OK I did transmission fluid flush on my 02 4.4i

[JCL]

Originally Posted by TiAgX5

I've seen posts on here where owners have drained/refilled with ZF/filter changed every 60k miles and haven't gotten 170k miles B4 trans issues, even without the towing stress added to the equation.

This raises the question of whether changing the fluid extends the life of the transmission or not, apart from the issue of which fluid to use.

[e30cabrio]

Now I am more confused. If the fluid meets the standard how is it a gamble? Is it some kind of voodoo that is not true but lets them claim to conform?

[TiAgX5]

Originally Posted by e30cabrio

Now I am more confused. If the fluid meets the standard how is it a gamble? Is it some kind of voodoo that is not true but lets them claim to conform?

ZF stated the Castrol fluid was causing trans failure a few years ago and some on the forum question the ability of Castro to produce one oil that meets numerous fluid specs in a single formula. Had I known ZFs position on the use of Castrol I would have used ZF fluid (although this might be ZFs motivation all along, blame trans failures on Castrol, off the hook with customers, and increased ZF fluid sales.....WIN-WIN for ZF!!! ) Seeing as the bottom line for ZF is exactly that....the bottom line, there may be some truth to the statement.

As I stated prior, went with Castrol and have ZERO regrets, pocketed the $s in savings to boot.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by e30cabrio

Now I am more confused. If the fluid meets the standard how is it a gamble? Is it some kind of voodoo that is not true but lets them claim to conform?

I suggest that causing that confusion is exactly what some of these oil companies set out to do. You only have to see that they certify some fluids and don't certify others, but try and suggest that they are the same. Marketing. The job of the marketing department is to get your $$.

Remember that this is a proprietary standard, not a public one. It isn't like you can get it tested by a third party and claim compliance. So they don't claim to meet the standard. They just say that it is good to go. Trust them.

None of that means it is a bad fluid. The issue I have is that ZF says that their transmissions require different fluids for their different designs. It costs them money to move to a new fluid, they don't do it just for fun. They don't require you to buy the fluid off of them, just to buy a certified fluid. You can buy it from any one of the oil companies licensed to make it. But they do note that it isn't Dexron. ZF should know, they make a lot of transmissions that use Dexron III. Castrol was a supplier to them. Castrol says a Dexron fluid works fine in a ZF 5 speed automatic. OK. They can't certify it apparently. Just think how much money Castrol could make if they could come up with a single fluid that could get certified to all the ATF standards. They would clean up. I wonder why they haven't done that.

All that aside, TiAg had good luck with that fluid. If it is still the same fluid as when he bought it, then there is a good reference for you.

[bosanci28]

okay,so if some use Castrol oil ,why not use Valvoline MaxLife too? is still LT 71141...

[JCL]

Originally Posted by bosanci28

okay,so if some use Castrol oil ,why not use Valvoline MaxLife too? is still LT 71141...

I don't have the data sheet on the Valvoline MaxLife. Does it say that it is certified to the spec by ZF? Or does it say that you should use it in applications that call for that spec? That is at the core of the confusion caused by the marketing departments of the oil companies.

I do see that Valvoline have some fluids that are certified to various specs (so they can certainly do it if they want to) and some others that aren't (but which are usually cheaper).

Edit: I looked up the list of suppliers to ZF for their Lifeguard 5 ATF. Valvoline isn't on the list. There are 23 suppliers listed. The document is from 2009. Interestingly, there is a Castrol approved fluid listed. It was Transmax Z (presumably for ZF). I only see references to it being available in Australia now, and there it no longer lists the ZF approval on line. It shows as a Dexron III fluid. Perhaps it was reformulated, I don't know.

[bosanci28]

Originally Posted by JCL

I don't have the data sheet on the Valvoline MaxLife. Does it say that it is certified to the spec by ZF? Or does it say that you should use it in applications that call for that spec? That is at the core of the confusion caused by the marketing departments of the oil companies.

I do see that Valvoline have some fluids that are certified to various specs (so they can certainly do it if they want to) and some others that aren't (but which are usually cheaper).

Edit: I looked up the list of suppliers to ZF for their Lifeguard 5 ATF. Valvoline isn't on the list. There are 23 suppliers listed. The document is from 2009. Interestingly, there is a Castrol approved fluid listed. It was Transmax Z (presumably for ZF). I only see references to it being available in Australia now, and there it no longer lists the ZF approval on line. It shows as a Dexron III fluid. Perhaps it was reformulated, I don't know.

did, not find that data sheet on the net, but of course is not on the zf chart, i also got this:
Castrol 03521 Transmax Import Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid, to do a change ,as i have some slippage 1-2 when hot,as i described
in my other tread, i may change the "transmission thermostat thats attached to the radiator (here,nr#15),as one shop said ,if that does not work properly it will make the tranny run to hot and start slipping!.

Now, anyone knows how to test those "output speed sensor" from the inside tranny? with a multimeter ? to see
if is good or bad?, nr-6 here..

Thanks,

[JCL]

Originally Posted by bosanci28

Now, anyone knows how to test those "output speed sensor" from the inside tranny? with a multimeter ? to see
if is good or bad?, nr-6 here..

Thanks,

I suppose you could run the vehicle on jackstands (very carefully....) and read the signal at the connector on the outside of the transmission. That would tell you if there is a signal from the output speed sensor. I think it is a sine wave, so it is either going to be there or not, you aren't going to have an inaccurate reading IMO.

But really, the message you are getting (as I recall it) had to do with a problem with the output speed sensor reading. The computer reads the input speed and the output speed, and compares them. If they are too different, it says there is an implausible reading. It doesn't mean that the sensor is faulty, just that the sensor isn't reporting what the controller expects it to. The most likely cause for that is that the transmission is slipping. And you know already that it is, both from the driving characteristics and from the burnt fluid. So I wouldn't think that the output speed sensor would be a cause, rather an early warning that slipping has started. But you already know that.

There are tests for the solenoids that activate various circuits. But you are only checking electrically. The transmission is a mechanical/hydraulic/electronic system. All the monitoring and faults are reported electronically. But that doesn't imply that the root cause is an electrical fault, as a mechanical or hydraulic problem will show up as an electrical fault (symptom vs cause).

Good luck.

[e30cabrio]

Between you & threads like this I feel ok using it:

Castrol Import Multi-Vehicle ATF in ZF transmission?

[TiAgX5]

If BMW had put a proper 3 pedal trans behind the V8s in the E53, ATF would never have been a topic I would discuss. In over 30 yrs of driving, this is the first slushbox vehicle I have owned. 60s/70s muscle cars, Hondas, Audi Quattros, Jeeps, Vettes, Vipers, BMWs (except the E53), all manual trans.