[Reece]

Can anyone tell me the benefits if any of having the gearbox serviced?

Also whats the rough price? I have a 2010 lci e90 330d msport

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by Reece

Can anyone tell me the benefits if any of having the gearbox serviced?

Also whats the rough price? I have a 2010 lci e90 330d msport

Is it an automatic? If so one of the issues is BMW's lifetime oil is actually 100,000 miles I believe. And just as it would with the engine, if the oil is left for the transmission then friction may occur. There are other technical details about how it affects the transmission but bad oil will cause wear, slower gear changes (hangs on to gears longer) and I believe impacts on the MPG and pulling off can jolt.

[Reece]

Originally Posted by MrSweet1991

Is it an automatic? If so one of the issues is BMW's lifetime oil is actually 100,000 miles I believe. And just as it would with the engine, if the oil is left for the transmission then friction may occur. There are other technical details about how it affects the transmission but bad oil will cause wear, slower gear changes (hangs on to gears longer) and I believe impacts on the MPG and pulling off can jolt.

Yes automatic on 86k, doesnt show anywhere in the sevice book its ever had it done.

Noticed the changes are not as smooth as they where and hangs on to 2nd for a bit longer than it should.

Cant find any prices for it on the bmw-service page

[Dace64]

Just had mine done and the difference is very noticeable! Much smoother and better mpg.
I had no issues with the box prior to it being done, however the car has done 106,000 miles

[Reece]

Originally Posted by Dace64

Just had mine done and the difference is very noticeable! Much smoother and better mpg.
I had no issues with the box prior to it being done, however the car has done 106,000 miles

What model have you got? And if you dont mind telling me roughly how much it was

[Dace64]

I have a E92 335D. The service kit is approx £200 + vat then labour on top. It's definitely worth doing! Make sure you use a decent garage as the adaptations need to be set properly

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by Reece

Yes automatic on 86k, doesnt show anywhere in the sevice book its ever had it done.

Noticed the changes are not as smooth as they where and hangs on to 2nd for a bit longer than it should.

Cant find any prices for it on the bmw-service page

To be honest, it's only through Forums like this where you come across these issues. If I remember correctly, somebody enquired with the ZF manufacturer and asked about BMW stating "lifetime oil" used in their ZF transmissions and ZF saying they need to be serviced every x amount of miles and so forth.

Honestly speaking, if you're experiencing any delays in gear changes, jolting or MPG then I honestly would be on the case to get this serviced as soon as possible. Having any of those symptoms is a sure sign that the oil being used in that transmission isn't up to spec anymore. If left it could eventually start wearing away at the internals which can be seen when the sump is removed as it has a magnet to catch all the little pieces that have come away. So at the moment your transmission is fine, but given the symptoms I'd try to get it sorted as soon as possible to avoid irreversible damage. After all it's a case of £200ish to £1000 - £2000.

Changing the transmission oil doesn't appear to be that hard from what I've seen. But I have read that while filling the oil up you need the transmission oil to be at 50 Degree's (Don't quote me I'm trying to remember off the top of my head) So given the requirements and the fact the transmission only needs servicing every 80k miles or so I'd say it's well worth getting it done properly.

My input would be to look on FleeBay for a genuine ZF sump with genuine ZF oil and the mechatronic sleeve, then enquire at a garage how much it would cost to have it installed and then ask how much it would cost for the parts and the labour. Some garages may work out cheaper buying the parts from them and having it fitted whereas you may save some money purchasing the parts yourself and just paying the labour so worth enquiring about both scenarios beforehand.

[blueh88]

Agree with others comments on here; ZF recommend the oil changed at a certain point (I read around 80k but others are saying 100k) so definitely not something BMW recommend. This is most likely due to them wanting to sell new models rather than older ones to keep running ha.
Anyway, get it done! Mine was done at about 70ish thousand miles but that was not in my ownership, on over 100k now and still feels smooth. Out of precaution I will be doing it again in the next 10-20k. Again, like mentioned above, I would pay £200-300 rather than damaging the gearbox and having to spend four figures! Make sure the pan and filter get changed at the same time too. These should come in the kit when you buy the oil.

