Ok my dad talked to a mechanic he knows that works on BMWs.. well the mechanic said that the tranny fluid was synthetic and was meant for the life of the transmission and would be 700 dollars to change, but said we dont need to do it?

So I thought on this forum I was told to? Maybe my dad asked the wrong question?

What is a model and year of your car ?
What is the milage on it ?
Take a number of transmission fluid (located on the label of transmission pan) and post here ! I will tell you how much cost the fluid and Filter kit, so we can start from this point.

2001 330Ci

70k

My -02 320D Auto fluid doesn´t need to be changed. ever. That´s from a BMW tech who i know personally. I have the 5-speed Steptronic Auto.

Unfortunately lifetime fluid means the life of the transmission - which can be dramatically reduced without fluid changes. Would you believe me if I told you your engine had lifetime oil? Didn't think so.

However, by the time you have 70k miles on the original fluid, you are probably better off leaving it in instead of changing it. Anecdotal eveidence from many independent BMW mechanics (including the guy who writes the tech column in the BMW CCA magazine) seems to reveal that if you don't make your first tranny fluid change by about 40k miles, any later chages increase the odds of premature failure. Not sure exactly why, maybe all the accumulated gunk is all that's holding it together by that point....

And $700 to change the fluid? I'm not sure I would trust anything else that guy says, either. BMW's don't have "magic" transmissions. They are built by ZF or General Motors. Nothing special about them.

The tranny fluid might have been changed then, the car is a CPO and I think the guy I bought it from had everything done at the dealership, so if it was reccomended he probably did it.

the AT fluid on the new BMW's is pretty expensive. I was quoted @ $5-600 for a fluid change from an independent shop. My wife's car is an auto and at 52k. I am not sure if I should change it or not.

The tranny fluid might have been changed then, the car is a CPO and I think the guy I bought it from had everything done at the dealership, so if it was reccomended he probably did it.
I wouldn't assume that. My local dealer politely refused to change the "lifetime" fluid in my old 328i when I requested the service a few years ago.

Follow the money. The dealers save on environmental disposal fees since they don't have to drain and get rid of all of that spent transmission fluid. Eliminating regular fluid services from the car's maintenance schedule reduces its average cost-to-maintain, which in turn makes the car more attractive to prospective buyers.

I wouldn't assume that. My local dealer politely refused to change the "lifetime" fluid in my old 328i when I requested the service a few years ago.

Follow the money. The dealers save on environmental disposal fees since they don't have to drain and get rid of all of that spent transmission fluid. Eliminating regular fluid services from the car's maintenance schedule reduces its average cost-to-maintain, which in turn makes the car more attractive to prospective buyers.

GP, I have talked to 2 BMW master techs who work for the biggest BMW dealer in Houston and they both told me that they do not change the tranny fliud. They have the fluid in the shop, but they use it to top off not to replace.

2001 330Ci

70k
Most likely(99.9%) you have ZF 5hp19 transmission , which utilizes Esso LT71141 fluid @ $25 per quart/litre,you would need around 5 quarts to service it, labour for that is 1.5 hour( BMW SERVICE TIME), so now you can calculate this easly, but again I would have to have a fluid number from the bottom of your car(on the pan).
One more thing- transmission filter kit, around $60.00 you can buy on line.

My mech says there's NO such thing as lifetime ANYTHING. I have heard of stories where people waited too long, changed the fluid, and then the tranny failed. I'm planning to do mine every 30-40k. He said it runs about $400-450 for the job. He has a special machine that does a complete fluid change.

My 99 323i has oil leak around the gasket, it's been 2 years now. Should I just top it off? Where is the filler hole and how much should i top off since I don't know how much left in there?
Better just drain out all and replace filter and gasket? Where is the drain plug?
Anyone have leaking probem?

$4-500? Really? My mechanic did it for me (and diff fluid, too) for $30. Seriously. I'm looking at the invoice, and I was under the car when he did it. We switched to a Redline fluid. I have an MT, could that be the difference?

MT is different from AT. MT is just like normal MT oil change

My 99 323i has oil leak around the gasket, it's been 2 years now. Should I just top it off? Where is the filler hole and how much should i top off since I don't know how much left in there?
Better just drain out all and replace filter and gasket? Where is the drain plug?
Anyone have leaking probem?
You need Texaco ETL 7045E ATF, BMW part #8322 0 00 2121 ,around $12/q.
To service this tranny you would need 4.50-5 q. of fluid and filter kit.
http://tech.bentleypublishers.com/servlet/JiveServlet/download/72-16089-142522-1634/B305_240.pdf

Amsoil specifically states as of late 2005 that their Universal ATF is compatible with Texaco ETL 7045 and Esso 71141.

Do you really want to know true about transmission fluid some BMW cars use and everybody is scared to put something else than recommended by transmission manufacturer ? I am talking about Texaco ETL 7045 mysterious fluid !
Here is what it is:

http://www.fammllc.com/famm/lubricant_product.asp?others&&texamatic7045e

Please keep the secret and do not tell anybody , that it is a simply DEXRON III product , non synthetic made with group I oils.:)
Just kidding -spread the true !

