Transmission Fluid Change DIY

[ants_oz]

MBK,

Did you also read the fine print for that fluid? I had checked it out also.

* Recommended not to mix with other ATF fluids.
# Dry fill recommended

Dry fill means torque converter out and drained.

[mbk]

Yeah I read the back and didn't see anything like that... And just re read it cause u scared the shit outta me.. No where does it say anything similar to what your saying.. Maybe when u looked at it it was an earlier variation or maybe u looked at the semi synthetic

[ants_oz]

Originally Posted by mbk

Yeah I read the back and didn't see anything like that... And just re read it cause u scared the shit outta me.. No where does it say anything similar to what your saying.. Maybe when u looked at it it was an earlier variation or maybe u looked at the semi synthetic

Check their website mate.

ZF Lifeguard Fluid 6 *# - Nulon Products Australia

It is quite common for manufacturers to put limited information on a product container, and further information in technical literature.


With regard to what ZF "approve", there are two things in play here. One, is what ZF have tested (or have accepted the results of another manufacturers testing) and specifically condone that product for use in lieu of their own.

Then there are "product manufacturer claims". The nulon product is an example of this. Nulon make a "manufacturers claim" that their product meets the published requirements of the ZF Lifelong 6 (I think it is) fluid. That is a claim they are making, and do not ask ZF to verify that claim.

Engine oil manufacturers do it all the time.

[mbk]

Guess I'll just have to take what it says on the bottle... I suppose time will tell as it's to late now.
I wasn't showing all the specs.. That was just an example... And they are kind of saying its x due to saying it is able to be used for that exact type of oil..
It also says on the site
"Due to continued product research and development, the information contained in this Product Bulletin is subject to change without notification" ... and on the bottle it didn't say anything about not mixing which you would imagine it would if it wasn't supposed to be mixed.
The Nulon link I put up didn't have anything about not mixing?
Full Synthetic Multi Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid- Nulon Australia
Maybe a new variation?

Yeah they probably haven't got it tested by ZF and have just done their own tests to verify it meets the standard..
Even if it is only a manufacturer claim I have no reason to believe that they're "lying"

[mbk]

One thing I 100% know is that since the oil change the car shifts gears better and firmer and has all but eliminated the clunk when coming to a stop (except under heavy braking)

[four.8is]

Originally Posted by mbk

One thing I 100% know is that since the oil change the car shifts gears better and firmer and has all but eliminated the clunk when coming to a stop (except under heavy braking)

I had that clunk when coming to a stop in my 58k miles E39
Turned out it was missing 3qts of oil in the tranny
Added fluid but that thing never went away; i guess some gears in the transmission didn't like the fact that they didn't get lubricated and just decided to give me that rear ended feeling when coming to a stop from
there on.

[mbk]

I see where u found it saying it "recommends" a dry fill and "recommends" not to mix.. It says that with every other oil though also.. Probably just to cover their ass.. Because how could u have a "suitable" to use with that oil claim and then "need" to do a dry fill.
So I guess it's suitable, but to cover their ass they "recommend" a dry fill as obviously 1 consistent oil is better than any mixed oils.

[mbk]

Yeah I drained out around 3.5 litres but the car took 4 to get it back to the fill point. I thought it had fixed it completely as the first 20 stops were completely smooth.. Then I tried a coming to a more rapid halt and occasionally got the shunt once again, although less severe

[admranger]

Originally Posted by mbk

Yeah I drained out around 3.5 litres but the car took 4 to get it back to the fill point. I thought it had fixed it completely as the first 20 stops were completely smooth.. Then I tried a coming to a more rapid halt and occasionally got the shunt once again, although less severe

Remember that you only changed some of the fluid so there's still old stuff in there.

You could do another change and get closer to a complete flush. Maybe that'd help the thunk issue more.

BTW: on the diesels, is the catalytic converter right near the fill plug so you have the opportunity to almost burn your hand off as you pump in the new fluid w/the engine running? That was fun when I did my 4.4.

[mbk]

admranger - sorry for the late reply. Yeah it's right there and heaps sketchy haha.. I ended up having to drop the exhaust to even clean out the Allen key hole for the fill point cap screw due to it having a hard resin in there..

I've found on other research that the level is actually governed by the much larger plug on the bottom, right next the drain plug? It's the much larger socket head cap screw and inside that is a kind of snorkel that runs up to the top of the oil.. so when it's filled to the correct level it reaches the top of the snorkel and trickles down out the large hole... Anyone else do it this way?
I went off a DIY post on here and pumped the oil in the fill point on the side until it started coming back out there.. Now I'm thinking I might not have got the level exactly right if this other way is the correct way :/ (even though it's shifting better now and reduced the frequency of the shunt into first... it might have fixed it completely if done this other way)