Auto Transmission and Ash Tray Questions

[Golgade]

Hello,
Got a few newbie questions for you. First one is how do you get out the ash tray up front? Im trying to figure out how to the the metal part that sticks out in there so I can stick my IPOD somewhere. Second is a 95 530i has lifetime transmission fluid? Is this true? And I am to understand there is no dipstick to check it? Do most of you folks change the fluid anyway?
Thanks
Dan Lafley

[Russell]

Use the search function for transmission service. it is a bit involved, but DYI doable.

As for your ash tray (if I understand correctly), push up on the tray underside and it should slide out.

[JD525IA]

Hello,
Got a few newbie questions for you. First one is how do you get out the ash tray up front? Im trying to figure out how to the the metal part that sticks out in there so I can stick my IPOD somewhere. Second is a 95 530i has lifetime transmission fluid? Is this true? And I am to understand there is no dipstick to check it? Do most of you folks change the fluid anyway?
Thanks
Dan Lafley

As for the fluid, if you don't have a black-handeled dipstick back by the firewall you don't need to service it until you get tranny work done........or so I've heard.

JD

[Sixdown]

As for the fluid, if you don't have a black-handeled dipstick back by the firewall you don't need to service it until you get tranny work done........or so I've heard.

JD

I think it's still best to change the fluids out between transmission services and rebuilds. One question though...how does one even change the fluid without anyway to fill it up? Is there somewhere to put in the fluid? Just asking for reference, not because mine is a manual.
My auto e28 doesn't have a tube or dipstick either.

[glen-sj]

You need to pump the fluid in. The 530/540 - the fill plug is on the bottom of the pan. The 525 have the fill plug on the side of the pan.

[attack eagle]

yeah there is a fill plug on the side, and you fill it while the engine is running and in gear from under the car.

[glen-sj]

The 95 530 do not have lifetime trans fluid. The 540 was advertised as using the lifetime fluid. The 530 uses Dexrol III. No dip stick. The fill plug is on the bottom of the trans fluid pan.

I just changed the fluid again this past weekend. Will do it again this weekend and will drop the pan and change the filter also.

[Dr. evil]

First one is how do you get out the ash tray

theres a metal tang on the bottom of the tray, all you have to do is push it up and pull the tray out

[bubba966]

To pull your ash tray out you're probably going to have to have the transmission in 1st gear as you can't fully pull it out when it's in park. So put it in 1st, pull the ash tray out as far as it normally goes, then stick your hand underneath and push up on the metal retaining tab, and pull it the rest of the way out.

The fill plug on the bottom of the pan is fun. You need to have the car in the air so that you can get underneath it. It also needs to be level, warmed up and running. Have the low beams and/or A/C on while you do this. Then pump new ATF into the pan until you get it running back out of the fill plug. Re-install the plug and you're done.

Though you should drop the tranny pan, get a new pan gasket, and a proper BMW tranny filter. The aftermarket filters don't always fit quite right, and they also can flatten out (as they don't have the ridges molded into them that they should) and cause oil starvation and kill the tranny.