ATF change, ATF lab report, ESSO no longer recommended by BMW or GM

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by JCL

It was trending towards a replacement point, absolutely.

Even though I don't have a baseline, my copper was so high, I would say that I was at or beyond the replacement point.

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by X5 Meister

Great notes. Personally I would have just gone with what BMW currently specs for the car, but to each his own.

Thanks!

BMW currently specs Dexron VI, and I would have gone with that if I could have found a few people that had already switched their A5S390R to Dexron VI with good results, but, since I could not find anyone that had, I decided to go with Redline D4 ATF, since I have seen many people use it in their in their A5S390R with good results.

[dkl]

John,
Thank you for the excellent info. This assured me that I did the right thing when I'd changed mine out at 50K miles when everyone else on the planet told me to leave it alone. I even had dealers that looked at me funny and refused to do the change.

[realchef]

Originally Posted by dkl

John,
Thank you for the excellent info. This assured me that I did the right thing when I'd changed mine out at 50K miles when everyone else on the planet told me to leave it alone. I even had dealers that looked at me funny and refused to do the change.

I'm with you. '01 at 47k and going to change this summer.

Thinking about diff fliuds too. What do you guys think. JCL, I think you said before not to change the Transfer case, just diff?

Tambalong, I agree. After you turn it on one of two things happens:
1. Car go.
2 Car no go.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by realchef

Thinking about diff fluids too. What do you guys think? JCL, I think you said before not to change the Transfer case, just diff?

I think that the differentials and transfer case do not have the same issues around the risk of changing as the transmission. They are straightforward drain and fill applications. If you are going to change the differential fluid, you may as well change the transfer case fluid at the same time. I think of them as 100,000 km or 60,000 mile change points, but that is just my opinion.

I would ensure that you use factory OEM fluid in all of them, as BMW does not publish good (universal) specs for aftermarket fluids and there is nothing wrong with the factory fluids, and little to be gained by playing roulette with aftermarket blends. That also covers the risk of not using the correct fluid for the clutches in the x-drive transfer case.

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by realchef

I'm with you. '01 at 47k and going to change this summer.

Thinking about diff fliuds too.

I did the transfer case and diff about a year ago:

http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...-diff-oil.html

http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...que-specs.html

[TaMbALoLoNg]

?? got the breakdown of the elements and everything huh, Thats just way to deep for me to worry about.

[chefwong]

FWIW, I'm at least 15K miles with 2 drain bolt changes on the transmission, with the 3rd being a full pan drop/filter change.

Transfer case & diffys were done around 15K miles ago as well.

1st drain bolt was using OEM Esso.
2nd and Pan Drop was using Amsoil ATF.

Amsoil ATF in the TC and Severe Gear 75W-90 in the diffs for me.

The only fluid I had to mess around with was the PS, and I settled in on M1 for this app. The viscosity of the other 2 were slightly lighter and definitely did change steering feel characteristics.

[X5 Meister]

Anyone replacing their drain bolts with ones that have magnets in them?

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by X5 Meister

Anyone replacing their drain bolts with ones that have magnets in them?

I don't think it makes much of a difference, but I did one for the oil pan:

http://www.xoutpost.com/x5-e53-forum/...oil-diffs.html

The ATF pan already has a magnet in it.