[niksss]

Is this procedure identical for the x-drive models ? Some shops told me that I have to remove exhaust system and other parts. Is this true ?

[rothwem]

So I just did this on my latest wagon--I forgot how good the shifting can be on these cars. Oddly the place I notice the shift quality the most is on manual mode downshifts, they're way smoother.

Originally Posted by niksss

Is this procedure identical for the x-drive models ? Some shops told me that I have to remove exhaust system and other parts. Is this true ?

Same procedure, no exhaust removal required, though there is a sharp little exhaust bracket that probably would've been nice to take off that makes getting access to the fill plug tricky.

[Skers 05]

I wanted to thank a couple forum members for this thread!

iflyjetzzz - Thanks for creating the initial thread. I used alot of your documented knowledge this weekend while changing out the trans fluid, filter, filter "o-ring" and mechatronic sleeve gaskets.

hting - I really appreciate your pictures for the "o-ring" extractor tool! Worked perfectly!

ryan stewart - Thanks for your post about the mechatronic sleeve gaskets. I only knew to replace these due to your post!

Additional Info
I went to my local Advance Auto Parts and got the following fluid for $2.50 a qrt.
https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...052%7CL3*16358

[Kit N.]

Thank you for all the posts on this forum!
I just want to share my experience working on this car. I'm 24 and I just read everything on this forum plus many YouTube videos. All common hand tools from harbor freight. The job is easy if you do enough research.

At 105k mileage 2010 BMW 328i coupe and the transmission is a GM6L45R. This transmission code is very important. I had ordered ZF parts without checking first so I had to return it(paid for shipping myself which was $70!!) So make sure you check the transmission code

I used redline D6 ATF. Apparently it's a very reliable brand so I went with it. Got all of my parts from FCPEURO.COM. They offer lifetime warranty on all of their parts including fluids! Just reorder the same parts, ship back the old ones and they will give you a refund of the new parts you purchased.

First problem I ran into once I got under the car was the drain bolt. It needs a 5mm Allen hex bit. It seemed the plug was over tighten and had stripped the bolt. I'd suggest cleaning out the dust and dirt from the drain plug before inserting your 5mm hex bit.
I solved this by hammering a slightly bigger size Torx bit into the drain plug. I'm replacing the drain plug anyway. But I'm also down one Torx bit cuz I can't get it out the old drain plug.

The pan bolts were not on very tight at all. I wouldn't recommend over-tighten the pan bolts. I HAND tightened them according to the sequence. Been driving for a few days now and no leaks. I actually hand tighten everything.

I didnt even bother getting the o-ring out. I left it there and just inserted the new filter and it fit perfectly with the old o-ring. (Hopefully it's ok. Will keep you updated). The o-ring is part metal part rubber. I figured it's already on there tight enough I didn't need to replace it.

Drained out 4quarts and spilled about .7 quart(when I dropped the pan and filter). When you insert the filter, it'll feel like it's in but you have to make sure it's snugged in there with no play. There shouldn't be any wiggling.

The old fluid was completely black with tiny particles just like OP. It did not smell bad. The old gasket looked really good too. High quality gasket for sure. The pan was in a great condition. Cleaned it with brake clean and wipe dry.

Put everything back together and fill the transmission. It was difficult to level the car completely but it was leveled enough that I was able to fill back new fluid of 4.7quarts. different posts said to fill it until it starts to overflow but I didn't want to fill more than what drained out. It didn't start to overflow at all. I could have probably added another quart but i was scared to. Initial fill at cold temp 3 quarts. Shift through gear while FOOTONBRAKE.(P>R>D>P etc) waited until pan temp reached 80 degrees
and filled the rest of fluid.

I'm happy to say the car did not make any weird transmission noises once the job was complete. I took it for a drive on the freeway and it shifted so smoothly!! Before the transmission service, the car had a rough shift from 1st to 2nd. But now it's smooth all around.

Make sure to put the undercarriage cover on before you take it on the freeway! The wind was so strong it broke part of the disconnected cover.

Now I'm paying a lot of attention on how my transmission shifts through gears. It's all smooth. But I'm having one issue that's bothering me. When I change the gear from Park to Reverse, there's a slight delay(maybe 1 second) and it jerked a little bit. I hadn't notice before the change of maybe I wasn't paying attention to it much. I've done research that it's normal for automatic transmission but it bothers me a lot.

