As a mechanic, I'm glad you explained the difference between a drain-n-fill versus a flush. Some people say "flush" but they don't realize that I'm not doing that. The seals and gaskets probably can't take that pressure and it'll make the situation worse!
Fantastic job! I got the 578E message on my OBD2. Your video is one of the best videos I’ve seen on RUclips. No nonsense introduction. Quick and straight to the point. You were very thorough without being too simplistic. Lots of very good info. Thank you 👍🏿
Thank you! Just did my drain & fill no filter on my 07 328i. Oil was original with 249k miles!. I used valvoline maxlife atf and now it shifts silky smooth
@@joshb5332 my car is running well after a drain and filter change. My next time changing the oil, I will be swapping out the shift rod and valve body, just for extra precaution.
Lube gard is some serious stuff. I put one tube of their instant shudder fix in my E90 with Gm trans and it was just buttery smooth and snappy for like 30k miles. I only did the filter change and one refill with the shudder fix tube. Plan to do an few drain and fills soon along with a final addition of another tube of lube gards shudder fix.
Great video. Wish I had a lift. Couple things. You didn't end up showing how much fluid your took out. Compared to how much you put in. How much did you end up putting in? Also. Why not change the filter s well? Thanks for the video.
Note to others who watch this video. 1. Go ahead and remove the skid pan from the transmssion right up front. Don't fight around it, because you WILL be removing it anyway...BECAUSE 2.) I strongly recommend that you drop the transmission pan, replace the filter and clean the pan of sludge while you're at it. It is not that much more work. The fellow in this video has a lift, for heaven's sake! You are that close alreay. 3.) Use a torque wrench when replacing all pan bolts, fill bolt and drain bolt. 4.) Add anti-sieze to drain and fill, to make it easier for the next guy. 5.) Write the mileage at the change on the pan bottom in Sharpie for the same reason.
Great video! My 2009 128i has the GM Transmission as well, and the car has around 182,000 miles on it. I'm not sure if or when the transmission fluid has been changed. Should I do a drain and fill as a precautionary measure?
Yes, you definitely should. I'm sure at some stage the fluid in your transmission has been changed because I find it hard to believe the transmission has lasted this long on its original oil
It's much easier to start with the engine and tranny cold rather than letting it cool down. Do the drain/fill, start engine and fill to drip while running. Monitor ATF temp with scan tool. Let it continue to drip while running so as the ATF expands while it heats up it will drip out the excess. It only takes about 5 minutes to heat up to 40C. When temp hits 40C, install the fill plug. I use BimmerLink phone app scan tool so I can watch temp from under the car via bluetooth OBD dongle. A pressurized fill tank allows much easier filling than a hand pump if you are lying under the car. Just use RedLine D4 or D6, not AC/Delco plus snake oil additive. It's much better and cheaper. Use proper 6 point box wrench on fill plug, and torque the plugs properly, because you don't want them too tight next time you do this. Just remove the plastic splash shield before starting, it's only half dozen 8mm screws. Change the ATF filter every 50k miles, requires dropping the pan and new pan gasket. If you do three drain and fills with short drive between each, you get 96% new fluid, same as "flush" service. Better yet, do one drain/fill every 15k miles, that's every third oil change. Then you have like new ATF fluid at all times, not waiting for it to turn old. You can do it in your own garage without a lift, just use ramps on the front wheels and jack stands on the rear lift points to make car level.
@@BossIchigo574 Yes, thanks for correcting my bad info. I just checked Bimmerlink on E90, no ATF temp. It works on my F25 w/ZF trans but not the older GM. In the past I used meat thermometer in fill hole to monitor ATF temp on the GM trans.
In this order: 1. make sure you check you filled up with enough ATF fluid or didn’t overfill. both can cause slippage. or 2. use a friction modifier in your transmission. or 3. if the old fluid is still available, put it back in.
I got a gear symbol on the dash and then after my bmw wasnt shifting but then i turned it off and and waited like 5 mins a it went away does this mean i need to do this and change the fluid?
You probably should! Make sure to get things like brake part cleaner, and something to measure what was taken out (you can use an old oil container, and if you don't have one, change the oil, and take the old oil to a shop to be drained but ask to keep the container)
I have a 2009 328i and it's running nicely with 156k miles. Thinking of changing the transmission fluid and filter. How many quarts did you use for just the flush you did? How many would I use if I changed it all?
hey great video, should we put the lubeguard before or after the fluid? or somewhere in between? its been a month, did everything go well? is there anything you would change or add to this video? Thanks bro!
