[OPe92]

Just picked up my car after having the transmission filter and fluid changed, the tranny felt good before and now it feels even smoother. 49K on the odometer.

[Red_Bean_Bun]

Which ATF did you use ?

[AlexTopFitment]

Where did you get it done and how much?

[OPe92]

Harold at HP autowerks did it, I believe he used Redline ATF. Price was $379 for parts(new filter and 7 quarts) plus 2 hours of labor.

[F32Fleet]

About to get mine done over the next week. Will have 50k on the odometer.

Parts: $288 (I'm replacing the sealing sleeve as well).
Labor: $225

Total: $513 + tax.


I'm using Lifeguard6 ATF.

[tennis_pr0]

Why change trans fluid at only 50k?

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by tennis_pr0

Why change trans fluid at only 50k?

1. The programming on my diesel is such where during city driving or winter starts it'll hold 3rd or 4th gear @ 2k rpms. IMO it was done this way for emissions reasons because diesels shed heat quickly when idling. It's the one thing I dislike about my car.

2. I drive mountains

3. Although BMW has been known to offer goodwill replacement on out of warranty cars I didn't want to risk it vs spending $500.

4. Re-sale. I will probably get a newer car 2 yrs from now.

5. I consider 1&2 to fall under ZF definition of "severe service" which recommends an oil change @ 50-70k miles.

[bmwarg]

My car has 38,000 miles. BMW dealer says not to change the AT fluid ever and that it can cause more damage. What's the truth?

[Red_Bean_Bun]

Originally Posted by bmwarg

My car has 38,000 miles. BMW dealer says not to change the AT fluid ever and that it can cause more damage. What's the truth?

The ATF is lifelong concept is passé .......

[bmwarg]

So what's the best interval to change the AT fluid?

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by bmwarg

So what's the best interval to change the AT fluid?

If it were my car (meaning the fluid change would be DIY) I would probably do it after break in and then every 30,000 miles/50,000km. If I were paying for the service, I suppose I might stretch that to break in and every 50,000miles/80,000km.

By doing it at all you're ahead of the game. Other than $$$, you can't change it "too often" for the mechanicals.

Because I DIY everything, I'm usually pretty aggressive with fluid changes. That being said, even doing fluid changes "overly often" I can always perceive some kind of improvement to the system with fresh fluid. That means the old fluid was degraded to some extent even at my early interval.

It's on your mind - change it now. Especially for the first change (I assume you're running factory fill) I would also change the filter. Unfortunately I believe that on newer BMWs this means you also need to replace the pan part so it's $100-$200 for the part instead of a $20 filter element.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by bmwarg

So what's the best interval to change the AT fluid?

ZF specifically has a "severe service" oil change interval somewhere between 80,000 km and 120,000 km or 8 years, depending on the load.

It's up to you to decide whether you qualify for severe service.


Visit ZF website for approved lubricants.

[F32Fleet]

ATF change complete. Placebo effects in full force. Piece of mind and life is good. A+