Transfer case fluid done!

[garrett.fell]

Is the fluid stinky? Mine was burnt for sure.


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[Quicksilver]

Thanks JCL,

Fluid will be changed Friday so it will be nice to be armed with the correct
Questions to ask regarding the process.

Originally Posted by JCL

Your x drive X5 (2004 onwards) has clutches in the transfer case that direct power to both front and rear axles. Those clutches are wet clutches, and the actuator presses the multiple clutch plates together. The transfer case expects a certain engagement rate (sort of like how fast you let a manual clutch out, or how slowly). When you change the fluid the wet clutches engage differently as the fluid is different. The transfer case has stored (adaptations) how the clutches react. When you change the fluid you need to tell it to go recalibrate itself, because it doesn't know there is new fluid there. In general terms, it moves the actuator from fully engaged to fully disengaged, and checks the range. Then it measures the % slip and adjusts engagement pressure to get the right % slip. All resetting it after a fluid change does is tell it that the fluid is now different, so just go do that self-calibration again, and use the new stored value, not the old one, for daily operation.

Not doing that would be like changing out some part that you normally adjust from time to time, but not resetting it and just trusting that the old setting would be fine. An example would be valve clearance, when you change camshafts. Someone will say that theirs was fine, no problems. OK, it could be perfect. But it could be too loose or too tight, and the right way to do it is to check valve clearances. Another example would be getting an alignment after changing suspension components. In the case of the x drive transfer case, let it do a self calibration because the downside of it slipping continuously, or being too tight, could be far more costly than the consequences of not changing the fluid.

There is another setting that may need to be reset. It is the one that says the fluid characteristics are now out of the expected range, so change the fluid. After changing the fluid, that one should be reset. But it likely has less to do with how it operates, and more to do with whether the next warning will be relevant or not.

[Jungerishere]

Thanks Garrett for posting this info. I got stuck at the same spot as Brads002. Remember this post and got the reset done on the transfer case.

Now, does any one of these software eliminate the annoying 38 degree outside temperature warning ding?

[Brads2002]

It wasnt really smelly but it did come out pretty black the second time. It looks a lot worse in this container then it did coming out of the case. It looked pretty clear when draining. Not sure if it is really worth doing twice or not considering the price of this fluid.

[admranger]

Originally Posted by garrett.fell

This is the package I used.

http://bit.ly/130nftP




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I'm installing that package on one of my old XP craptops right now. Goodness it's taking forever to transfer the two large files onto the old HD before extracting the files.

Thanks for the link!

[admranger]

Originally Posted by Jungerishere

Now, does any one of these software eliminate the annoying 38 degree outside temperature warning ding?

A buddy of mine wants this done too. Short of disconnecting the temp sensor, I don't know of a way to do it.

However, that 'ding' saved our asses on March 1st coming up a mountain pass in Utah. It was bright and sunny with a few dark clouds ahead when the 'ding' occurred. My wife took it out of cruise (80mph speed limit on I-15 in this part of Utah) and all of a sudden it started snowing/sleeting. Then the road turned to slush. This is in a matter of about 1 mile. Up ahead there was a rollover in the median and another vehicle backed into the guard rail. Looked like it had just happened in the last few minutes, but there were already 4 cars and a semi pulled over to assist so we kept going. To add insult to the whole situation was about 20 miles ahead there was a Utah HP running a speed trap. I saw people on the pass talking on their cell phones, and we had good reception at the time so I know he could have responded. Nice. Public safety my ass.

[Jungerishere]

Originally Posted by admranger

A buddy of mine wants this done too. Short of disconnecting the temp sensor, I don't know of a way to do it.

However, that 'ding' saved our asses on March 1st coming up a mountain pass in Utah.

BMW could have made the ding sound for the outside temperature warning slightly less startling compare to mechanical failure. I have owned BMWs for many years and that ding sound still startles me every time. And my passengers always looks at me with the look of "what's wrong with your car"...

[admranger]

Originally Posted by Brads2002

That was it! Glad to have this off my mind. Thanks so much for the help. Will post pictures of the second drain. The first was pretty dark. This is the last of the fluids. Both diffs were very clean but the tranny and transfer case were filthy.

What was it? I am stuck at the same page you are with oil change in the box below and no where to go. WTF?

SOLVED: Ok, so after much clicking and cursing...I think I completed the adaptation. Once oil service is selected, you need to click the 'test schedule' button at the bottom of the screen. Then it was just a matter of getting the 'test' selected on the next page and I was off to the races with the previous instructions.

[Brads2002]

That sounds right. Did you hear it? I think my case made some servo sounds when I finished up.

[admranger]

Originally Posted by Brads2002

That sounds right. Did you hear it? I think my case made some servo sounds when I finished up.

Yep! Heard some sounds and then it said it was complete. Good enough for me.

I need to reset the vanos adaptations on my 2002 M3 as I just rebuilt the vanos system with the Beisan Systems upgrades for the s54. Top shelf stuff.