Gearbox Service Query

G

George.E89

Member
 Kent
I have gotten a quote from 2 BMW ‘specialists’ near me for a gearbox service on my bmw z4 35i 7 speed DCTIMG_1002.jpeg, one for £300 and another for £950, clearly one is wrong or very different service

The £300 service I have attached a photo of the invoice below of what’s induced, the £950 quote mentioned needing to use DCTF 1 fluid making up a chunk of the quote, replacing the entire sump tray and 2 filters.

Which of the 2 quotes is more around the price I should expect to pay
 
Year and exact model, E85,E86 or E89?
 
The first one is useless..

At a minimum you need to drain the oil..put 2 fresh filters and 7 litres of oil

In most cases replacing the plastic sump is highly recommended
 
B21 said:
The first one is useless..

At a minimum you need to drain the oil..put 2 fresh filters and 7 litres of oil

In most cases replacing the plastic sump is highly recommended
Click to expand...
This is what the second quote said, he also mentioned that it’s expensive because it is a form of DSG gearbox, I think he mentioned something about having to take everything out to get to one of the filters

He did actually recommend me to someone else who specialises in transmissions and therefore buys oils in bulk so can do it cheaper

Does this all make sense or is true?
 
George.E89 said:
This is what the second quote said, he also mentioned that it’s expensive because it is a form of DSG gearbox, I think he mentioned something about having to take everything out to get to one of the filters

He did actually recommend me to someone else who specialises in transmissions and therefore buys oils in bulk so can do it cheaper

Does this all make sense or is true?
Click to expand...
Its not the easiest job to do..if ypu do them all the time you obviously get quicker..sounds like he's priced it cause its TFD for him.

Parts and oils are around £400-£500.. 2 hours of labour probably
 
Last time I asked (5 years ago) was quoted about £750 by 2 reputable sources - as stated above, the parts & fluid alone are in the region of £400ish. You need to follow a special procedure to do it right - wouldn't trust to anyone not very familiar with the process.

That first quote looks like an standard auto fluid change - not a DCT.
 
B21 said:
Its not the easiest job to do..if ypu do them all the time you obviously get quicker..sounds like he's priced it cause its TFD for him.

Parts and oils are around £400-£500.. 2 hours of labour probably
Click to expand...
So he is right in what he says about it being a difficult process, but maybe a tad expensive?
 
matsmith749 said:
Last time I asked (5 years ago) was quoted about £750 by 2 reputable sources - as stated above, the parts & fluid alone are in the region of £400ish. You need to follow a special procedure to do it right - wouldn't trust to anyone not very familiar with the process.

That first quote looks like a standard auto fluid change - not a DCT.
Click to expand...
So the £950 may not be unreasonable
 
George.E89 said:
I have gotten a quote from 2 BMW ‘specialists’ near me for a gearbox service on my bmw z4 35i 7 speed DCTView attachment 286706, one for £300 and another for £950, clearly one is wrong or very different service

The £300 service I have attached a photo of the invoice below of what’s induced, the £950 quote mentioned needing to use DCTF 1 fluid making up a chunk of the quote, replacing the entire sump tray and 2 filters.

Which of the 2 quotes is more around the price I should expect to pay
Click to expand...
I have just purchased the parts and genuine fluid from Gearbox oils LTD. £380 delivered. Procedure is in ISTA. Car must be level. With labour I would expect to pay no more than £600 put depends on your area as said. I will be doing this my self shortly so will post my photos as I do it.
 
I will write a guide this week unless anyone else has one done. It’s not complicated provided it is followed correctly. That is the critical part.

It’s not necessary to change the sump but is good practice as it is exposed to heat cycles and is plastics. It suffers the same issues as the cam cover which is also plastic. It was £20 more from the supplier I linked. Which were brilliant. All genuine parts which I will photograph and post when I do the service.
 
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So today I carried out the service using the parts from Gearbox Oils. Very straightforward just messy.

A point to note. I set my car as high as I could and must be level front to rear and side to side.

When removing the fill plug my car was cold. I had a lot of oil come out so prepare yourself.

The side pressure filter was very easy with a good set of right angle cir-clip pliers. They didn’t slip once.

The only awkward bit was the captive 10mm nut that holds the stainless side bracket as it’s above the exhaust. Getting off wasn’t hard. Putting it back on, I had to put white tac in my 10mm to retain it. You also need a universal joint on your socket head to get the angle.

Once the messy bits were done, just add oil. Mine took 4 litres cold. Then another 2 litres during the oil balancing procedure. This must be done properly using either ISTA or a good diagnostic tool. I used my TOPDON Phoenix Plus 2 which guides you through the exact same procedure as ISTA but it’s easier to use.

Result is. Very smooth when cold. I didn’t have any issues but it is very noticeable smoother. And piece of mind.

My old oil wasn’t bad to look at but the filters were black. The magnet in the sump was as expected loaded with worn metal particles. Nothing excessive though.

All in it took me around 3 hours as access is not good without a lift. But it is doable.
 
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