If you go visit the owners circle at bmw website, you will see that the automatic tranny fluid change is scheduled for 100,000 miles. Obviously,:shifty 100,000 miles is lifetime for the tranny per BMW. When I saw that I was convinced that I needed to change my fluid since I am planning on keeping my cars as long as I can.
I changed the tranny fluid on my automatic 02 Z3 2.5i at home. I didn't do a complete flush as it is impossible without a special machine. I did a drain and refill with the filter change.:buttrock It is labor intensive but not difficult at all.:redspot You are supposed to do it when the tranny temp is around 90°F(can't remember the range but Bently manual has it). And BMW only approves Redline ATF-D4.:confused
I have bought 8 Quarts of it and the filter/gasket to do it on my E46. Maybe I will do it at 50K miles. 3000 miles to go.:cool

Yeah, I did it on my car at 50000 miles, I got on my 323 i GM5/5L40 transmission made by GM France which originaly was filled with Texaco ETL 7045 fluid.After installing new ATF filter and pan gasket I filled transmission with Havoline Mercon V(only $3 dollars /q) . Now shift points are much smoother and reverse engages with no "kick back" what I had before changing ATF,

I'm on my 3rd ATF fluid change, along with a new tranny filter and diff gasket and differential fluid change. Had this performed by an independent (Euros) and it cost $350. I used Red Line fluid for the tranny and diff. OEM diff gasket and tranny filter.

Thanks for the info., my eyes are wide open. I can't believe BMW trying to pass it off as "lifetime".

Maybe a silly question but wanted to make sure, from the bentley manual it indicates transmissions up to 03/03 and from 03/03, i take it that is the build date of the car from the sideplate on the door?

Maybe a silly question but wanted to make sure, from the bentley manual it indicates transmissions up to 03/03 and from 03/03, i take it that is the build date of the car from the sideplate on the door?

Yes.

Make sure that if you top or replace fluid in BMW's that you do it between 30 and 50 degrees celsius with the engine running.

fluid is fluid, oil is oil... NONE of them last forever.


and neither will your tranny if you follow BMW's awful advice :rofl




your tranny takes ESSO ATF; and here in SD it costs about $22 per quart, and your car will need about 7 quarts.

thats like $150. a good indy shop shouldn't charge you more than 80/hour for labor, and i'd balk at them charging more than 90 minutes of time.

you could do it yourself, but you'd have to do it like 3 times in a row, unless you have a good pump thingy to suck all the oil out of your tranny diff, too.

if i were you, i'd just have someone else do it right the first time, and save the time it would take you- and any money on having to get extra bottles of ATF if you have to keep cycling the fluid (instead of completely draining it).



.............but i can only suggest everything within my moral fiber that you do it.

think about this: lifetime fluid.... well, that's now called 100k tranny fluid.
...right about when tranny's are failing due to not being cared for.


what about 15k oil intervals? do you know anyone actually doing that? everyone i know does it at 5k.


...don't listen to the marketing mantra. cars are cars and engines are engines and transmissions are transmisisons.

until we are hovering over the streets, not a lot will change with the fluids and mechanics that go into building your cars.

oh, i forgot- i read recently that the bmw computers have something that can force the fluid out of the diff, instead of it being pumped?

but seriously, change it.

You paid $22 a quart for the Esso fluid?! I got the parts guy at City VW to sell it for $13 a quart, part # G 052 162 A2. Yes, it's the same fluid btw. I had ordered the filter kit off of BavAuto, our 325iT build was right at the cutoff where it uses the cheaper $35 kit instead of $75 one.

I did not enjoy dropping the pan and doing the whole job even with a lift and proper tools. There is no need to flush the system as 70%+ will get out with a pan drop...plus as trannies getting older flushes can cause more problems than good. I recommend an independent if you want to save yourself the trouble.

You paid $22 a quart for the Esso fluid?! I got the parts guy at City VW to sell it for $13 a quart, part # G 052 162 A2. Yes, it's the same fluid btw. I had ordered the filter kit off of BavAuto, our 325iT build was right at the cutoff where it uses the cheaper $35 kit instead of $75 one.

I did not enjoy dropping the pan and doing the whole job even with a lift and proper tools. There is no need to flush the system as 70%+ will get out with a pan drop...plus as trannies getting older flushes can cause more problems than good. I recommend an independent if you want to save yourself the trouble.
i didn't have the time to look around for a better price, my car was on a lift and the fluid was already drained...


so that just makes my point stronger... DO IT, and it shouldn't be anywhere near 500-600 as posted previously.




and next time, it looks like i will be going to the vw dealer for my fluid :blush2

You can use any dexron III compliant trans fluid. Don't beleive the hype. I don't know why, but this board says that I don't have permission to post links. How do I get permission?

You can use any dexron III compliant trans fluid. Don't beleive the hype. I don't know why, but this board says that I don't have permission to post links. How do I get permission?
You need to have more posts.

You can use any dexron III compliant trans fluid. Don't beleive the hype. I don't know why, but this board says that I don't have permission to post links. How do I get permission?
if you're responding to me, i'm sure you're right.

i was just pointing out that the price estimates in prior posts were way off, and that changing the oil is a better idea than not.

if you're responding to me, i'm sure you're right.

i was just pointing out that the price estimates in prior posts were way off, and that changing the oil is a better idea than not.

I agree with you 100%.

Redline D4ATF is much cheaper at $8-9/qrt.
Mobil 1 ATF is even cheaper.