Have you changed your transmission oil?

[Coffeeman]

Originally Posted by dkl

Yes...but what does "lifetime" mean? 50k? 70k? 100k? Do you really want to plunk down $6k for a new tranny every 50k-100k, that is, if you own the car? Afterall, transmission technology haven't change much in the last 20 years or so (other than cramming more electronics in there). What makes BMW trannies (I mean GM or ZF trannies) so great that you can get away from replacing fluids until 100k when every other manufacturers recommending changing it out at 30k - 60k?

I was being sarcastic, to my knowledge, there is no such thing as "lifetime fluid". I've always changed transmission, transfer case & rear diff. about every 30k miles on every vehicle I've owned.

[nupe10123]

I think changing it is just a waste of money - but if it gives the owner peace of mind, then maybe it's worth it. Mechanically there is no need - even at 100k! When it is done (now a BMW rec.), they are doing it more in the vain of a service 2 check, meaning they do it 'just in case'. However, BMW still has not said there is a need to change it and in theory, as a closed system, should last as long as the car does; hence lifetime.

[chubyball]

I agreed to some of you that changing transmission, gears, transfer case fuild are a waste of money. But have to ask yourself why the Japanese cars don't oftenly replacing fuild at these area? Most of Japanese cars that I own, the only fuild that I replace regularly is engine oil and sometimes brake fuild.
But we can not compares between Japanese with Germany cars which are the high performance car, it's designed for better ride.

I would think it's ok and won't hurt or waste money to replaced fuild for your X5 depend on how you drive and treat your car. More wears, more tears.

[nupe10123]

My neighbor just got a notice in the mail that his Ford Explorer is approaching 150k miles, and they recommend changing trans fluid (for the first time) now. We can't compare Ford to BMW either, but I thought this was interesting considering the conversation.

[AzNMpower32]

Doesn't BMW recommend 100k mile intervals for the ATF? Thats what it seems to say in the service warranty booklet, along with oxygen sensors and spark plugs. Ideally, we would have it flushed at 30k, but eh, too lazy and I doubt my parents will pay for it. They're bound to fail 100-120k anyways.......buy a manual for longevity.

[The Cleaner]

What car manufacturers recommends is always odd to me. They recommend o2 sensors but not fuel pumps? A bad O2 sensor will not leave you on the side of the road, a fuel pump will. We can all go out and unplug our O2 sensors and drive wherever we want, try that with a Fuel pump or battery.

Same with Water pumps and radiators, those parts NEVER get on the recommended service list, MAF's Cam sensors, alternators, batteries and on and on. These are systems that leave you on the side of the road, not O2 sensors and spark plugs. My number one worry is a failed fuel pump, I have had them fail doing 75, your car just stops, including your power steering and brakes.

[scorpion]

can someone tell me,what could be the problem if the engine runs rough after sitting in the rain , once warms up than sounds normal.

[scorpion]

can someone tell me,what could be the problem if the engine runs rough after sitting in the rain , once warms up than sounds normal.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by The Cleaner

What car manufacturers recommends is always odd to me. They recommend o2 sensors but not fuel pumps? A bad O2 sensor will not leave you on the side of the road, a fuel pump will.

I understood that the manufacturer's recommendations were part of the emissions requirements to reach 100,000 or whatever the local law is. You need 02 sensors to maintain emissions compliance. You don't need a fuel pump, since you aren't moving, and hence aren't polluting. Sounds harsh, but still....

I fully agree with your comments about water pumps, etc, as reasonable PM items at mid to high mileage, but there isn't a lot of benefit in it for a manufacturer to suggest that those components need replacing.

[asawadude]

Excerpt from Mike Miller's Alternative BMW Maintenance Schedule (Link to Thread)

Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) and Filter

For older automatics using Red Line or other synthetic ATF, drain interval 30,000 miles. Old fashioned petroleum ATF, drain interval 15,000 miles

At various production dates in the mid-1990s, which vary according to model, BMW switched to their so-called “lifetime fill” ATF in automatic transmissions, as well as manual gearbox lubricant and differential oil. The reason for this, as far as anyone can tell, is marketing and not engineering – the idea being to foster the notion of the low-maintenance BMW.

There was no explanation of what “lifetime” meant, i.e., lifetime of the car, the component, or for that matter the driver. If it was the component, then obviously anything could be “lifetime fill”. The factory’s initial position is that these lubricants never need to be changed. Then, some time later, it came out that “lifetime” means 100,000 miles. Many dealerships are now recommending manual gearbox and differential oil changes be done at customer expense every 60,000 miles. Every independent BMW technician I know recommends a 30,000-mile interval, and many recommend Red Line synthetic oils (www.redlineoil.com), but not for automatics with “lifetime fill.”

Older automatic transmission models, which do not have “lifetime fill” should have ATF and filter services every 15,000 miles if using petroleum ATF; every 30,000 miles with synthetic.

However, the modern automatic transmissions are different. No one knows exactly what BMW’s proprietary ATF is, so no one knows if there are viable alternatives. We do know that BMW dealerships charge about $500 for an ATF and filter service, due to the price of the ATF. And that’s assuming you can get them to do the job, which is not often the case.

Under no circumstances would I recommend draining any previously unmaintained automatic transmission with much more than 50,000 miles. I have seen it happen too many times, where a well-meaning owner or technician performs an ATF and filter service on a neglected but well-shifting automatic, and then all of the sudden it starts slipping. I can’t explain it, but my feeling is the fresh ATF flushes a bit of sludge from a place where it was doing no harm to a place where it does do harm. Overfilling, underfilling, and cleanliness are also issues in ATF and filter servicing, but these should not be problematic for a professional BMW technician, dealer or independent.

BMW has “backed off” their lifetime fill mantra for automatic transmissions, currently recommending an ATF and filter change every 100,000 miles.

My inclination is to tell people to change “lifetime” ATF and filter every 30,000 miles. However the fact is, I've seen BMW automatic transmissions that were maintained break anyway. In that event, say it happens at 90,000 miles, you would like to have that $1,500 you spent on ATF and filter changes to put toward your new automatic transmission. And if I told you to spend it on maintenance you’re probably not going to be very happy with me. On the other hand, I have seen maintained automatics last 200,000 miles. I have also seen unmaintained automatics last 200,000 miles, although both are very rare. There's just no predicting with these transmissions. When you choose to buy an automatic transmission, you also buy into the vagaries of the darn things, which is one reason technicians hate them.

Whether to maintain a modern BMW automatic is up to you. I am washing my hands of automatic transmissions – I don’t like them, I don’t buy them, and I don’t mess around with them under the car. At the end of the day, for long-term durability, order the car with a manual gearbox.

At automatic transmission replacement time, we are confronted with the reality that the local transmission shop cannot rebuild BMW automatic transmissions, even those built by GM (BMW’s GM transmissions bear not resemblance to GM transmission in domestic cars). There are some domestic specialists who concentrate in BMW automatic transmission rebuilding, and you’ll see their ads in Roundel. However, I have no experience with any of the current domestic rebuilders. My experience in the past is…well, I wound up buying a BMW factory rebuilt automatic transmission every time, and this is the course I recommend to readers – “back to the dealer.”

Some of you, having seen the light, may be interested in converting to a manual gearbox. This is always possible, but for most of us it won’t be less expensive than a replacement automatic transmission. This is because of all the other parts and additional labor required. And the newer the car the harder the job will be. It is certainly a doable swap, but there’s no cost savings even if you do the work yourself. The exception would be if you have access to a manual gearbox donor car for little or no expense.

© 2002 Mike Miller