Trans fluid type

[daveking]

Hi
I have a 2003 e53 3.0d gm 5 speed.
Trying to find out what fluid type i need.
Been told so many different types.


dexron vi comes up all the time but my
parts people say no according the my reg
number.


So i need some advice please.


Thank you.


Dave king

[RRPhil]

When the Dexron III licences expired in 2006, GM moved users onto Dexron VI.

A potential issue, though, with using Dexron VI is that its viscosity (new) is lower than that of Dexron III. Not necessarily a good thing if your valve blocks are worn, which is a particularly common issue with the 5L40-E! The justification is that the better shear stability of Dexron VI means the viscosity remains at its design specification for longer i.e. after a period of use it will be higher than ‘worn out’ Dexron III.

Someone on another forum asked if I thought a fluid called Texaco ATF HD 389 might be a more suitable alternative than Dexron VI. It has a kinematic viscosity of 7.1 mm²/s at 100⁰C and 34.9 mm²/s at 40⁰C. This compares to 7.4 & 33.8 for the original Texamatic 7045E fluid and 5.8 & 29.5 for Dexron VI so, on the face of it, it would seem a more suitable replacement for Dexron III than Dexron VI. Just my opinion, though.

Phil

[g300d]

Interestingly, I was reading an "ask an oil SME" thread over on another forum.

He mentioned similar. I.e., go and compare the KV of the OE oil vs the candidate replacement oil.

Do you still do rebuilds RRPhil? What fluid do you put in nowadays?

[RRPhil]

Originally Posted by g300d

Do you still do rebuilds RRPhil? What fluid do you put in nowadays?

I’m well and truly retired now. I do the occasional Aston Martin 6HP26 transmission, and the odd 8HP70 rebuild, just for fun but I haven’t touched a 5-speed in ages.

Phil