E30 Zone

Were do i buy manual gear oil ? have tried BMW they dont sell it over the counter.When to halfords guy said dont put that crap in a bmw. So were do i go and what brand do i need 325i

halfords guy must be a clown.its just a standard sae 80 gear oil.

I have read that you can use ATF in gearboxes,the thinner oil gives a lighter change.Has anyone tryed this?

daimlerman wrote:I have read that you can use ATF in gearboxes,the thinner oil gives a lighter change.Has anyone tryed this?

i was told this for my cossie box, not sure if its true.

My problem is that 'er indoors moans about the short shift in my 2.7.The standard one in the 316 causes no complaints....just thinking of ways to make the change a bit lighter.

ATF i think cures shifting problems from cold

Yes you can use ATF in the box.
Its something BMW said to do.

I had ATF put in my 325 Motorsport's manual box and it freed it up beautifully. Mind you, the real test will come in the winter. But so far, so good...

Nobby,

Why do you say "winter test"

Does it become lumpy and what not the ATF?

Saboor

Yeah, the box was always stiff going from 1st to 2nd in the cold weather, but since the ATF replaced the regular oil the changes have become very smooth, though as I say, the real test will be when the really cold weather (as opposed to this current warm sh*t we're having...!) kicks in during Dec/Jan/Feb. But I'm hopeful it's cured the lumpiness for good...

Oh excellent

What did you use, is it any ATF fluid, or did you use a specialised one isntead?

Defo going to get that done

Saboor

i have run atf in mine for 5 years with no probs . i find the gear change much better from cold

i'm prob having a blond moment, but ATF is 'Automatic Transmission Fluid', is it not?

It certainly is, and the one my man put in my box is Dextron III (Dextron 3). Excellent stuff...

Using synthetic "Red Line" in mine at present, as been said ATF works good too, esp in winter. some boxes have been told have label on them?

nobbyw4 wrote:It certainly is, and the one my man put in my box is Dextron III (Dextron 3). Excellent stuff...

where do i get this stuff?

Sorry, it's actually Dexron 3, not Dextron 3. Do a Google search for it and shop around...

is ATF really possible as a manual gearbox lubricant? Surely a good synthetic would be better than ATF

page 130 of the 1989 e30 handbook notes the use of SAE 80 gear oil...

Not sure about that, or the possible long-term effects of using ATF in a manual box. What I do know is that it's certainly an improvement at the moment...

Dexron 3 is the standard oil in the 6 speed box in the E36 M3 EVO.

mark_i wrote:is ATF really possible as a manual gearbox lubricant? Surely a good synthetic would be better than ATF

page 130 of the 1989 e30 handbook notes the use of SAE 80 gear oil...

ATF is excellent.

the Heynes guide also makes reference to the manufacturers using ATF on some model manual E30s.

Mate of mine always used it in his E30 323i.

Also helped get rid of the whining noise he had when the the car was in neutral on standstill.

glad i found this thread need to get me some atf fluid

ive just changed mine, put the recommended gear oil in. thats what should be in it so thats what i put in. never noticed any gearchange probs on my 150000 miler

WELL BULLY FOR YOU...!

ATF works wonders, just had g-box oil change after 147000 miles.....Iv only had it for about 100 tho and instead of the original i used ATF. Its much smoother in the mornings, 1st - 2nd used to crunch, now its sweet as a nut, and gets smoother once warm, hope this helps

Very reassuring, thanks...

is atf thinner than 80w? and would it stop whining noises while driving or make it worse?