2 things that bugged me after the job was completed.
1. Did not remove the O-ring
2. Not sure if my transmission is under filled.( I only added what drained out.)

[rothwem]

Originally Posted by Kit N.

When I change the gear from Park to Reverse, there's a slight delay(maybe 1 second) and it jerked a little bit.

That's textbook low fluid. The way I did my fill was to fill it cold with the engine off until its dribbling out, start the car, add more ATF till it dribbles, shift through gears, fill till it dribbles, shift again, fill till dribbles, wait until the fluid coming out is about bath water temp, then put the plug back in.

If no fluid was coming out when you put the fill plug in, you're most likely going to be low.

[gjm120]

I would definitely re-check and top off the fluid. It would be hard to overfill it if you are doing things correctly unless you jammed the fill plug in while fluid was gushing out. When it gets to a slow trickle or drip, I don't see how you could overfill it.

You know the procedure it appears - just follow it to the letter.

[Kit N.]

So I've been driving for over 100 miles now and there's no more jerk when changing gear and the car shifts fine. I added the same amount of fluids that drained out. It's possible my car was not completely level. It was tilting forward slightly.

Should I wait for low transmission fluid warning or do I have to get under the car to fill it again 😫. Please advise.

I'm planning on doing a drain and fill probably in about 15k miles.

[NinetyEight740]

Originally Posted by Kit N.

So I've been driving for over 100 miles now and there's no more jerk when changing gear and the car shifts fine. I added the same amount of fluids that drained out. It's possible my car was not completely level. It was tilting forward slightly.

Should I wait for low transmission fluid warning or do I have to get under the car to fill it again 😫. Please advise.

I'm planning on doing a drain and fill probably in about 15k miles.

There is no low fluid warning, if it’s low you’ll only know by getting under and checking again.

[Kit N.]

Originally Posted by rothwem

That's textbook low fluid. The way I did my fill was to fill it cold with the engine off until its dribbling out, start the car, add more ATF till it dribbles, shift through gears, fill till it dribbles, shift again, fill till dribbles, wait until the fluid coming out is about bath water temp, then put the plug back in.

If no fluid was coming out when you put the fill plug in, you're most likely going to be low.

So I got under the car today and did what you said. By the end the fluid was flowing out before I put the plug in. I was able to add about 250ml into the pan before it drips out. Shifted through the gears and then opened the plug again with fluid still flowing out so I closed it. Cleaned up shop and the car runs great.

[Kit N.]

Originally Posted by Kit N.

So I got under the car today and did what you said. By the end the fluid was flowing out before I put the plug in. I was able to add about 250ml into the pan before it drips out. Shifted through the gears and then opened the plug again with fluid still flowing out so I closed it. Cleaned up shop and the car runs great.

Update on my transmission: my e92 shifts perfectly! I don't think I've felt the car shifts so well before. However , I've been getting a very very slight whiff of the Redline ATF when start the car, turned on vents, and at stoplights idle. I cannot smell the ATF outside or from under. There are NO LEAKS. The smell does not occur Everytime I drive. It does not smell like burnt ATF . It smells like new ATF out of the bottle. I cleaned the car interior thoroughly because I thought I may have gotten ATF in the car interior but that wasn't the case. The new ATF smell occur very randomly. Some day it's not even there and some times it comes back.

The smell is coming from two places: vents and right behind the steering wheel. Please advise.

[Hayk90]

Just finished doing my transmission fluid and I have to say this guide was excellent, especially the DIY filter o-ring tool that was mentioned later on in the thread.

I made a slight mistake of not double checking this guide one more time before I started the engine. I was able to fill about 3 liters of fluid before I turned the engine on and idled the car for 3 minutes. I didn't shift the transmission so hopefully no serious damage was done.

The next day I booted up INPA and found a low fluid trouble code in the transmission module. Started the car and added the rest of the fluid (4 more liters). Shifted through the gear, checked the temperature, and made sure fluid was coming out at a slow steady pace before I replaced with a new fill plug and reinstalled the brackets.

