Transmission Oil Change Question
 

I was just in the dealership getting some warranty work done on my 08 535 XI.
I asked the advisor on his recommendation of transmission oil/filter change. He told me not to change anything. He said drive it as it is lifetime. He also said that changes may alter the characteristics of the shifting and slippage and he has seen transmissions die after a oil/filter change. His thoughts are totally different from anything I have read on any forum.
I could see if my motor had over 100K miles and never changed oil/filter, that it would change the shifting with new oil. My car has over 50K and seems that a oil/filter change would benefit the unit..
Any thoughts or pros/cons on a trans. oil/filter change in the near future?
Will I need any reprogramming after the change?

Thanks.

Your service advisor is DEAD DEAD DEAD wrong. go check ZFs literature and you'll see what the recommended service intervals are. Even BMW has backed off of its 'lifetime' claim and now recommends service every 100,000 miles.

The only thing you may need to do in terms of any 'programming' is resetting adaptations. The notion that servicing a transmission will cause it to fail is absolutely ludicrous. By that theory, I guess I'll stop changing my engine oil too.

Get a new advisor.

Curious, what is ZFs recommendation now for the e60 trans? I looked on ZFs confusing website and did not find anything. Thanks

From ZFs website:

"every 80,000km to 120,000km, or after 8 years at the latest"

http://www.zf.com/media/media/docume...hselkit_EN.pdf

that translates to a transmission service every 50,000 to 75,000 miles. where BMW pulled that 'lifetime' nonsense from is a mystery to me.

Thanks KyleB - BMWs Lifetime is not the same as our definition of lifetime. This is why I always look at fluid change intervals with skepticism. Change my oil every 3K etc.

I changed my transmission fluid last month and the shifting on my manual tranny is definitely smoother. Car had 55k miles at the time.

As someone else said, get a new service adviser.

I got the ATF drained and filled at 50,000 miles. All with ZF fluid and parts, including mechatronics sleeve. Check the Blackstone Lab. analysis of the old fluid. It was time for a change.

Actually the report looks good so it really wasn't necessary to change. In the end it's up to up you when you want to change. I did mine at 100k miles and all the components looked great, pan/filter, oil, mech sleeve, and bridge seal. There was no sludge build up and even now the trans isn't any smoother then how it was before the change which it was smooth already. Like a few have said its about driving the machine like it was intended to keep it happy. Every time I drive the car it will see redline, it will see a rolling 30 mph to xx mph when getting on a freway on ramp, oil temps get up to 220F.

Originally I wanted only the mechatronics sleeve replaced. The last time my car had work done by the dealer their invoice mentioned a leaky sleeve. Talking to my indy, who only deals with BMWs, I was referred to a local transmission specialist who services ZF ATs on a daily basis. From replacing the sleeve to having the full service done was a small step. They saved a small amount of the old fluid which I mailed to Blackstone for analysis to establish a baseline. I also submitted a copy of the report to Mike Miller, Technical Editor of Roundel Magazine, who agreed with having the service performed.

I've seen 180 and 200,000+ miles come in with original Trans fluid and gear oil. Not to say this is a wise thing, but if you're not towing or beating the hell out of your car, Trans fluid doesn't break down like oil, it doesn't get as hot, it's not contaminated with fuel and moisture like oil etc etc.

Change that fluid! Fluid changes have resolved all of my rough shifting issues. 155K miles and the transmission shift as if it were new.


Regarding the AGS-Adaptive Transmission Control, the AGS readjust itself every time the car accelerates from a stop. Change the fluid and the AGS will learn its new parameters.


In short the dealership is counting on selling you a new transmission in about 40K miles.

It's most definitely not a wise thing. Transmission fluid gets contaminated, and this contamination is exactly what leads to solenoid failure. For whatever reason, the 6HP generation of ZF gearboxes appear to be especially prone to failures at shift solenoids. I also saw them come in to my shop with similar mileages and no service history. Some of them came in on tow trucks...

Again, straight from the horse's mouth:

http://www.zf.com/media/media/docume...hselkit_EN.pdf

gamble if you wish, but it could end up being an expensive bet.

I just got done changing the transmission fluid on my wife's 2008 528Xi a few weeks ago. It looked pretty good overall, this was the first time it was changed, 148,000 miles. I also reset the adaptations. It really felt better, crisper shifts. But now it's learned the way my wife drives and it's back to the same old sluggish shifting, just like it was before I did all the work. Well, at least I know the fluid is fairly clean and the pan/filter are new.

I would change the Oil.

I changed mine at 80k miles & wished it was done earlier. The oil was dirty & dark. If I had owned it earlier I would have done it for sure.

There is some rationality to the old school guys 150K+ concern about new fluid. That the old stuff gets incredibly crappy and the new detergents loosen up the crud deposits, so that it finds it's way into the valvebody ports, etc. So if the tranny is way up there and the fluid is original, I'd have to think about whether there's a risk.

But: I go with ZF's recommendation and change it every 60K or so. That way the fluid never gets crappy, and 150K+ is like any other mile.

What fluid/transmission pan kit are you guys using or could recommend for an '07 530i? Can not find the BMW OEM fluid so I need help.

Would also need a feedback on this adaptation thingy and does it apply to our car?

Thanks for being patient with me ;)

A good source of transmission maintenance parts is The CTSC - ZF Parts.

You'll see them in many threads including KyleB's DIY transmission thread.

Just ordered a kit for wife's 2009 X5. Came a couple days ago. All ZF parts and fluid. Well packed. Good price.

The OEM fluid is ZF Lifeguard6, I always get my transmission service parts and fluid from thectsc.com.

Saw this right after sending you a PM.
What type of transmission (model) is there in an '07 530i?

Thanks

We have two 535xi (08 and 09). Have replaced the fluid in both at about 55K. No flush or filter change and both cars are running perfect after about 10k each.