Just bought an '08 335i Coupe w/ 33K miles. Hated the way it shifted, my 13th BMW with a manual gearbox, including 4 ///M cars. I swapped the FF Magic Permanent Gear Oil for Redline MTL today (like I do w ALL my BMW's) and viola! So much better, particularly when up to tempature. I was considering selling the car I really disliked how it shifted relative to my E36 ///M3. My ///M3 has 93K miles on the odo and has had 3 gear oil changes with Red Line, many track days and shifts like a dream. Anyway, short shift kit arrived today from Turner, so it should get even better next week. The final act will be replacing the Clutch Delay Valve w/ a modified one. Searching for that DIY next!
BTW, my tranny had the blue MTL-LL3 tag on the side which read "Do Not Change Gear Oil". Sorry, eat me. The fill plugs seemed like they shouldn't be reused really. I'll watch if it leaks and I'll purchase a new set the next change at 60K. Seems like it should be magnetic to collect metal bits, no? Used fluid didn't look bad to me, just really didn't care for the feel. Some may wonder why I used RL MTL when the spec calls for D4 or D6-ATF. Frankly, the differences are slight when you're talking about Red Line, which is some of the greatest stuff out there. I think the ATF is a bit more slippery/easy to shift when cold. I just like the feel of the MTL better. There are no worries about wear with either product from RL. I've also used the RP Sychromesh. Its really slick, maybe a little too slick for me. Anyway, my 25 years experience points me to Red Line MTL every 30K, more often if I track the car.