bottle that specifically says MerconV will work fine, regardless of brand.

 

[MadMikeyL]

Is it different for the Euro cars? I've seen plenty clear and brown fluids for the Euro stuff.

Not to mention the blue Mercedes ATF!

 

[MadMikeyL]

Dorman makes a replacement trans pan with a drain plug in it. If you want to change the fluid peacemeal, I would start by replacing the pan with the dorman one, along with a new filter, and then just do a drain and fill every oil change until you are satisfied with the color that is coming out. It will take more fluid to do it that way than just changing it all at once, but simply opening a drain plug and refilling the trans is quick and easy, and overall you will spend way less time doing that than trying to siphon the fluid up and out of the dipstick tube.

 

[MadMikeyL]

I wonder if they started cheaping out on the pans. It has been a few years since I bought one, but I remember being surprised how thick and heavy duty it was for a dorman part. It definitely felt way more solid than the original Ford pan.