This lack of maintenance requirements(as well as PITA to do it) makes me to not to get CPOs anymore unless the mileage is under 25k where the long term affects of lack of maintenance doesn't hurt the car yet. Also get rid of the car at 100k if you haven't done any proper maintenance like other car makers make you do. My 545 will going to be last one to keep above 150k miles since I can still do the proper maintenance without those hassles. Honestly I can't justify close to a $1k in replacing ATF. It's beginning to make sense to me that if you are going to keep the car way beyond 100k miles, don't bother spending close to $1000 at the dealer for ATF wait till around 120k-150k which will cost you somewhere around $4000-$5000(if you replace every 30k) just use that money you saved to replace the whole tranny. It should cost no more than 7k installed at the dealer or a lot cheaper if you go with indy. About same cost as replacing the fluid but you get a whole new tranny/remanufactured.

 

I just wish BMW drops their gimmicky 'low-maintenance' and 'free maintenance' programs and start advising people on the proper maintenance intervals like responsible automakers do.

I am stunned that there hasn't been a class-action lawsuit against the company for improper advice causing failures "after" the warranty period. There might be $billions in it for persistent lawyers armed with the right experts. I still wouldn't discount this.

 

my was not that dark. I say it was about 50% of the darkens

 

wow 7k for a new gearbox.
I would spend abit less on changing the oil than get a new 1 but that me.
also in HK it only cost $445us to do the job not $1000us but that price is not at the BMWHK dealers

 

My dealer said it would cost around $450.

 

Actually, it's not as dark as it seems. If you look at the middle part of the bowl, you can clearly see thru it. Its definitely not the dirtiest transmission fluid I have ever seen. It's held up much better than the older 5HP transmission fluid. It did not feel any thicker and there was no gunk in the filter/pan.
Dark does not always mean that it's bad. That is the nature of fluid.
Raj

 

I think for $450, all they are doing is, draining old fluid and pumping in new one. I doubt they are changing the pan/filter for that. I would confirm with them and see what exactly they offer for $450. In either case, that is a pretty good price.
Raj

 

but your car is 08 so no need to change unless you done loads of mile already.

 

How many failures have there been as a result of this "low/free maintenance" I still see a lot of high mileage E39 and E46s running around and havent heard of that many people blowing out their engine or tranny due to not changing the oil as frequent.

Oh BTW what's Porsche's recommendation on oil change and flushes? Last I read in the manual my 987 shows 20K before the first oil change or 2 years!

 

Actually, there hasn't been many engine related problems, but transmission problem are well documented. Quite a few of E46 transmission have failed. I frequent E46forums and also own one, so I know this 1st hand. I also bought this myth on my E39 and never changed the transmission fluid. At 130k, the car just stopped moving one day, I had to donate it .
As far as Porsche's interval, I doubt a single Porsche owner even drives 20k in 2 yrs, let alone leave the same oil in their car .
Regards.
Raj