I recommend removing the exhaust bracket that connects to the transfer case, as it gets in the way of the fill plug. You need an E-10 socket for 3 of the bracket bolts and an 8mm 12-point wrench or an E-10 wench for one bolt that goes directly into the transfer case with 2 rubber bushings. As for the fill plug, I used a 17mm wrench from FCP Euro that also has a Hex bit on the other side for the Transfer Case and Differential drain/fill plugs.

[Bmw1939]

Quick Reference:

GM GA6L45R

Fluid: Dexron 6 or Valvoline Maxlife ATF
Check Temp: 30-50 Celsius
Fill Plug: 17 mm wrench. Torque 14 ft lbs.
Drain Plug: 5 mm Hex. Torque 10 ft lbs.

[mcdanielvzw]

This was a much more miserable job this time, mostly because synthetic fluid is a PITA and slippery as all get out. Bottles fell, words were said...... Yay.

60k miles later, 178k miles on the ODO, I did this again because my transmission started slipping between 30 and 50 MPH with normal driving - Need this car to last 2 more years without too much cost if at all possible, I'll know more after driving home from the airport this Thursday.

I think I got out roughly 5 quarts, I had already spilled used transmission fluid trying to check it a few weeks ago. Added in 5.5+ quarts this time, again with 2 packets of lubegard dr. tranny fix to add in some friction material.

Worst part is that after changing the water pump and some hoses, the radiator has a hidden pinhole leak. For now I added some K-Seal to the overflow hose, and I'll replace the radiator later - Yes it's definitely the rad, no hoses, nothing else, I could see the leak area but it's hidden by brackets and shroud.

[Chuck W.]

Originally Posted by mcdanielvzw

This was a much more miserable job this time, mostly because synthetic fluid is a PITA and slippery as all get out.

Haaaa.... I feel your pain. I had the fluid in my hair when I did my 535I. It is a PITA, but a great preventive maintenance measure.

You're doing all the right things. Keep plugging along and you'll see 300,000 miles!

[newsmanbg]

Just spent three quality hours on the floor under my car, and all signs are that I successfully changed my transmission fluid.

Here's my tip for the group: get an old vinyl advertising banner (we had some made for a one-time event at work, and I saved them from the trash) and roll it out under the car both to catch drips and spills of fluid and to make it easy for you to slide under and out from under the car. Here's a photo of mine after the job. After dropping the pan, I slid the banner toward the front of the car to have a cleaner place to lie, and the result is that you can see the obvious difference between the old and new fluid. Obviously, I'll be throwing this banner away!

View post on imgur.com

That filter seal really is a B. I used a sprinkler riser as a puller (initially bought the 1/2 inch rather than the 3/4 inch so back to Home Depot), and after four attempts, I was able to yank it out. Felt nervous about trying to collapse the seal as I was afraid of scratching the cast/milled part of the transmission, so was really glad this method worked. I definitely cheered out loud when the thing came out on the tip of the plastic pipe. :-)

Drained 5 quarts and seem to have filled about 5.5. Like others, got about 3 into the pan cold. Started the engine; could hear the pump cavitating for lack of fluid and pumped furiously. Ran through gears, got it up to temp, and topped it up.

Replaced pan bolts, but old ones seemed fine; probably didn't need to. Replaced drain plug to get new gasket since this must hold fluid in all the time, but reused fill plug, since it's above the usual level of fluid. That's my other tip; have heard of others rounding off that plug, so definitely use a 6-point socket rather than an open-end wrench or 12-point socket on that to avoid the problem.

[mecheng77]

Has anyone used Liquid Moly Top Tec 1800. I used it in my F22 - M235i ZF trans and surprisingly the website states it is rated to Dexron VI

https://www.liqui-moly.com/en/ca/top...ications-title

It seems like it is the do it all fluid.

[pbedrosi]

I just used the Liquid Moly top Tec 1800...not red in color but with filter change it shifts much better.

I also ended up going to FelPro gasket (it is GM trans afterall). It seems to be more substantial than factory gasket and I did not want to deal with leaks ever again. Great price on Rock for this...

You can see my pan had to be replaced.....rusted AF and as my friends asked me "did sponge bob own this car"...