@@IzzyE9X thanks for the informative video my guy. i have an 07 323. on forums its pretty 50/50 on whether people suggest changing fluid or leaving it. but im gonna change it.
Good video. I am a little confused. After first filling the transmission, did you start it up and run it (I guess you did because your gauge read 63 Celsius). Then you shut it off and let it cool to 40ish Celsius. You then turned the engine back on and top it off while it was running?
im doing the same job. just so you know. always lose the plugs before you do anything. in his video he did not open and losen the fill plug before he drains. many people arent able to open the fill plug and it is seized so much you are stripping the hex bolt. then u are fked as you cant fill the tranny up and fluid is all empty. and they are aluminum so easy to strip. always losen them first before draining
Thanks for this informative video. I have a 2010 BMW 328xi with a GM transmission GA6-L45R as well. Would there be an issue not using the Lubeguard if I drain and fill my A/T?
It depends on your mileage and if the fluid has been serviced before. If your GM transmission is over 100K miles and you cannot confirm if the fluid has been changed before, you risk a chance of the new fluid being too viscous and causing slippage. I’d recommend saving your old fluid in a perfectly clean container so you can re-use it worst case scenario and use a friction modifier (lubeguard or etc.) with the new fluid. I hope this helps!
I actually just did my e90 to this video, and I’m working with ramps, two jacks, and two jack stands. Put the front end on ramps, and jack the rear up. I used one jack per side and did them evenly until I could get stands under the rear control arms.
I’ve done this job many times on car ramps/jacks but if a lift is available it makes sense to use it @andyrcampbell I’m glad y’all were able to get the job done yourself and not pay a shop!
@@IzzyE9X Hey if you don’t mind, I have a question myself. What to do if I don’t have a way to check the trans temp for the second add? I’m just worried I may have added too much/not enough. It’s still sitting on stand/ramps because I’m worried I have an incorrect level. Is the temp really that crucial?
thank you for this input! how is your transmission shifting now, is there anything you’d recommend to the rest of the community? total cost for doing it myself was about $50 in materials and then I rented the lift for another $50 so about $100 if you already own a BMW scan tool.
If you are unsure of the transmission health (example a used car) and you replace the fluid and filter, you risk shocking the entire system. drain and fills are done to put new fluid in, but also gauge the transmission health. If your car drives fine after a drain and fill, it basically tells you “okay, the transmission is in good internal shape. now I’ll do the filter and fluid again” rather than “my transmission is slipping”
@@IzzyE9Xbut the filter is not exactly a shock, it’s the same fluid of a drain and fill just with better filtering properties, where exactly is the shock compared to as you correctly say, doing a full flush?
I have a 1/2 hex key socket set, however he got the plug out with the regular key and was careful how he did it. A T60 torx bit with a breaker bar would be a must on your drive belt tensioner.
Yeah. I giggled when I seen that. Straight out of grandmas roadside emergency toolkit. Good way to strip out a hex hole. I certainly don't want that stripped out. Step 2 is to hammer on a torq socket if that happens.
took mine to a shop and now its making a gurgling noise at start and winding grinding noise is my filter clogged? could someone help i have a vid ruclips.net/user/shortsyzNrflRcHhs?si=0MaOtXISWxKc7ACM
As a mechanic, I'm glad you explained the difference between a drain-n-fill versus a flush. Some people say "flush" but they don't realize that I'm not doing that. The seals and gaskets probably can't take that pressure and it'll make the situation worse!
yessir! thank you for highlighting this small but important detail
jus changed my transmission fluid with you’re video and i wanna say thank you because my car ride wayyy better feeling brand new
I’m genuinely happy everything went well! the car feels so much healthier with new fluid
how much dexron 6 did you buy?
@agusta5149 you’ll need 6-8 quarts
Do u know how much does the big gallon take? Should I add all
How many miles did you have when you changed the fluid
Fantastic job! I got the 578E message on my OBD2. Your video is one of the best videos I’ve seen on RUclips.
No nonsense introduction. Quick and straight to the point.
You were very thorough without being too simplistic. Lots of very good info. Thank you 👍🏿
Thank you for this comment, I’m glad I was able to help!
Hey Man! Did this get rid of your lights and DTC? Haven’t done this job yet, but just curious.
Thank you! Just did my drain & fill no filter on my 07 328i. Oil was original with 249k miles!. I used valvoline maxlife atf and now it shifts silky smooth
I’m glad to hear that brother!
is your car still running well after the drain/fill without the filter change?
@@gonecamping4007X2. How's the car running now?