[Reece]

Originally Posted by blueh88

Agree with others comments on here; ZF recommend the oil changed at a certain point (I read around 80k but others are saying 100k) so definitely not something BMW recommend. This is most likely due to them wanting to sell new models rather than older ones to keep running ha.
Anyway, get it done! Mine was done at about 70ish thousand miles but that was not in my ownership, on over 100k now and still feels smooth. Out of precaution I will be doing it again in the next 10-20k. Again, like mentioned above, I would pay £200-300 rather than damaging the gearbox and having to spend four figures! Make sure the pan and filter get changed at the same time too. These should come in the kit when you buy the oil.

Yes the meyle kits with pan/oil/mech are between £150-170 plus a bit of labour, not sure how long it takes

[rasa bmw]

Originally Posted by Reece

Yes the meyle kits with pan/oil/mech are between £150-170 plus a bit of labour, not sure how long it takes

pretty sure its 3-4 hours..although depenfs where you take it,,a bmw specialist will be more familiar with the job and hus in theory be quicker

[ChawenHalo]

Originally Posted by Reece

Yes the meyle kits with pan/oil/mech are between £150-170 plus a bit of labour, not sure how long it takes

Don't bother, there is a warm up and flush procedure. Its a good idea to do though (both manual and autos). Just go to a ZF service centre (they look after lorries, buses etc and a few privateers who maintain their cars. Expect to pay around £400.00 bit it includes all the parts (from memory the oil catch pan is plastic one use and one piece). They'll be able to diagnose the real state of the box as well and tell you if there are any issues (unlikely at this mileage).

Its a great way to look after your gearbox and results are good (from experience)

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by ChawenHalo

Don't bother, there is a warm up and flush procedure. Its a good idea to do though (both manual and autos). Just go to a ZF service centre (they look after lorries, buses etc and a few privateers who maintain their cars. Expect to pay around £400.00 bit it includes all the parts (from memory the oil catch pan is plastic one use and one piece). They'll be able to diagnose the real state of the box as well and tell you if there are any issues (unlikely at this mileage).

Its a great way to look after your gearbox and results are good (from experience)

With all due respect, if he could indeed get a gearbox service with Genuine Zf parts and zf oil including labour for around £200ish you'd be paying almost double to get get a report of how the internals are which unless there are any visible metal parts picked up in the sump he could assume it's fine just by looking at that anyway? No doubt, if money wasn't a concern then having ZF look at it would be great and would be nice to add to the service portfolio

[gaz_ball]

I've been looking in to getting mine serviced soon. Apart from being slightly jerky from 2nd to 3rd in S mode I would say there's nothing wrong with it so it's more for peace of mind really (owned it for 2 years now and it's coming up for 70k).

For anyone who's interested, I've found this kit http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191915634294 which comes with the metal pan upgrade (as fitted to some Discos/Range Rovers I believe). The metal version has a removable filter instead of the integrated one in the plastic pan, which should make for easier/cheaper servicing in the future.

[blueh88]

In addition, the jerkiness could be to do with software too. If you have an LCI then probably less likely but I know there is a common issue on the earlier cars where the gear 2 to 1 shift is very harsh, which is what I am experiencing. I've just downloaded the relevant software and will be updating the gearbox at some point this weekend. Hopefully it works!

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by blueh88

In addition, the jerkiness could be to do with software too. If you have an LCI then probably less likely but I know there is a common issue on the earlier cars where the gear 2 to 1 shift is very harsh, which is what I am experiencing. I've just downloaded the relevant software and will be updating the gearbox at some point this weekend. Hopefully it works!

How do you tell which software is already installed for the gearbox?

[blueh88]

I haven't got to that stage yet, but you can check on Winkfp software. I have just downloaded including other software such as INPA. sp daten files need to be downloaded too in order to get the updated software.

[ChawenHalo]

Originally Posted by MrSweet1991

With all due respect, if he could indeed get a gearbox service with Genuine Zf parts and zf oil including labour for around £200ish you'd be paying almost double to get get a report of how the internals are which unless there are any visible metal parts picked up in the sump he could assume it's fine just by looking at that anyway? No doubt, if money wasn't a concern then having ZF look at it would be great and would be nice to add to the service portfolio

Well basically if they service it, they guaranty their work. Lastly only their software will tell you if there is a potential problem to arise.

I know that we're on a forum and one of the aims is to find DYI-able cheap solution to common car issues. However many of us simply work on preventative maintenance as general good practice. Whilst I have no qualms taking the dashboard or servicing my wife's 1992 Mini Woodbury, there are many elements in a more modern car that require and are worth getting looked at and maintained by pros. IMHO an £8k gearbox is one of them.

