ATF for my 530i specific tranny?

[BillionPa]

my 9/93 530iA REQUIRES Dexron 3 type fluids.....

you sure the dealer just doesnt want to milk you for all that rediculously expsensive lifetime fluid?
or maybe they are just incompetent like so many dealers the lot of us have come across, and think any ZF 5HP** trans uses lifetime fluid (the 5HP18 is the only one that doesnt on the 5s)

the only way to know for sure is look on the transmission for the label which tells you what fluid is spec'd. some 5HP18 transmissions have green plugs and spec the Esso lifetime fluid, but our US E34s shouldnt be one of them, as i believe that the Esso fluid did not even exist at the time!!!

looks like the M3 automatic was the version of the 5HP18 that used the Esso fluid.