auto gearbox oil

[whiterhino]

as above really.is this absolutely necesary to change.some people say yes and others say just to change the filters and top it up.my car has 115000 miles.

[darkchild]

On my old auto M43 turd I changed the gearbox oil at 80K with no noticeable difference, good or bad.

Some say its not worth doing once you get past 100K, fresh oil can result in a whine from the box or make more apparent any minor issues that it has.

[Andyboy]

my car has 115000 miles.

What car is it?

[whiterhino]

andyboy its a 328i.

[Andyboy]

Depends what year it is. Very early ones from 1995 were still using Dexron 11 ATF which means oil/filter every inspection 11. Later ones from late '95 (E39 era) went to synthetic lifetime fluid. If you still have the service booket, it'll say but I've had a look at a 1996 E36 service book and it says the only model needing a gearbox oil change is the 325tds.

Either way, it's not a bad plan to drain the oil, drop the sump, replace the filter and refill with the correct oil - it's Esso-Mobil LT71141. Don't put Dexron in!

[whiterhino]

cheers andyboy the car is a 98 s reg.so the esso oil you reccomend is the one to go for.shall i have the oil changed completely or just change the filter and have it topped up with new stuff.

[Andyboy]

just change the filter and have it topped up with new stuff.

Yup!