I am having real trouble in Japan finding any transmission fluid to suit my car
a 2003 E60

everyone just says take it to the dealer
I went to a BMW dealer who at first wouldnt sell me any and then wanted aprox $70 usa a liter

so a mechanic suggested i use Pentosin Auto trans Fluid ATF !

does anyone know if this fluid is okay?
I found some on line sellers saying it is

Thanks for your help

 

should be good

read this thread i made a while back. ford mercon sp is the cheapest option if you can find it over there.

https://5series.net/forums/e60-discu...arison-115742/


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Thanks for your continued help
I will order a new sump and sealing sleeve and do it all togeather
I will get the Pentosin ATF1 as its easy for now but if it is all working well after i give it new oil ect I will probably change to a better fluid and hopefully if I look after it, I wont have anymore trouble

 

As turboawd indicated, if you can find the Ford Mercon SP fluid that is the best option as it is chemically identical to the ZF Lifeguard fluid.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=441992

You'll be fine with the Pentosin fluid. It is not technically approved, but it is a good transmission fluid none-the-less. I wouldn't bother changing the fluid out to another brand once you have used the Pentosin, just do a simple drain and refill to get as much new fluid as you can in the transmission.

Another alternative to the Pentosin is Valvoline MaxLife ATF. It meets the Shell specification for the ZF transmission fluid.Contact the local Japanese distributor for more information. It might be a less costly alternative to the Pentosin.

Valvoline.com > Trade Partners > Worldwide Distributors