you guys are over thinking this first of all I don't have Xdrive I have a 2002 built in 2001. Who said I just raise the rear wheels? The vehicle is level which means the front is elevated to the same height as the rear wheels. The rear corners are supported by jack stands to facilitate free movement of the wheels, the front tires are resting on wooden blocks. If it makes you feel better set the front corners on jack stands as well you will see at idle those tires don't move.

As a practical matter with engine idling while moving through the gears, there is little to no stress at all on the front axle. its idling at a stand still.

Lastly we're changing the transmission fluid not the differential fluid in this exercise. Even if I went through the gears with brakes on at idle its not going to hurt anything.

Whoever said this dangerous advice ought to check yourself before you call out a seasoned 40 yr plus experience backyard mechanic calling my procedure dangerous... you are an idiot and should stay out of big boy conversations about car repair and maintenance... you idiot! For the car I have and for just about any automatic transmission this procedure will work just fine for changing the trans fluid.

All of my work is carefully thought out and researched and well practiced before I would dare to give others advice.

At idle its going to drive off the blocks (note the front is level with the rear)? NEVER. if it scares anyone then block the front corners as well so the front wheels spin free. Getting under the car when the car/shifter is in park is not dangerous; just because you wouldn't do it doesn't make it dangerous. read the entire thread for details instead of picking what you want.

I said it is dangerous because it is.

It could harm the person(s) involved and damage the vehicle. Allowing wheels to spin while on jack stands is not an uncommon practice even though the risk of the vehicle shifting/falling is worth noting. What you recommend takes the risk factor to a whole new level.

Also, you state the transmission needs to be level when in fact every piece of "official" literature I have seen says the vehicle/chassis should be level.

Why name calling? It doesn't contribute to the discussion in a positive way at all. Can you instead back up your claims with solid evidence to support the procedures you recommend?

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: pre XDrive models probably won't sustain differential damage by only allowing 1 axle to spin freely. I do not know as I have XDrive and haven't looked into the ins & outs of the previous design lots of others have. So, I could be mistaken.... Which happens from time to time.

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Pre x drive won't harm the transfer case, which functions as an open differential, in this case. BMW permitted towing with one axle on the ground, and this is not at high speed or for a long time.

The issue is entirely the risk to an individual.

Doing a bad and unsafe practice for forty years doesn't make it safe or recommended.

This board has members who have been in the business, and seasoned amateurs, and complete amateurs. Some models of X5 have x drive, some don't. The vehicles respond differently to having one axle with traction and one without.

The practice described above, with one axle hanging, and the other on the wheels but not blocked fore and aft, with the transmission in gear at times, and the individual both in the cabin and under the vehicle at different times, is dangerous. Recommending it to readers with a range of experience, and varied transfer case designs, is unconscionable IMO.

This is based on my many years in the industry, when I had responsibility for my own and my employee's safety. I can describe too many accidents where a combination of risk factors came together with unfortunate results.

Ghost, I think concern for other member's safety trumps your hurt feelings.

OK to mix Dextron 6 with old fluid?
 

I am going to do a auto trans filter/fluid.
This is an old thread, my pan has #83220024359 as do many of those in this thread.
I want to know when they said "fluid change" or "flush", are they doing as I - just changing whats in the pan, and is it OK to add the New Dextron 6 to the mix of what the factory put in (i believe Texaco ETL 8072B).

Thanks

I hope it's ok ; ) I just changed mine for the first time at 101k. I did the pan drain and fill with mobil dex 6. The shifting is pretty much the same as before, I'm at 103k now. I wanna do it a few more times over the next year to phase out all the old fluid. I also bought the filter for the next time around. Good luck!

If you have decided to change the fluid, then mixing the Dexron VI with your existing fluid is not an additional risk. That is the current fluid for your original fluid spec.

A fluid change is sometimes referred to incorrectly as a flush, but it is really just a drain, filter change, and refill with approx. 50% new fluid. If you do it again, you will be up to 75% new fluid.

A full flush uses a cart with a pump and a filter to cycle the fluid out. I wouldn't do that, myself, particularly on a higher mileage transmission with original fluid.

THANK you, exactly what I wanted to know.

While I got your on the line.......
I haven't seen a write-up on a trans like mine, My pan bolts are not torx, and is this (photo) my refill, on the left and rear of the pan, (also not a hex. like I have read many are)?
And if that is my fill, with the car relatively level - it looks like its at the level of the top of the pan at the front, the pan is tilted.
If I were to go the extreme and want the car perfectly "at level", where do you take a level mark? across the wheels? put the level on the roof rack? get the car tilted so the pan is level??

I got the car undercarriage level in both directions. The pan is slightly tilted. I used 4 rhino ramps and drove it up on them. I figured this is similar to a automotive lift which lifts the whole car level. Not sure about your plugs, mine were torx.....

DEX VI is a thinner fluid so perhaps when you do an additional drain and fill you'll notice smoother shifting. Also I'm curious if a slight MPG increase possibly may be gained.