Transmission Fluid Change in 90 535i

[ScrumDawg]

I would like to know if I should change the fluid. I purchased this auto with 101k on it and it now has 148k. There are no records of the trans fluid ever being changed. I asked the mechanic at the BMW dealership in Nashville and they recommed that I do NOT change it. It appears to be clear and slippery with out any burnt smell to it. Any suggestions? The reason I want to change is, it doesn't seem to be shifting properly and thought this might be the best way to start.

[Bill R.]

I would like to know if I should change the fluid. I purchased this auto with 101k on it and it now has 148k. There are no records of the trans fluid ever being changed. I asked the mechanic at the BMW dealership in Nashville and they recommed that I do NOT change it. It appears to be clear and slippery with out any burnt smell to it. Any suggestions? The reason I want to change is, it doesn't seem to be shifting properly and thought this might be the best way to start.

[Tiger]

Agreed! Change it now and flush all old fluids.

[ScrumDawg]

Okay. Now with that said, don't I subject myself to more problems by flushing, ie.. bands, slipping, etc? I went through a couple of threads and this was posted a couple of months ago. One of the recommendations was to drain and add a couple of quarts at a time with filter change on each for the first 30 days. Does this make sense? The mechanic said not to change because of the aforementioned possible problems.

[Bill R.]

50% of it, then drive it for a week or 2 and drain again without removing the pan this time . After doing this a couple of times you'll have flushed most of it out. I change mine on my 535 everytime i do the engine oil since its so easy to change the transmission fluid. Then about every 20k I pull the pan and check/clean the screen. Here's a link on Bruno's site to the procedure

Okay. Now with that said, don't I subject myself to more problems by flushing, ie.. bands, slipping, etc? I went through a couple of threads and this was posted a couple of months ago. One of the recommendations was to drain and add a couple of quarts at a time with filter change on each for the first 30 days. Does this make sense? The mechanic said not to change because of the aforementioned possible problems.

[ScrumDawg]

Thanks for the post and the link.