3.0 Manual Transmission Oil Change?
 

Hi there:

I'm a recent buyer of a 2002 3.0 5-speed with 94,000 miles on the clock. After the first engine oil change, the mechanic took it for a spin and said the transmission was a little 'whiney' but that I shouldn't be concerned. He also said that the transmission fluid was lifetime and that changing it would not be beneficial to the car or the sound...

I've done searches on here, but I can't find any good advice for the 3.0 manual -- only articles and guides for the automatic!

So now I'm seeking ya'lls advice... What do you have to say about changing the fluid in the 3.0 manual? Is this something I can do myself (I have amateur level car skills). Does a guide exist for this process somewhere on the internet?

Thanks so much!

Not a bad idea to change it. It is low risk. Use the fluid specified on the tag on the transmission. It is the same as changing any manual transmission fluid.

MTF-LT2 or eqivalent for your 2002, just go under the car and the drain and fill plugs will be a 17mm hex socket i believe. make sure you have a hand pump or something to pump the fluid into, it takes about 2 quarts I believe. When fluid comes out of the fill hole tighten her back up!

I'm getting my fluid done soon and will let you knnow if it improves shifting, noises etc.


and please don't forget to register in the manual transmission thread!

That whiney sound may be coming from your transfer case.

Same thing happened to me. Thought it was my 6 speed gearbox, but it ended up being the tansfer case. Replaced under BMW's goodwill policy.

Daniel

I'm replacing my fluids in the coming weeks all around (power steering, manual trans, transfer case and diffs), and hopefully things sound better. i also have squealing belt tensioners so to be honest i don't think i have as much drivetrain noise as i thought lol.

make sure to post in the manual trans registry!

Congratulations! 2002 is a good vintage. I have the same car. 215k miles and runs like day I drove it off the dealer lot.

There is no down side to replacing the transmission fluid. I use Red Line D4ATF.

I also use Redline in mine. Be sure to change front/rear diffs and transfer case at the same time (tcase takes regular ATF).

Only if it is 2003 or earlier.

I'm planning to change mine but I can't find the required amount. I expect that 2 qts will be sufficient. True??

I plan to use Redline D4 ATF in both the tranny and the xfer case.

If anyone can confirm the tiotal amount needed, I would really appreciate the information.

Thanks

ct

Less than a quart for the transfer case.

I think 2.5 or so for the manual trans (my indy did mine a few months back).

Get 4 quarts. Worst comes to worst you'll have an extra quart for a future change!

RB,

Thanks for the info! I am sort of embarrassed that I couldn't find the info on the web.

ct

You don't list your vehicle details in your signature line or in your profile, so there is no way to tell......but it is important to note that that fluid is only suitable for transfer cases in pre-2004 (non x-drive) models.

Not sure which transmission you have either, but that is a whole other debate.

JCL,

Thanks for the advice. Sorry that I haven't taken the time to add more data. It's a 2001 so the synthetic should be fine. I'm curious why the later (XDrive) design is not compatible with synthetic.......please enlighten me.

ct

Nothing to do with synthetic or not. The recommended fluid isn't synthetic but any Dexron fluid should do, as it isn't a demanding application from a fluid performance perspective. People seem to think that synthetic has some inherent advantage, due to marketing $$ more than anything. The fluid you list doesn't meet the BMW spec but should work fine.

X drive transfer cases have clutch plates to vary torque distribution front/rear. Those clutch plates depend on specific friction additives in the fluid to work properly. Only the BMW fluid has those friction modifiers. There is no aftermarket fluid that has them since there isn't a published spec.

Ah yes.....shades of Positraction from 60's/70's GM musclecars. I had a '67 GTO and a '70 Trans AM. Both required special stuff for their "Posi" rear ends. "Only BMW fluid will do" reminds me of CHF 111 required for the power steering of my 94 e34 530i.

Anyway, I won't worry about it until I find a 6 speed X5 with the sport package.

I like this 2001 model so well that I'm looking for another!

ct

I also have a 2004 with the 6 speed manual and I want to change out my transmission and xfer case fluid. So it sounds like I should go with the redline d4 atf as well than?

What's this, JCL saying that it's not a bad idea to change transmission fluid for a manual tranny, even though BMW say that it is Lifetime???

Use the BMW juice for the Xfer case.

Transmission - you can use D4 ATF, but I recommend using MTL or MT-90 depending on your climate.

Not exactly a new position. That post was from 2012. The fact that it is a lifetime fluid suggests that there is no data on any benefit to changing it, but with a manual transmission there is no downside if the work is done correctly.

What is funny is that people are spending additional money on a synthetic fluid with no functional benefit, and one which doesn't even meet the basic spec. The power of marketing $$.....

LOL and who has one of the biggest marketing dollars??? They market their products as the Ultimate driving Machine, life time fluid..... LOL. They may be the Ultimate driving machine for soccer moms but not what I would consider for car enthusiasts.