pinguhk

I know what you mean
they think change at 7k km is mad but for us it not if we what to keep it for a long time

bha7176

Where did you find the ZF Lifeguardfluid6 for sale? I've been searching but can't find it anywhere?

Thanks.

dailygrind

Pinguhk, I have the same problem...all gears smooth except 3rd -> 4th. Did the ATF change cure the shift jerk problem?

dailygrind

Hey..Brian

I'm from DC too. A newbie and just bought an E60 05 525i auto. I went to Autoscandia at Reston and the mechanics there couldn't notice any problem of my tranny. But I get that jolt while driving in D mode or DS mode from 3rd to 4th gear. It bothers me so much and I don't know what to do. She's got 79K and everything else runs strong. The mechanic told me about some software update may cure the problem. But I call this bull. I think she needs an ATF change. Do you agree? Have you gotten a quote for the change? man...it's expensive$$

krieshan

Talked to a very expert mechanic ( works only with aut.transmissions) and after a short drive he said my car has a small gap at the 3rd gear , also a 525i Aut. Changing oil will not solve the problem! The overall shifting experience will. He said it will gradually become worse and a overhaul/repair will be necessary. At now he only recommends changing oil as it now is still a minor inconvenience and not life threatening for the aut.box.( currently 108 K miles )

mhs525

The independent shop that changed my fluid got it from a BMW dealer. So even though dealers don't recommend changing it, they turned me away as well, they have the fluid

SBrown712

To sort of go along with the topic of this thread, when I had my oil changed recently the tech pointed out to me that my tranny pan was leaking a little and said this is not uncommon on these cars. He said I should keep an eye on it and if the leak worsens that I should have the pan replaced. Now, my car is CPO so I wonder if a leaking tranny pan would be covered and if so how would they address replacing it. I mean obviously if they have to replace the pan that means new fluid. I guess I'll see if the leak has worsened in about 5k miles when I get the oil changed again.

greycoopers

Damn...my car is at 60K miles now...I don't suppose that the dealer flushed the tranny before delivery since they claim it is a lifetime oil
I have a 523...is it wise to change the oil on one of these as well, or is it just the V8 models?

irockthebear

Raj, How do you change the oil? I looked down at the transmission and it looked like a sealed unit, I could not find the drain plug, how did you drain the fluid? Is there a how to somewhere?

Thanks!

mokk76

Below is what the Transmission manufacter says about maintenance. So if you drive harder and further, they advice you to change the fluid between 50k - 75k miles. I had a transmission pan leak at 53k miles, so I used that opportunity to change the filter/pan along with 5.5 litres of transmission fluid from BMW at $32.50 each. I plan to change again at 100k mile.

"5 and 6-speed as well as 4HP20 automatic transmissions:
ZF 5 and 6-speed as well as the ZF 4HP20 automatic transmissions are filled maintenance-free with specially developed partially
synthetic ATF oils. Maintenance-free fills are intended for normal operating conditions. Especially driving at very high operating
temperatures can result in accelerated aging or increased wear of ATF oils. In the event of operating conditions, such as:
- highway driving in top speed range,
- offensive, sporty driving style,
- frequent trailer operation,
being above average, oil purification (oil change) on automatic transmissions is recommended between 80,000 km and 120,000 km, or
8 years, depending on the load.
In each case, only released ATF oil may be used for oil changes. And oil changes must be performed in accordance with the relevant
specifications."