Life Time Transmission - Changing ATF

[shield17]

I have been told and read several opinions on changing the ATF in the sealed "Lifetime" Transmissions. I have a 1993 525i with a sealed tranny. I find it most ridiculous that you are not to change the ATF. I have been told by a local BMW dealer that if it is necessary to do tranny work they save the old ATF and put it back in! I was shocked. They state that replacing with fresh will cause the tranny to fail and then bleed out like a hemophiliac! The Bentley Book states to stay away from it, that a dealer has to use NASA technology just to check the level. I currently do not have any problems - Knock Wood! but I am LOOKING FOR EVERYONE'S OPINIONS! THANKS MUCH..

[Tiger]

We had a long discussion about this... on 540i... same application to here... a week and half ago... search for it. It is the filter that need to be changed... and I don't believe in lifetime crap.

[WarrenBrown]

The fluid is intended to be replaced every Inspection II. It only requires that the car be level and the transmission be up to temp. With the engine running in neutral fluid should spill from the fill plug. It takes Dexron II. No way was it lifetime fluid. Really not difficult.

Having said that some folks suggest not changing it in high mileage cars that haven’t been treated to regular fluid changes.

I changed mine at 40K and then at 75K. I used some kind of Castrol Dexron II/III synthetic. Also changed the filter. I think I'm going to start doing every 20K or once a year.

Warren
91 318is
95 525iT

[Dick Schneiders]

The only E34's with the "lifetime" fluid are the 540's. Your tranny has a removeable plug where you both check the fluid level and top off or replace the fluid. Not sealed at all. You don't have a dipstick/fill tube, like on both of my 1991 525i's, but other than that your tranny is exactly the same as mine. What you have been told, or understood to have been told, is totally wrong. The fluid used in your tranny is normal Dexron III, which is not saved and needs to be replaced frequently. Different people feel the fluid needs to be changed at different intervals, but certainly it should be changed every 40,000 miles, and more often would be better.

I have been told and read several opinions on changing the ATF in the sealed "Lifetime" Transmissions. I have a 1993 525i with a sealed tranny. I find it most ridiculous that you are not to change the ATF. I have been told by a local BMW dealer that if it is necessary to do tranny work they save the old ATF and put it back in! I was shocked. They state that replacing with fresh will cause the tranny to fail and then bleed out like a hemophiliac! The Bentley Book states to stay away from it, that a dealer has to use NASA technology just to check the level. I currently do not have any problems - Knock Wood! but I am LOOKING FOR EVERYONE'S OPINIONS! THANKS MUCH..

[Dick Schneiders]

Even on the trannys with the "lifetime" fluid, they give a procedure for changing the fluid. For your tranny, they have a very straightforeward and simple method for both checking and changing the fluid and filter.

The only E34's with the "lifetime" fluid are the 540's. Your tranny has a removeable plug where you both check the fluid level and top off or replace the fluid. Not sealed at all. You don't have a dipstick/fill tube, like on both of my 1991 525i's, but other than that your tranny is exactly the same as mine. What you have been told, or understood to have been told, is totally wrong. The fluid used in your tranny is normal Dexron III, which is not saved and needs to be replaced frequently. Different people feel the fluid needs to be changed at different intervals, but certainly it should be changed every 40,000 miles, and more often would be better.

[ryan roopnarine]

have a doubt as to what is in there after extracting it (ie dextron or not)...id take a sample down to the dealer and see if the techs there can't determine for you whether or not its the lifetime.....the chances that you have the the lifetime are minute....methinks that the only 525is with lifetime fluid are bmw factory new units replaced after 1997...my tranny was replaced at 70k by previous owner..at 115k now, so i change tranny fluid with cheap stuff at every oil change....i have a dipstick on my 92 525i so things are easier for me though.

[Bill R.]

see if calls for conventional dexron mercon fluid not the lifetime fluid that the 540 uses. Its a so called sealed trans but should still be changed to maximum life. Here is the level checking procedure for yours without the dipstick.

I have been told and read several opinions on changing the ATF in the sealed "Lifetime" Transmissions. I have a 1993 525i with a sealed tranny. I find it most ridiculous that you are not to change the ATF. I have been told by a local BMW dealer that if it is necessary to do tranny work they save the old ATF and put it back in! I was shocked. They state that replacing with fresh will cause the tranny to fail and then bleed out like a hemophiliac! The Bentley Book states to stay away from it, that a dealer has to use NASA technology just to check the level. I currently do not have any problems - Knock Wood! but I am LOOKING FOR EVERYONE'S OPINIONS! THANKS MUCH..

