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Thread: ATF fluid change followed by total transmission failure

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
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    Default ATF fluid change followed by total transmission failure

    Still in shock. Passed by the auto supply this morning, bought synthetic engine oil, ATF and gear oil for my 89 525i a, had fluids changed at the gas station, didn't watch over this unfortunately. Engine oil brand was Top 1, ATF and gear oil brand was USA 88, a new one to me that the seller said was the only brand he carried. Picked up the car, used it a couple of hours in traffic, parked for dinner, and when I was pulling out after, the transmission gave without any warning at all, no error message, engine running smoothly but nothing throughout all gears, except a very faint grinding at R. Had the car lifted and brought to my indie mechanic. Shucks. What could have happened? Am I screwed bigtime? Am thinking car may also have been jealous, since have been going around the past weeks looking at newer E34s.

  2. #2
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    Feb 2004
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    No name brand ATF on BMWs? I would check the ATF level... alot of places do not know how to fill them up.

  3. #3
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Reuben Lim
    Still in shock. Passed by the auto supply this morning, bought synthetic engine oil, ATF and gear oil for my 89 525i a, had fluids changed at the gas station, didn't watch over this unfortunately. Engine oil brand was Top 1, ATF and gear oil brand was USA 88, a new one to me that the seller said was the only brand he carried. Picked up the car, used it a couple of hours in traffic, parked for dinner, and when I was pulling out after, the transmission gave without any warning at all, no error message, engine running smoothly but nothing throughout all gears, except a very faint grinding at R. Had the car lifted and brought to my indie mechanic. Shucks. What could have happened? Am I screwed bigtime? Am thinking car may also have been jealous, since have been going around the past weeks looking at newer E34s.
    Unfortunately, it sounds like you did what most E34 automatic owners do. You probably thought damn i could use an ATF change! Went off and got it changed, not knowing that swapping the old fluid out would probably ruin the transmission. A LOT of people on this forum who have automatics say that if the transmission fluid hasn't been replaced before/lately, do NOT replace it. It has to do with the grittiness of the fluid that the transmission because "broken in" to. New fluid essentially "doesn't work" in the transmission. It's a sad thing.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Reuben Lim
    Still in shock. Passed by the auto supply this morning, bought synthetic engine oil, ATF and gear oil for my 89 525i a, had fluids changed at the gas station, didn't watch over this unfortunately. Engine oil brand was Top 1, ATF and gear oil brand was USA 88, a new one to me that the seller said was the only brand he carried. Picked up the car, used it a couple of hours in traffic, parked for dinner, and when I was pulling out after, the transmission gave without any warning at all, no error message, engine running smoothly but nothing throughout all gears, except a very faint grinding at R. Had the car lifted and brought to my indie mechanic. Shucks. What could have happened? Am I screwed bigtime? Am thinking car may also have been jealous, since have been going around the past weeks looking at newer E34s.
    Well this thread has scared the S**T out of me. We're planning on changing out my ATF filter this or next weekend. I hadn't planned on flushing all the fluid though, just changing out whatever fluid we lose dropping the pan (About 50%).

    Ralph Mendoza Jr. - Long Beach, CA

  5. #5
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    first check the fluid level, hopefully they forgot to put the plug back in and it leaked out. Next to check is pull the pan and make sure the filter is in there right.

    good luck bro!
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    Middle England
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    OK ... scrub my ATF change this weekend ... hmm ... I need to think and check previous posts
    '90 535iSE Auto (AE+EAT) 123k miles
    '86 F288 69k miles
    '06('89)- PGE 2.0DOHC Turbo
    '03 A160LE 19k miles
    1914 Stellite E2A (no odometer!)
    (+ others I daren't mention here)
    www.pyghtle.com

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Reuben Lim
    Still in shock. Passed by the auto supply this morning, bought synthetic engine oil, ATF and gear oil for my 89 525i a, had fluids changed at the gas station, didn't watch over this unfortunately. Engine oil brand was Top 1, ATF and gear oil brand was USA 88, a new one to me that the seller said was the only brand he carried. Picked up the car, used it a couple of hours in traffic, parked for dinner, and when I was pulling out after, the transmission gave without any warning at all, no error message, engine running smoothly but nothing throughout all gears, except a very faint grinding at R. Had the car lifted and brought to my indie mechanic. Shucks. What could have happened? Am I screwed bigtime? Am thinking car may also have been jealous, since have been going around the past weeks looking at newer E34s.
    why did you not have the filter changed? if its gunked up, and the filter is almost full, cleaning it out into an overfilled filter is gonna reduce hydraulic pressure. the USA 88, is that a dexronII or III atf?
    "..Torchinski v. Peterson that it is legal to carry a concealed weapon, so long the weapon is totally slick like a huge ass machine gun that you carry under a trench coat, like in the Matrix."


  8. #8
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    USA 88 doesnt even google...
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  9. #9
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    Default A proper ATF change would not kill

    A good trans.

    Usually a trans that dies after an oil change was either on it's way out or the fluid change was the wrong type and/or the filter was replaced wrong.

    A dying trans could run on high viscosity dirty fluid filled with clutch material and dirt for a while (borrowed time), only to fail when fresh fluid is added during a change, washing away all the stuff that gave the clutch packs friction and the oil a higher viscosity filling in for all the wear.

    Try to find some dextron III and a new filter, and try again...It's a cheap attempt to revive the trans and may be all it needs.


    Vee ave vays of dealing vid your kind...........

  10. #10
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    but he would probably have to flush the entire thing to get the crappy stuff out. I cant find that trans fluid anywhere to see what its made of.
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

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