Transmission fluid change
- Thread starter Fisher
- Start date
I believe those are instructions for a manual transmission. Here is a link for an automatic, a little more involved than a manual.
Pelican Parts Tech Article
Pelican Parts Tech Article
No no for auto
There is quite a bit of speculation about automatic fluid change. 1) Because BMW fills their transmissions with a "lifetime" synthetic oil and 2) After 50,000 miles, some have experienced transmission failure. This could just be an old GM mechanic's wives tale saying that changing old transmission fluid actually gunks some parts up and makes your transmission WORSE.
There is quite a bit of speculation about automatic fluid change. 1) Because BMW fills their transmissions with a "lifetime" synthetic oil and 2) After 50,000 miles, some have experienced transmission failure. This could just be an old GM mechanic's wives tale saying that changing old transmission fluid actually gunks some parts up and makes your transmission WORSE.
This issue has been deabted to death. There is no such thing as "lifetime" fluids, they get dirty and fail to provide the lubrication they were intended to provide. Every professional I talk to says that they would service the transmission at either 25 or 50k intervals, 50 with synthetics. None has reported a failure. Considering BMW's automatics have a significant failure rate at 100k I would have to assume they consider 100k the life of a transmission? If changing the fluids exyends that life than I would change them.
Oh, I totally agree that the transmission and differential fluids are not good for more than BMW's expected 100k mile lives of their various parts. And, I totally think that the fluids should be changed at 25 to 30k just in case that extra few dollars of maintenance saves a couple hundred down the road for a new differential or transmission. I was just making Fisher aware that there has been some concern experessed about chaning atomatic transmission fluid after 50k miles. ![[cheers]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_cheers.gif "Cheers [cheers]")
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I got 155K out of my bimmer trans and clutch before they gave up the ghost. I didn't change my fluids at all prior to my major tranny and clutch failure. I will now consider changing it every 50K. I'm at 181K looking towards my tune-up at 200K in a few months. Thanks for the good information on this thread. Happy Motoring...[driving2]
They are not sealed any more than any other automatic, they still have a transmission pan, and in fact you can buy filters and gaskets for them. Check this article out; Pelican Parts Tech Article
Ask BMW to define "lifetime" and they won't, I was told that it is the warranty period, so 60k for a transmission...unacceptable!
Ask BMW to define "lifetime" and they won't, I was told that it is the warranty period, so 60k for a transmission...unacceptable!
Thank you all for a very good info. I've just bought a 2001 330ci convertible and wonder about the tranny fluid myself and talked to a dealership near home and they said no need to change since its lifetime ????????
Question I have is where to buy the fluid and filter to do it myself ? How can I check the transmission fluid level ? Any advice is appreciated.
Question I have is where to buy the fluid and filter to do it myself ? How can I check the transmission fluid level ? Any advice is appreciated.
On the E36, I believe you are supposed to have the tranny fluid at a certain temperature (attained after about nomral driving in 80 or so degree weather), with the engine running and the transmission in neutral, with the car in leve, you fill the fluid until a stead stream of it starts pouring out, thats when its full and you seal it with the screw. It might be different on the E46 but I don't think there is a dipstick anyway.
Because to drain the Torque Converter you must remove it, big procedure, or you can have the transmission power flushed. Before power flushers it was assumed that over time the fluid in the TC was eventually flushed (I know bad theory, but we did not want to pull our transmission and like I said we had not invented power flushers yet.) If I were going to R&R automatic transmission fluids I would have it power flushed.