[loc116]

Thank you to all that contributed to this thread, especially hting for the t-tool seal remover idea in post #56. Just wanted to share/ log my experience. 2011 328i xDrive. Purchased filter and pan gasket from FCP Euro. Pan gasket p/n CTO-70395420 $14.39; Filter VAI-V201017 $24.29. Purchased Valvoline Dexron VI from local Walmart $6.34 /qt. Bought 7 quarts, needed 5.5 qts. Purchased E10 wrench (Amazon) to remove exhaust hanger bolt close to transmission pan (not enough room for socket). Also purchased 17mm 6-pt wrench (Amazon) for fill plug removal. It wasn't that tight, so a 12-pt probably would have been ok in my case, but glad I got/used the 6-pt anyway. Purchased fluid pump from Harbor Freight (SKU: 63588) $10. Made filter seal removal tool from items purchased at Lowes home improvement store. p/n 194480 12" 1/2 irrigation riser. $0.77; p/n 23930 1/2" tee $1.48; p/n 51275 1/2 to 3/4 bushing $1.87. Used a towing shackle that I had around the house as the slide-hammer. Took a 2 or 3 attempts to remove, but would say it worked well to remove the seal. Used socket to install new seal and pushed new filter into it. Installed gasket and torqued pan bolts to 84 inch-lbs. Installed drain plug to 10 ft-lbs. Used HF 63588 fluid pump atop a 1/2 gal milk jug to refill. I've used other types of transfer pumps before; this one worked very well, with almost no mess. With car level and engine off, filled until is started coming out of fill port. Started engine and connected scan tool to monitor trans fluid temp, shifted thru gears and filled to leveling plug hole at 102 deg F. Installed leveling plug to 14 ft-lbs.

[bimmerevan112]

Excellent write up, very useful information. Just curious about the torque specs for the mounting bolts for the pan. Thank you !

[Grease23]

I recently bought a 2013 E93 with 62,000 miles on it. (My first BMW since my 1979 320i.) I am not a believer in "lifetime" fluids, so I wanted to at least do a dump and fill. I read this great thread with interest. All I know about the vehicle's prior maintenance is what the used car department did before selling it. (Oil pan gasket and brakes.) I have no idea if the auto trans had ever been touched. Aspects of this process surprised me, despite all the reading. The car shifted fine before and after I worked on it.

The idea of there being a vestigial unused dipstick port on the GM transmission kind of intrigued me and I found the plug, which pulls up and out with a two part process as described in this thread. I have very large hands and I had to unbolt a small bracket that is just a standoff for the under car shield in order to get the plug out. I probably could have bent the bracket out of the way. With the car dead level on jack stands and cold, I could tell the transmission fluid level was just at the top of the dip stick hole with plug removed. I opened the drain in the bottom of the pan and let the fluid drain overnight. I was expecting a bit over 4 quarts to come out per others' experiences, but carefully measuring the cold fluid I got 5.3 quarts. (Possibly overfilled? I wondered.) My original plan was to pump back in exactly that amount through the dipstick hole, getting the level back to where it had been before I drained it. The drained AFT was darker than new, but transparent and not really that bad.

I bent a piece of brake line into a "U" shape, clamped it on the end of a HFT transfer pump, and inserted it into the dipstick port and started pumping in new Dextron 6. It came dribbling back out at 4 quarts, which surprised me given the original level and what had drained out. Somehow just 4 quarts got it back to the original level at the dipstick port, despite draining out over 5 quarts. (The car was still level and cold and not running during all this.)

Well, I figured my little trick to avoid checking the level hot through the lower fill hole sure didn't work. I started the car and ran it through the gears and then let the transmission heat up with a foot on the brake and the car in drive. Measuring with an IR thermometer on the outside of the pan, it wasn't heating up much. I checked the temperature internally with an Autel scanner. When it finally climbed to 100F I opened the proper lower fill plug and nothing came out. I was expecting this and had more Dextron on hand. I assumed I'd put an extra quart and a bit into it to get it dribbling out. But it didn't start dribbling out the lower fill hole until I had added almost 3 quarts more than what I had drained.

So before I reinstall the undercar shields with their millions of 8mm fasteners, I thought I'd ask about this. Could the car really have been driving just fine when down 3 quarts? If the warm fill hole technique is the gold standard for "full" then the level should now be correct.

Thanks.