Well i found a Australian workshop that specially deal with BMW/ZF Transmission.. and only use ZF/Genuine oil.. so im happy to say.. i'll be going to them to service my Automatic transmission.. since its such a tempermental "should or should'nt case"

If anything were to stuff up after the service they can give me a bloody give me a fresh Transmission.. so i wont be complaining. :)

The site is. http://www.abautomatics.com.au/

im about to fully rebuild my transmission :) like me personally...

You do realise that the ZF isn't specific to the BMW? It's fitted to a host of vehicles from Bentley, Jaguar, Audi and Ford. No need to take it to a BMW transmission specialist - most auto transmission shops are familiar with the ZF. The firmware for the transmission is probably specific to our vehicles and that requires a BMW tool to flash or update as the case may be.
When I inquired about having my 6 speed ZF 'serviced' the average quote was $1000. I did the service myself using genuine parts (gasket and filter) plus the Nulon ATF I mentioned (enough to drain / fill at least 3 times, in order to flush out as much old fluid as possible). This set me back around $300 and about 1 1/2 hours of my time. Most auto trans shops will NOT flush the system out completely, as this requires the torque converter to be drained too, so in most cases all they'll do is drain the fluid they can from the pan (about 3-4 litres), drop the pan, change the filter & gasket then add some new ATF to the old fluid that's remains the torque converter. A bit like only draining half your motor oil and adding new to old... I would be inclined to ask what they plan to do with the 'service' they're offering and if it includes completely emptying the torque converter of the old ATF.

You do know w a pump is connected in line of the fluid hoses and the oils is pumped out while car is running. I am pretty sure that $1000 is for replacing all of your ATF. That oil is color of gold, and costs as much. I would rather do a few drain and fills no matter what.

Sorry I did not mention the price. The price they quoted me was $400 which includes gasket, filter and full flush with genuine ZF fluid. I know ZF don't only do BMW.. All I said was they deal specialize in BMW/zf and use genuine ZF fluid.. I know how to service a car lol.. I've probably taken out other motors and fiddled and fixed and modified more times than I can remember. Like I said there's such a dilemma when it comes to servicing transmissions and I don't want to fork out 3-5k if anything did happen to the transmission.

The reason why I wanted these guys to perform the service is..if anything were to happen its on them.. Not me. You can use your nulon fluid lol that's your transmission not mine. If you don't believe the $400 quote... I'll screenshot it from grant at A&B automatics.

Gee I dont know how they get the oil so cheap, the last 20 litres I got from ZF in Arndell Park in 02/12 was $410.98.

I guess they have it in drums. Will do a update when I get serviced with pictures.

2004 X5 3.0, 113K miles, I changed fluid, dropped pan, changed filter, pumped back in 6 liters of OEM BMW fluid from dealer. Old fluid was black. But now when I start, shifts reverse & forward but the electronic system has gone haywire. Most warning lights- battery, 4x4, brake, ABS all come on & the engine begins to shut down & cannot drive. Not dared to drive it on the road. Anyone else had this problem? appreciate any help, before I tow it to dealer. Otherwise vehicle in very good condition, well maintained.

Battery
 

Boy, I hope this isn't related to the fluid change. Is it possible that you are having an issue with your battery/alternator/charging system? And it is just coincidental that it happened after your tranny service? Those symptoms are classic signs of charging system problems. Please keep us posted on what you find.

I agree drive it. Get it warmed up and charged up. Restart a few times