[Dick Schneiders]

it and was unable to quickly locate it. :-)

I am curious why you choose to use the words "Its a so called sealed trans". Where does that come from? Do you think this for just those without the dipstick/fill tube? Both of my 1991 525i's have the dipstick/fill tube, but they are the exact same tranny as on the one being discussed (also confirmed by your chart). Why would this one be called sealed by anybody and not those with the dipstick? Or do you also call those with the dipstick "sealed". This is, in my opinion, a dangerous choice of words for these trannys, as most people upon hearing them will assume that they don't need to change the fluid or filter.

If these trannys can be called sealed, then any tranny could be called sealed.


see if calls for conventional dexron mercon fluid not the lifetime fluid that the 540 uses. Its a so called sealed trans but should still be changed to maximum life. Here is the level checking procedure for yours without the dipstick.[/QUOTE]

[Bill R.]

they came up with what I called the so called sealed tranny... I suspect but have no idea if its correct or not that they had enough problems with tech's and various lube places getting the level incorrect that they went to the setup without the dipstick.. There are a number of bulletins about problems that occur on this trans and it seems to me that they always mention making sure the fluid level was checked correctly and at the right temp... leading me to believe that this trans is very sensitive to having the fluid level exact.. Pure conjecture on my part... Also isuzu didn't eliminate the dipstick on theirs and it uses the same trans. So bmw may have felt that the average smoe was just going to screw it up so lets take the dipstick away.. Thats what i meant by so called sealed.. I don't feel that anything is lifetime myself and always prefer to service them. However I do agree that I would only use the specified fluid in the 540 which is the shell la 2634, bmw and zf are pretty adamant about this.. Anyway here is the procedure for checking yours with the dipstick, you can see how particular they are about the temp of the fluid and the measurement of height on the dipstick...












[QUOTE=Dick Schneiders]it and was unable to quickly locate it. :-)

I am curious why you choose to use the words "Its a so called sealed trans". Where does that come from? Do you think this for just those without the dipstick/fill tube? Both of my 1991 525i's have the dipstick/fill tube, but they are the exact same tranny as on the one being discussed (also confirmed by your chart). Why would this one be called sealed by anybody and not those with the dipstick? Or do you also call those with the dipstick "sealed". This is, in my opinion, a dangerous choice of words for these trannys, as most people upon hearing them will assume that they don't need to change the fluid or filter.

If these trannys can be called sealed, then any tranny could be called sealed.


s

[Dick Schneiders]

What is that information on the right side of the instructions on how to check the fluid on a tranny with the dipstick? The part about if the level is too low, then valve chatter might occur and if too high, then you might have foam and a hotter running engine ! That really confuses me as that seems to be referring to *engine* oil and not tranny fluid. Did something get added to the instructions in error?

[QUOTE=Bill R.]they came up with what I called the so called sealed tranny... I suspect but have no idea if its correct or not that they had enough problems with tech's and various lube places getting the level incorrect that they went to the setup without the dipstick.. There are a number of bulletins about problems that occur on this trans and it seems to me that they always mention making sure the fluid level was checked correctly and at the right temp... leading me to believe that this trans is very sensitive to having the fluid level exact.. Pure conjecture on my part... Also isuzu didn't eliminate the dipstick on theirs and it uses the same trans. So bmw may have felt that the average smoe was just going to screw it up so lets take the dipstick away.. Thats what i meant by so called sealed.. I don't feel that anything is lifetime myself and always prefer to service them. However I do agree that I would only use the specified fluid in the 540 which is the shell la 2634, bmw and zf are pretty adamant about this.. Anyway here is the procedure for checking yours with the dipstick, you can see how particular they are about the temp of the fluid and the measurement of height on the dipstick...

it and was unable to quickly locate it. :-)

I am curious why you choose to use the words "Its a so called sealed trans". Where does that come from? Do you think this for just those without the dipstick/fill tube? Both of my 1991 525i's have the dipstick/fill tube, but they are the exact same tranny as on the one being discussed (also confirmed by your chart). Why would this one be called sealed by anybody and not those with the dipstick? Or do you also call those with the dipstick "sealed". This is, in my opinion, a dangerous choice of words for these trannys, as most people upon hearing them will assume that they don't need to change the fluid or filter.

If these trannys can be called sealed, then any tranny could be called sealed.


s