How do you treat your ZF 6spd

[prgsxr]

Just out of interest I would like to know a bit about they way you all use the ZF 6spd .
In Aus we have the ZF in our top range falcons ,There are many highly modded ones running a lot more power than ZF recommend without drama's

1 .does anyone change the fluid ,I know that they say the oil is good for the service life of the trans ,It's unnofical here but avereage life expectancy is only 160k kms ,but a lot of people who are doing 50k kms fluid changes on these boxes are getting much more out of them.

2 . A big thing we have noticed (this may have something to do with so many reverse gear faluires ?) correct parking procedure really helps prolong the life of the trans , ie pull to a stop , pull handbrake , then select N , then release foot brake and once weight of car is on handbrake the select park.

3 how many people with damaged ZF's have done a lot of towing .

There are more things I might add them later when i think of them

[ZsX5o3]

subscribed.

I thought I was the only one that did the N parking routine. my friends think I'm crazy.

[jst2878]

2 . A big thing we have noticed (this may have something to do with so many reverse gear faluires ?) correct parking procedure really helps prolong the life of the trans , ie pull to a stop , pull handbrake , then select N , then release foot brake and once weight of car is on handbrake the select park.



I am a big advocate of pulling the e brake once the car is in nuetral . changing the fluid to prolong life? Interesting, I guess if you measured the exact amount you took out when replacing fluid there would be a better chance of longevity. now to stop the harsh shifting into third

[prgsxr]

it is quite a detailed proccedure to change the fluid there is 3 or 4 steps to do it properly .you need to find a shop that has experience with them . And the fluid certainaly isn't cheap but a lot cheaper than a new ZF

[m5james]

The ZF is used in many other BMW's, but IMHO it seems X5 drivers are slower to coming around to the maintenance levels and learning curve we've gotten to in the 3, 5 and 7 forums. Some poeple stick w/ Esso (expensive) while other have had luck w/ Castrol Import (Esso compatible, written on the bottle) to AMSOIL, Redline w/o issues. Seems the biggest thing is to make sure to use a dealership filter, NOT aftermarket or online filters because they collapse under the transmissions pumping pressures. I don't believe there is ANY type of lifetime fluid, period! It seems the popular thing to do is change the fluid in the 80-100k range. www.e38.org has lots of good writeups for maintenance on the M62, M62TU and the 5spd auto trannies connected to those motors.

[JCL]

I wouldn't drain the oil with the engine idling and in gear, primarily due to the safety issues. I don't like being underneath vehicles that are running and in gear, but that is just me. It won't get most of the oil out, as you will still have what is in the torque converter, so at best you will get half of it out. I wouldn't overfill it on purpose, and I would make sure to fill it at the specified temperature (see the BMW official procedure).

I don't see the negative impact of letting the parking pawl take the weight of the vehicle. If you abuse it by letting it roll and then putting it in gear (worst case) you can break the pawl, which is a simple mechanical arm. There is no connection with the reverse gear IMO since the parking function is mechanical, and not hydraulic.

I don't think the transmission failures have much to do with the power being put through them, from reading of the common failures. I believe it has more to do with the electronics package, sensors, and so on, than mechanical failures. There have been issues with a clutch pack (good photos on this site of a rebuild), but the lack of a consistent failure mode suggests to me that there isn't a single weak point. If the ZF transmission was a weak point, why do just as many failures happen with the GM transmission? The common elements are the controls package, and the cooling system.

[prgsxr]

personally wouldn't do it this way as i said , but having the engine idle in gear will pump the oil out of the converter so you can get a full fluid change .
as far as letting park take the weight ,there is no way that thumping reverse gear with the full weight of the car as it comes out of park could be good ,and if you read some of the info around on the earlier 5spd reverse failure is the most common problem with them .
any way wasn't really about how people change their fluid like i said take it to some who knows what they are doing .
more interested how many people do change the fluid , over here Ford has basically said yes the fluid is good for the life of trans wich is only around 160k kms if left untouched.

[prgsxr]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY5f5a4uO-I this one is mostly 4lt 6cyl turbo's but in manual 6 spd

YouTube - Xtreme Ford Tuning's Kenne Bell XR8

have a look at that vid guys this is the sort of punishment we hand out to the ZF and they love it
Ford XR8 5.4 quad cam v8 with kenne bell blower

[Tleong]

Can someone explain this whole parking in neutral thing?... I do a lot of parallel parking and have been in fear of this whole "no reverse" transmission thing.

[dsm2925]

Originally Posted by jst2878

2 . A big thing we have noticed (this may have something to do with so many reverse gear faluires ?) correct parking procedure really helps prolong the life of the trans , ie pull to a stop , pull handbrake , then select N , then release foot brake and once weight of car is on handbrake the select park.



I am a big advocate of pulling the e brake once the car is in nuetral . changing the fluid to prolong life? Interesting, I guess if you measured the exact amount you took out when replacing fluid there would be a better chance of longevity. now to stop the harsh shifting into third

me too