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It is raining so I thought I would have a go at changing the transmission fluid.
Here goes:
Get the filter, gasket and bolts
Drive around to warm to fluids and then raise the car and make it secure
Find the filler bolt and make sure you can loosen it. You don't want to discover it won't come loose after you have drained the 'box. On mine the bolt was really tight but once it moved it would turn by finger
Now find the drain plug
Don't forget to read the label, BMW have invented lifetime oil! Strange it works so well with a GM 'box
Remove the plug and let the fluid drain, not as bad as the diff oil was
Notice that as it drains, the drip point moves
so get your catch tank in the right place otherwise you will get fluid all over the floor
I am leaving it to drain now so will see what happens
Removing the transmission sump needs a 10mm socket, a small 10mm socket
Carefully remove all the bolts leaving just the corner ones so it doesn't drop
Now removed the corner bolts
Now hit the bugger with a hammer to try and release it and then smack a chisel into the joint to try and separate it and finally it comes loose
Now I can see the filter and all the gasket bits stuck around the edge
So now I can see what makes the BMW lifetime oil so special, it is a browney red colour.
and full of little metal bits that haven't been picked up by the domed magnet in the corner
Yeah, real mucky
Remember that domed magnet? Turns out it was flat
Looks a lot cleaner now
Filter out and not looking that cleaner either
Wiped the worse of the fluid off the bottom of the box and started to scrape the old gasket off. I can assure you that lying under a dripping gearbox scraping old gasket off is not as exciting as it sounds
On Ebay you can get extra long flexible universal auto gearbox dip sticks.
Just check the fluid level before you start so you can re check it afterwards to make sure you have the right amount of fluid back in. About a fiver delivered.
Clean transmission sump, gasket and bolts all ready to go on
New filter fitted
Shiny new bolts tighten and ready to fill
Just under 5 litres of fluid went in. About three and a half with the engine off, started the engine and cycled through the gears, back into park and the last litre and a half went in.
Left over fluid
I used a 500cc version of this oil syringe from Machine Mart. DO NOT BUY IT. It is extremely stiff to use, leaks at the handle end, lets air into with the fluid at the other end, has a hose that keeps kinking. Not please and now stink of transmission fluid.
