Steptronic gearoil change

M

Martin Knud

Member
 Espergaerde, Denmark
Should I change the gearbox oil? 110000 km and shifts fine.There is a sticker on the gearbox at the bottom of the car that says something like "Lasts the entire life of the car".
My mechanic says it is a good idea to fill new oil in the gearbox.
2006 2,5si Steptronic
 
I went to two independent BMW specialists and an specialist automatic transmission company and all of them said not to do it. In fact the auto trans people said they wouldn't do it even if i insisted! Mines on 122k and has never been changed to my knowledge.
Also bear in mind that there is around two litres of fluid in the torque converter that you cannot get out unless you use one of those pump systems that just pumps clean fluid around the system until it runs clean. You wont find any specialist auto box company who uses one of those though...
 
Rockhopper said:
I went to two independent BMW specialists and an specialist automatic transmission company and all of them said not to do it. In fact the auto trans people said they wouldn't do it even if i insisted! Mines on 122k and has never been changed to my knowledge.
Also bear in mind that there is around two litres of fluid in the torque converter that you cannot get out unless you use one of those pump systems that just pumps clean fluid around the system until it runs clean. You wont find any specialist auto box company who uses one of those though...
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No disrespect to you, but your independent BMW "specialists" are full of crap.
Pay special attention at the 1 minute mark in this (ZF) produced instructional video.
These Z4's are "enthusiasts" cars that IMO are subject to conditions that do NOT fall within the "lifetime fill" lie...
That is, if you care about the longevity of your 5HP19.

 
My 2.5 si started to be unpredictable at 75k so changed the oil and filter which cured it, ZF recommend 70k changes,
Your choice, the manufacturer doesn’t care, the car will be well last it’s warranty period.
 
Like I said, if the box has big miles on it and the fluid has never been changed then there is nothing to be gained by changing it, and potentially a lot to loose.
The garages I went to won’t do it as they don’t want any warranty come back which they must have had to not want to do it again! They don’t like turning away paying customers.
Many many people have said the same thing over the years. I’ve also heard of more than a few who found their old box failed after a fluid change, sometimes immediately after.
These box are fitted to many makes and models of cars, there is nothing special about them or the way the cars are driven.
 
Rockhopper said:
Like I said, if the box has big miles on it and the fluid has never been changed then there is nothing to be gained by changing it, and potentially a lot to loose.
The garages I went to won’t do it as they don’t want any warranty come back which they must have had to not want to do it again! They don’t like turning away paying customers.
Many many people have said the same thing over the years. I’ve also heard of more than a few who found their old box failed after a fluid change, sometimes immediately after.
These box are fitted to many makes and models of cars, there is nothing special about them or the way the cars are driven.
Click to expand...
Right!... so you're stating a direct contradiction to ZF's recommendations... nice! You sir, need to find better mechanics 🤣
But let's go a bit further...
Rather than speaking in platitudes, how about stating some specific (because details matter) reasons for not doing a fluid/filter service on a 5HP19?
 
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