bad idea or not...auto fluid/filter change?
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- Boost Junkie
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been google-ing about fluid/filter change, and have come across a link, where people are saying not to change it as it will damage the gearbox after a few hundred/thousand miles but then some are saying its like changing the engine oil...
and even one link, a guy suggests that bmw recommend that you do not need to change gearbox fluid at all...
whats you guys opinions ... is it worth doing or not worth taking the risk...
and even one link, a guy suggests that bmw recommend that you do not need to change gearbox fluid at all...
whats you guys opinions ... is it worth doing or not worth taking the risk...
Modern BMW boxes are sealed for life but a specialist can change the fluid & filter.
Assuming this is a standard E30 autobox the fluid and filter should be changed every Inspection II iirc. I change mine every 20K - hardly expensive when you using Dexron III. The filter is peanuts too.
Assuming this is a standard E30 autobox the fluid and filter should be changed every Inspection II iirc. I change mine every 20K - hardly expensive when you using Dexron III. The filter is peanuts too.
Modern BMW boxes are not sealed for life, BMW changed their stance on this and now recommend oil change every 100k miles, probably due to the insane amount of autobox failures.
In fact they have a new disposable plastic integrated sump and filter design on the newer models to make oil changes even easier. So yes BMW the say change the oil.

In fact they have a new disposable plastic integrated sump and filter design on the newer models to make oil changes even easier. So yes BMW the say change the oil.

Last edited by mcbonio on Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
Unlike manual gearbox oil, auto gearbox oil does get contaminated with friction material from clutch packs. It also gets worked a lot harder than manual gearbox oil and can get 'burnt'. And the oil in a manual gearbox doesn't get forced through complicated valve chests and solenoid valves.
You wouldn't never change the oil on a manual box, so why an auto?
Therefore it needs changing.
You wouldn't never change the oil on a manual box, so why an auto?
Therefore it needs changing.
If you change it make sure is done by a company what done it before. If anything goes wrong they can deal with it. I got quoted £240 for the fluid and filter change. Not cheap. The procedure in itself its not complicated. Maybe you need to take som precautions if you do it yourself. Hope someone will give us more details
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£240andreia wrote:If you change it make sure is done by a company what done it before. If anything goes wrong they can deal with it. I got quoted £240 for the fluid and filter change. Not cheap. The procedure in itself its not complicated. Maybe you need to take som precautions if you do it yourself. Hope someone will give us more details

I had Saab change and flush the auto box on my 9-5 which requires 15 litres of mobil 1 specific oil to do fully and it came to £100.
Changing it on a E30 is simple, I did my cab and all it cost me was the filter and oil. Can't remeber exactly how much as it was 2 years ago but it was about £30.
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5% of the cost of a new 'box?DanThe wrote:On later BMW's the fluid alone costs over £100

Yes, change the oil as much as you want.
Undo the filling bung first, and then the drainage bung. Let it drain. Put the drainage bung back in, and fill the box to the level of the filling bung. Replace that.
It's really that simple.
Undo the filling bung first, and then the drainage bung. Let it drain. Put the drainage bung back in, and fill the box to the level of the filling bung. Replace that.
It's really that simple.
Old BMW autoboxes like the E30 etc need oil changes because Dexron (made/licensed by General Motors) is non synthetic and it won't last. The clutch packs are also worked much harder, but Dexron is so cheap you could change it every 6000 if you wanted to. 20'000 is good enough though.
Later boxes such as the 5 and 6 speed units used synthetic oil that will last 200'000 miles. Plenty of old E39's etc have got to that mileage on the factory fill oil and still work. Changing it at 100'000 isn't a bad idea though. Clutch packs have a much easier life because the torque converter clutch engages/disengages between each shift to cushion the gearchange. 5 speed boxes fail because something breaks such as a split clutch drum and six speeders often fail because of a blown gasket in the mechatronics unit. There's not often a failure due to a lubrication issue.
BMW's reverting to a 100'000 mile oil change policy smacks of a 'arse covering' measure!
Later boxes such as the 5 and 6 speed units used synthetic oil that will last 200'000 miles. Plenty of old E39's etc have got to that mileage on the factory fill oil and still work. Changing it at 100'000 isn't a bad idea though. Clutch packs have a much easier life because the torque converter clutch engages/disengages between each shift to cushion the gearchange. 5 speed boxes fail because something breaks such as a split clutch drum and six speeders often fail because of a blown gasket in the mechatronics unit. There's not often a failure due to a lubrication issue.
BMW's reverting to a 100'000 mile oil change policy smacks of a 'arse covering' measure!