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Do it. Do not buy into the "lifetime fill" bs. BMW would love to sell you a new auto tranny out of warranty. I changed the auto tranny fluid in my 99 540i several years ago. I was told more than once by the dealer not to do it. I changed it at 112k, shifts were incredibly smoother and I also picked up another mpg. Shouldve done it at 75k, the fluid was disturbing to say the least. Tranny fluid breaks down over time no matter what. BMW doesnt magically have some formula that doesnt.
On a side note, I should also add that i know an owner of a 6mt 545i with over 160k on the clock. Nothing but routine maintnance, i drove it with 157k and thats what sold me on my current 545i.
the tech I have found says that my 2010 550i requires a new trans pan to service, since filter is integrated. I’m curious if you all have changed fluid and filter or just a flush. My car has 67,000 miles and from service records I have found its never been done before. Any help would be appreciated
I changed the filter with the fluid the first time I performed the flush. The subsequent two flushes I did not replace the pan/filter. Now I am preparing to perform two more flushes back to back in April.
The 24 bolts that hold the pan on require 7-inch pounds of torque, and some were corroded. Order extra bolts, I used only 10 of the 12 I purchased. The filter change procedure is on the ZF website, and the torqueing pattern is included. Not a quick job but very easy if you mark the tightened vs. to-be-tightened.
Your BMW will drive like a dream once you flush the fluid twice. Do yourself a huge favor and buy a pressurized transmission fluid tank with 90 degree tube. Motive 1735 is what I purchased, and it was worth every dollar. Lastly, buy the ZF transmission fluid for your vehicle. There is no substitute fluid on the market, and it will cost you between $24 & $32 per quart. You have no choice.
My 525i has 297xxx km....running like a clock...had to change a clutch and dual mass flywheel but that N52B30 is running strong...in my opinion key thing is proper maintenance and proper oil changes...think about it like this...the oil is really the only thing you can control going in and out of your engine so use the best oil you can budget for and be strict with your changes...as you put more kms on the motor change the oil more often...when the motor is fresh (under 50xxx km) you can change every 8-10k depending on how you drive...but over 175xxxkm i highly recommended changing sooner around 6-8k....and above 225xxxkm change around 5k religiously...as the o rings and stuff inside the engine age they require more oil to stay lubricated while engine is running...the fresher that oil the better the lubrication...same goes for all of the metal components...and remember it's cheaper to pay for an extra 2 or 3 oil changes a year (depending on how much driving you do) vs. rebuilding an engine
also if you're like me and curious you can always do an oil test to see what's going on inside your engine...there are plenty of labs that will test your oil and let you know all sorts of info on what's happening inside the engine and recommend remedies...one thing i've found is called TriboTEX (formerly known as CarBoss) and it's an engine oil additive that provides a diamond like coating to the interior of your motor and not only does it prevent further wear and tear they claim it actually begins to restore the components inside your motor...it's kinda pricey for what it looks like....i've always used liquimoly cera tec...about every 50xxx km and it works beautifully...at least for me...point is if you want that engine to see 300xxx km you have to be invested in its health and don't delay repairs or any maintenance work
Driver Side Comfort Access stopped working. I had to disconnect it so it would stop draining the battery.
Starting to see a little white smoke from the exhaust. Only happens when i'm at stand still for a few minutes, once i take off, white smoke is exhausted but goes away after a few seconds.
Other that that, the car has been great. And still as fun to drive as when i first purchased it 10 years ago. I plan to ride it till the wheels fall off.
Just shy under 158k now. Besides a failing battery that was replaced with a "lighter" 40lbs
Duralast compared to the 60lbs one, it's been pretty great still. *knock on wood*
Finally removed the, what appeared to be, the original air springs and shocks. Also removed the motor, brackets, and for now the plastic shroud that was full of years of mud, dirt, and rocks. And a possibly moldy af foam piece.
I have ISC on the rear right now and will be installing the fronts sometime this week w/ an alignment done this Saturday.
UPDATE:
it’s reached 186K miles and we are now looking to replace it. It started throwing codes and got number two cylinder plug and coil changed. The codes and misfire went away only to be replaced with a minor misfire. It misfires ever so slightly at idle, intermittently and does not throw any codes. In lieu of a clear diagnoses, it could be overheating, another coil or plug, valves, thermostat or impending doom. We want to run it till it dies because the only replacement we can think of is a 2015(?) 528i or a Tesla s. Consumer reports says that year’s 528i is very reliable. I have doubts about Tesla’s reliability.
ORIGINAL POST:
Its a daily commuter for my wife and I love the fact that it is safe and provides good performance on the raceway called highway 101 in the Bay Area.
Last edited by mehmasarja; 04-25-2019 at 07:57 AM.
Reason: Update
I have a wonderful 545i. I changed the clutch at 90k miles, at 120k I changed the expansion tank, at 150k changed gaskets to take care of oil leaks, at 160k changed expansion tank again. At 180k developed water leak through weep hole, looked at all the different solutions, added two bottles ($3.19 for two) of AlumAseal and drove like I always do. Now at 186k it is still going strong. I hope to hit 200k miles. Everything works but the passenger rear windows, the error is some anti-trap warning. I suspect the window motor is busted. I have three other newer cars, but something about this BMW just makes me want to drive it.
2004 e60 525i with 140,000mi. Only larger issue just now, hard jerky (auto) downshifts coming to stop. Happy I put $700 into new transmission solenoid kit. Runs perfectly now. Put my plans to buy a new car on hold (how much does that save me? Yikes!) Hope to get another 100,000mi This car rides as good as any new car I have driven (I need smooth/quiet v sporty.). Last year a guy saw my car at a golf course and said, "cool, is that the new 5 series?"
04-01-2018, 05:51 AM
