Transmission oil warning sticker
 

Today i looked at my X transmission oil pan (2004 3.0i), i found a warning sign under GM transmission:
"Lifetime oil, No oil change!
In case of repair use only BMW oil,
part number
83220024359
other fluidswill cause non warrantable
transmission damage"

I understand "Lifetime" here is transmission life time, not BMW life time nor human lifetime.
My question here is who installed that warning sticker in the bottom of transmission oil pan? BMW or transmission manufacture GM?

Ghost-Flame, JCL or other users, what do you think about this warning sign?
http://sites.google.com/site/khuelecorp/tran1.jpg

http://sites.google.com/site/khuelecorp/tran2.jpg

BMW put it there. It is their policy for that transmision and model year

It means transmission lifetime not your lifetime. BMW don't believe that changing the fluid will extend the life of that transmission

I didn't, and still wouldn't change my x5 transmission fluid

Jeff, i think this warning sign should from the GM instead of BMW. I have heard alot of people complain about "Lifetime" trans fluid from BMW. I still think of it; whether should i change fluid or not.

You still have a BMW warranty on your '04 X5?

TiAgX5 - No for long time. I bought my X5 when it was 42K and it was still covered warranty by BMW, but shortly after that the warranty was over. And I don't think BMW warranty on GM or ZF transmission [!?]

It doesn't matter at all that the transmission was built by GM. It wasn't built by a GM car division, it was built by GM Powertrain, who sell components to lots of manufacturers.

Your ignition coils weren't made by BMW, but we don't talk about Bosch warranty. Your radio wasn't made by BMW, but we don't talk about Siemens or VDO radio warranties. Your brakes weren't made by BMW, but we don't talk about Pagid brake warranties. Your stability control system and much of the electronics on the vehicle, which we all love to complain about, were made by Bosch, Siemens, Continental, and so on. But we never refer to their warranties. Those warranties are irrelevant.

The entire vehicle was assembled, sold, and warranted by BMW. They are the only ones that matter when it comes to service instructions. People try and use the example of GM using this transmission in other vehicles to compare fluid change intervals, but unless the application is the same, the vehicle software is the same, the cooler capacity is the same, the temperature regulation in the cooler is the same (etc,....) then that isn't valid. BMW did the system design, and determined the recommended maintenance procedures.

As an example, if another manufacturer put a smaller transmission cooler in their vehicle (using the same transmission) then it would be very reasonable that that transmission would heat the fluid more, and that it may need a fluid change sooner (if the fluid was over heated). If I was building a cheaper car, I would put a smaller cooler in (saving $$) and just have the customer change the fluid more often. It is a trade off.

Change it if you like, you are well out of warranty. Just decide yourself if the benefits of changing it are worth the risk. Your call.

Jeff - I like your analysis.