I admit I just discovered my mistake
 

JCL, I just realized after all this time that the Mobil1 is not Dexron 6. I first used this back in the summer of '09 on the advice of a BMW tech at that time. And I never checked the web site until last night. Back then The bottle used to say compatible with dexron6, I took that to mean it was a universal synthetic and included dex6 spec. And having the tech's endorsement I went ahead. I have a bottle out in my garage and now it actually says it not to be used in a dex6 transmission. Thanks for pointing that out.

for the last 60,000 miles the M1 fluid and that OE filter has been working perfectly in that transmission. The filter is OE not OEM. I'm going to switch it out with a new filter and fluid this weekend. On this point I will rightfully concede.

I still think that the Fluid should be changed by the interval in the maintenance schedule my mistake has nothing to do with that... except that it was stupid.

I doubt my transmission would still be working now at 142,000 miles without at least the first change, the second change was just my follow up interval. When I changed it the first time with the M1 it was making a noise and banged into reverse and it also was not shifting when it should while driving. after using the M1 all those issues went away and never returned. This slippage issue could be related to the M1 fluid when it is cold or the OE. I just drove it today for about 150 miles hiway and town and it runs like it's new even with that M1 etc. It will be out of there hopefully this weekend.

Good luck with it, I hope it works out.

When you say the filter is OE, not OEM, I think that is reversed. You had said before that it was an aftermarket filter. OE is Original Equipment, ie BMW part from a BMW dealer in a BMW box. OEM is Original Equipment Manufacturer, ie from a manufacturer who also makes parts for an OE, but not necessarily the same identical part as comes in the BMW box. An aftermarket filter can't be OE, but it may be OEM. Even if it is OEM, that isn't the same as OE, as most manufacturers produce parts with different specs for different customers. Since we don't have specs from BMW for the filter (micron rating, capacity, flow, etc) it is safer to use OE than to buy a filter from a filter manufacturer and assume that it meets the OE specs.

my two bobs worth ( and i have had my trans fluid changed and i do believe it helped with the dreaded thud and also shift quality) i believe that the real killer is the slurring between gears when in effect two gears are half engaged at that same time, one clutch is releasing while another is engaging, if you go back to the early days of good old GM turbo 400,s

and here in Australia we had a thing called a trimatic ( often refered to as a trau-matic)

even after 100,000 mile the oil would still be red and look clean, however with todays trans. and here im speaking about my Jeep Cherokee, as i havent seen the oil that came out of my X5 , but the oil in the jeep auto goes dark very quickly, that said the vehicle has done 390,000km and has done its fair share of towing and off road use.

so i think its just the trans is expected to be too sophisticated and as such, has a harder life than in days gone by.

im personally an advocate for changing the oil at regular intervals.

same story for engine oil, especially turbo motors

and again BMW has no vested interest in producing cars that will last for twenty years, they warant them for what?? five years and after that they want you back in a new car.

same with every consumer product, look at your TV when it dies you throw it away and buy a new one, what ever happened to repairing them..... no future in that

i personally hate this attitude, so for me if doing oil changes helps only marginally i will do it

I'm not wrong after all, just confused. I reserched and found much info
 

Over a three year time span I forget and things got lost in the translation. I research all this back when and that is why I went with the Mobil1.

the original factory fill in Nov '01 was Texaco ETL 8072 b which is Dex 111. Mobil1 is Dex111 crossover. Dex111 was then replaced with DEXV1.

The newer transmissions needed dexv1 so, the dealers were now using judt dexv1. by 2009 when I asked my BMW tech what to use and he said Mobil1 was the best for that transmaission because (I'm speculating the tech knew what he was talking about) it met the Dex111 spec and is interchangeable with Mobil1 and etl 8072 b.

So in conclusion the e53 GM trans got ETL8072B at the factory, Texaco stopped making it. Bmw then reccomended Dex111 or Mobil1 etc, then dexvi became the replacement for dex111. even though the psec for M1 did not increase to Dexvi it still meets the ETL8072B.

Mobil1 spec sheet showing crossover for Dex111 Mobil 1 Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF)

Your honor I rest my case. And I am iron clad correct!

The BMW OE filter is made by Filtran. When you pull out that Meistersatz filter, you will notice the o-ring being made from different materials from the Filtran. That will be your issue.

more interesting information from GM regarding Dex111 and Dexv1.

DEXRON®-VI - GM Techlink

No, you're wrong. And possibly still a little confused. You need to go back and do more research. Sorry.

I'm going to restrict myself to just your links, instead of posting pages. They prove the point.

Dex III changes up to Dex VI, yes. But that doesn't matter since that Mobil 1 fluid isn't Dex approved. Your own link says that, here. Mobil 1 Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF)

Read the specs tab on that page. That fluid is Mercon approved. It is Allison C4 approved. That's it. Mobil says they think you should use it anyway for Dexron applications even though it isn't approved. Do so if you like but don't claim that it is approved when it isn't. It is 'suitable' in the opinion of the vendor, but not in the opinion of the people who own the Dexron specification and who built the transmission.

Your last link addresses this point explicitly, here: DEXRON®-VI - GM Techlink

It says not to accept multi-vehicle fluids that aren't approved. Like Mobil 1. Here is the quote from that link:

Mobil certainly make an approved Dexron fluid, this specific fluid just isn't one. It is a multi-purpose fluid, in the words of Mobil. But it would be great in a Ford Focus that requires Mercon. Or a tractor that requires the Allison C4 fluid.

If you require a single malt whiskey and someone offers you a blended whiskey and says that it is 'suitable for your whiskey requirement', that is just their opinion. It may even be a good whiskey. It just isn't a single malt. If you lower your standards and tell yourself that it is OK, then great. But please don't tell everyone who likes single malt whiskeys and wants a real one that they should drink a blended whiskey because someone told you it is a suitable replacement, so we should all switch. Ain't gonna happen.

If you want to buy a BMW and the Mercedes sales rep says that his vehicle is a 'suitable alternative for your vehicle requirements', well, again, it very well may be. But it isn't a BMW.

There are lots more examples like this. But this all started with you depending on the wording on a service manual to justify your fluid change. That service manual said to use an OE filter and the correct fluid. You didn't do either, and now you have a clutch engagement delay. You know, it might not just be the o-ring on the aftermarket filter, it might be the lower viscosity of the Dexron VI fluid over Dexron III.

Ghost, how do you feel about changing out all of your fluid. I have a feeling that Mobil fluid you have been running is not the best in the world. Since you are dropping the pan to put in an OE filter, let us know what those magnets and the bottom of the pan look like now. I am curious to see if you have more, if any shavings now.

That is my plan. Wolf's head Super Synthetic ATF states in it's data sheet that it is dex3, dex6 and BmW ETL8072B compatible. Does this violate the spec?

AmalieStore:: Wolf’s Head Universal Synthetic Automatic Transmission Fluid (12 Quart Case), Synthetic Trans, 836-92866-56

That's the right stuff! BMW approves the Texaco ETL 8072 B spec fluid for use in the A5S 390R 5spd auto that came with the 3L engine. The BMW spec for this same fluid is 83 22 0 403 249.