I've done this on 2 autoboxes including 1 A8 4.2TDI (and that gets serious torque thrown at it) Well worth it. And as you say, it adds to resale value if not in terms of $$$ but in terms of TLC it has received and trust from the buyer.

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by ChawenHalo

Well basically if they service it, they guaranty their work. Lastly only their software will tell you if there is a potential problem to arise.

I know that we're on a forum and one of the aims is to find DYI-able cheap solution to common car issues. However many of us simply work on preventative maintenance as general good practice. Whilst I have no qualms taking the dashboard or servicing my wife's 1992 Mini Woodbury, there are many elements in a more modern car that require and are worth getting looked at and maintained by pros. IMHO an £8k gearbox is one of them.

I've done this on 2 autoboxes including 1 A8 4.2TDI (and that gets serious torque thrown at it) Well worth it. And as you say, it adds to resale value if not in terms of $$$ but in terms of TLC it has received and trust from the buyer.

Sorry, I was comparing having the service done by a BMW Specialist as opposed to a DYI-able cheap solution. I believe if it was done by a BWM Specialist I'd be quite happy, however if the seller told me they went through the effort of especially getting ZF to do it then as a buyer you'd definitely get the sense that this has been looked after and gives you an idea of how well the car has been maintained. It will be interesting to see what the OP decides to do, at least they are aware of the options they have.. and thumbs up for having the gearbox work carried out by ZF on your 4.2TDI.. I can't imagine the torque on that car!

[ChawenHalo]

Originally Posted by MrSweet1991

Sorry, I was comparing having the service done by a BMW Specialist as opposed to a DYI-able cheap solution. I believe if it was done by a BWM Specialist I'd be quite happy, however if the seller told me they went through the effort of especially getting ZF to do it then as a buyer you'd definitely get the sense that this has been looked after and gives you an idea of how well the car has been maintained. It will be interesting to see what the OP decides to do, at least they are aware of the options they have.. and thumbs up for having the gearbox work carried out by ZF on your 4.2TDI.. I can't imagine the torque on that car!

Yes, you're right in absolute terms. A specialist or even an individual could do just as good a job for half the cost. I recon you'll still get slapped for at least £250 from a specialist (I did for a manual box).

Yep that A8 engine was something. Never had such a big car that was that comfy, that fast and was so economical. A real camel! 6.8L/ 100km (42 mpg) and that was driving fairly normal and was regular too. Torque was enough to worry a brand new 991 turbo and make him drop a couple of cogs when I casually pushed onto a slip road. Real good looking car, real classy and defo the sportiest out of that category. Mega comfy (1200 km round trip no probs in a day). Rest of the car was a complete pile of Dunn which is why I stick to BMW. One of these itches I had to scratch and glad I did. You need serious cash to keep these cars in good spec. and driving sweet. Still miss the looks and the €7k B&O sound system with the cars double glazing (the real one with come out tweeters, not the crape they put a B&O badge on these days).

Sorry for the but just look at a silver phase 2 (2009+) 2nd gen A8 with forged (yes they are) Fuchs wheels. ASF chassis. Pwooaor.

[mjn77]

Official ZF service intervals are 50-70k for the box, depending on how you drive/abuse it.

[Reece]

Bumping this back up, apart from Re setting the adjustments, can i not change the oil/sump on my own and just pay for the diagnostics on it?

[MrSweet1991]

Originally Posted by Reece

Bumping this back up, apart from Re setting the adjustments, can i not change the oil/sump on my own and just pay for the diagnostics on it?

There's nothing wrong with doing it yourself just make sure you get the A - Z of how it needs to be done, there's a lot of YouTube videos showing the ZF transmission sump, oil and mechatronic sleeve being replaced. As a general rule of thumb just make sure you get a genuine ZF sump with the genuine ZF oil and make sure you have something in place like INPA because once the first fill of oil goes in and you run through the gears at a standstill you need to wait till the oil gets to around 50 degrees before you do the final fill. Also, if you've got the software to monitor the oil temperature you'd be able to reset the adaptations with the same software and pull codes from the transmission. While I'm on that subject I would add that resetting adaptations in INPA resets all adaptations I believe and I'm pretty sure some people lost any throttle response which was due to having an electronic throttle which you need to 're calibrate (if remember correctly it was as simple as pushing the accelerator pedal down while the ignition is on so it learns again) just thought if add it in while it's still to mind.