BMW Auto 'sealed for life gearbox'

[dr matt uk]

I've bought an 02 530i Sport with 63k on the clock - and it's a lovely thing. I'm taking it for a bit of a refresh and have read that the gearbox is sealed for life.

The Indy reckons change the oil every 60k.

Thoughts?

[E30M3SE]

Change the oil.

[Neil.D]

60k is about right.
not sure of the viscosity but 'sealed for life' is nonsense IMO.
Get it done. You might notice an improvement in shift quality, I did.

[dr matt uk]

Right, will do.

Anyone mind me asking how much I should be expecting to pay at a good Indy?

[8Tech]

Change the oil. BMW say sealed for life but the transmission manufacturer suggests 50k-60k miles.

BMW have an interest in selling you a transmission later, Getrag have a reputation to maintain.

Oil is VERY expensive, around £55/5lts and the Indy will likely need to buy 5l so I think £100 for the whole job is fair.

8Tech.

Edited by 8Tech on Friday 20th June 15:15

[oagent]

Similar question. I have 145k miles on my e36 325 auto and everything appears to be fine.

Should I expect the gearbox to slip more as the oil wears or to shift worse? i.e. a gradual decline in operation..

Or will there be a terminal failure out of the blue if the oil isnt fresh?

Is it worth having the job done on such a low value car if it shows no outward signs of a problem? On that subject, anyone know where I can get it done round Northampton / Milton Keynes for a good price?

Thanks for any replies in advance.

[mwy1964]

oagent said:

Similar question. I have 145k miles on my e36 325 auto and everything appears to be fine.

Should I expect the gearbox to slip more as the oil wears or to shift worse? i.e. a gradual decline in operation..

Or will there be a terminal failure out of the blue if the oil isnt fresh?

Is it worth having the job done on such a low value car if it shows no outward signs of a problem? On that subject, anyone know where I can get it done round Northampton / Milton Keynes for a good price?

Thanks for any replies in advance.

Good question... I mentioned replacing the transmission fluid to the BMW dealer who was servicing my car last week. They were reluctant to change the oil as they reckoned the viscosity of the new fluid could highlight or cause problems with the gearbox. They may also be hoping for a £4k job replacing my gearbox.

[Egbert Nobacon]

E30M3SE said:

Change the oil.

And get the gearbox software updated at the same time. (good independants should have the facilities to do this)

Often modified software is issued during a vehicles life to eradicate wear points or faults that occur and are picked up by warranty/service.

[Crombers]

I didn't bother changing the oil of my first autobox car, an Omega V6 and after a year or so it died a nasty death. Years down the line, with benefit of hindsight, I made sure I had an oil change on my 540s auto box. As it turned out this box also died on me!

Damned if you do damned if you don't

[jamoor]

Crombers said:

I didn't bother changing the oil of my first autobox car, an Omega V6 and after a year or so it died a nasty death. Years down the line, with benefit of hindsight, I made sure I had an oil change on my 540s auto box. As it turned out this box also died on me!

Damned if you do damned if you don't

How did it fail? Did you service it regularly, or did you buy it with 100k and 5 years old and servic eit?

[8Tech]

I would say that most owners don't look into changing the oil when the box is ok yet this IS the time to do it. If you are having issues with the box, new oil is unlikely to repair it so its too late, the damage is done. New oil is a preventative measure, not a cure.
A bit like topping the coolant up AFTER the headgasket let go!

8Tech.

[phelix]

oagent said:

Similar question. I have 145k miles on my e36 325 auto and everything appears to be fine.

Should I expect the gearbox to slip more as the oil wears or to shift worse? i.e. a gradual decline in operation..

Or will there be a terminal failure out of the blue if the oil isnt fresh?

Is it worth having the job done on such a low value car if it shows no outward signs of a problem? On that subject, anyone know where I can get it done round Northampton / Milton Keynes for a good price?

Thanks for any replies in advance.

I would leave well enough alone on an auto box that's lasted that long.

[oagent]

In that case if it makes it through the mot next month I will get the fluid changed and cross my fingers for another 20k miles super cheap motoring

[Denis O]

The general concensus is to change a "Sealed for Life" autobox oil at around 100k miles. I had mine done on my 540 at 110k. The oil that came out was OK but the filter was well gunged. The filter should also be changed when you do the oil.

Prices vary from around £250 (quoted by my local stealer) down to £150 at an indy. Also a auto transmission specialist may be worth getting a quote from.

The oil used will depend on what the sticker on the box says. There are a number of different types used and they are all expensive around £15 litre. My 540 takes about 11 litres but the torque converter holds a fair bit and this can't be drained. From memory my indy managed to get around 7 litres out. You may find that an autobox specialist may have equipment that can drain the torque converter as well. I have heard that some people, having drained as much as possible, then start the engine and move the gear selector from P to D and back a few times but that's not for the faint hearted.

Re-filling has to be done at a certain temperature range so again, expert equipment is required. I understand that autoboxes are quite sensitive to fill levels so it has to be correct.

So yes, get it changed, although yours may be a little early, and have an expert do it.

[eliot]

Denis O said:

Re-filling has to be done at a certain temperature range so again, expert equipment is required. I understand that autoboxes are quite sensitive to fill levels so it has to be correct.

Thats correct. The ediabas cable (see the bmw diagnostics thread) allows you to read the transmission temp.

[swiftpete]

It's not that difficult to do yourself though really. There are guides on the net. I did mine myself at 60k and feel a lot better when I'm driving around knowing there is fresh oil and filter in there. Getting the temp right isn't hard, you just have to fill it, start the car, let it idle for a bit while running through the gears til the bottom of the gearbox feels warm/hot to the touch then top up some more. You're bound to spill a bit but it really isn't too hard to do.