@@joshb5332 my car is running well after a drain and filter change. My next time changing the oil, I will be swapping out the shift rod and valve body, just for extra precaution.
@@gonecamping4007 thank you for the update 👍👍
Lube gard is some serious stuff. I put one tube of their instant shudder fix in my E90 with Gm trans and it was just buttery smooth and snappy for like 30k miles. I only did the filter change and one refill with the shudder fix tube. Plan to do an few drain and fills soon along with a final addition of another tube of lube gards shudder fix.
Great video. Wish I had a lift.
Couple things.
You didn't end up showing how much fluid your took out. Compared to how much you put in.
How much did you end up putting in?
Also. Why not change the filter s well?
Thanks for the video.
I accidentally spilled the jug, I put 7-8 quarts back in though.
@@IzzyE9X Sorry. Should you run it through the gears when its on the lift? Then top it off afterwards?
Thanks for vid, this is the most helpful one on E92 GM ATF change, helped a lot.
Very well explained, short and informative video, thanks for sharing.
Note to others who watch this video. 1. Go ahead and remove the skid pan from the transmssion right up front. Don't fight around it, because you WILL be removing it anyway...BECAUSE 2.) I strongly recommend that you drop the transmission pan, replace the filter and clean the pan of sludge while you're at it. It is not that much more work. The fellow in this video has a lift, for heaven's sake! You are that close alreay. 3.) Use a torque wrench when replacing all pan bolts, fill bolt and drain bolt. 4.) Add anti-sieze to drain and fill, to make it easier for the next guy. 5.) Write the mileage at the change on the pan bottom in Sharpie for the same reason.
I explained the purpose of why I only replaced the fluid and not the filter at the beginning of the video.
@@IzzyE9Xdoing the filter changed like 1 more quart of fluid. Plus the filter is probably full of crap
Great video.How much extra fluid do you estimate was needed at the lower temp fill?
Great video! My 2009 128i has the GM Transmission as well, and the car has around 182,000 miles on it. I'm not sure if or when the transmission fluid has been changed. Should I do a drain and fill as a precautionary measure?
Yes, you definitely should. I'm sure at some stage the fluid in your transmission has been changed because I find it hard to believe the transmission has lasted this long on its original oil
@@Caleb__main Thanks!
Thank you! I would do a drain and fill, not a flush unless you are 100% sure the transmission has been serviced.
Hello, do you have to do any reprogramming after you change the fluid?
how much fluid did you need for a simple drain and fill?
6-8 liters to be safe
Did I miss the filter change?
Yup he forgot to it seems
he said its just a drain and fill, if it was a flush then he wouldve
@E90cart thank you 😭 I tried making it obvious I was only doing a drain and fill
Really good to know if you have one of the foxwell scanners / schwaben you can check trans oil temp using the scanner. I didn't know that!
I have BMW n52 330 xi 2006 I can use the same oil ?
It's much easier to start with the engine and tranny cold rather than letting it cool down. Do the drain/fill, start engine and fill to drip while running. Monitor ATF temp with scan tool. Let it continue to drip while running so as the ATF expands while it heats up it will drip out the excess. It only takes about 5 minutes to heat up to 40C. When temp hits 40C, install the fill plug. I use BimmerLink phone app scan tool so I can watch temp from under the car via bluetooth OBD dongle. A pressurized fill tank allows much easier filling than a hand pump if you are lying under the car.
Just use RedLine D4 or D6, not AC/Delco plus snake oil additive. It's much better and cheaper. Use proper 6 point box wrench on fill plug, and torque the plugs properly, because you don't want them too tight next time you do this. Just remove the plastic splash shield before starting, it's only half dozen 8mm screws. Change the ATF filter every 50k miles, requires dropping the pan and new pan gasket. If you do three drain and fills with short drive between each, you get 96% new fluid, same as "flush" service. Better yet, do one drain/fill every 15k miles, that's every third oil change. Then you have like new ATF fluid at all times, not waiting for it to turn old.
You can do it in your own garage without a lift, just use ramps on the front wheels and jack stands on the rear lift points to make car level.
F to doubt. BimmerLink does not support trans temp for Gm trans
@@BossIchigo574 Yes, thanks for correcting my bad info. I just checked Bimmerlink on E90, no ATF temp. It works on my F25 w/ZF trans but not the older GM. In the past I used meat thermometer in fill hole to monitor ATF temp on the GM trans.
Changed my ATF on my GM GA6-L45R.
What should I do if my transmission is "slipping"? 😅
In this order:
1. make sure you check you filled up with enough ATF fluid or didn’t overfill. both can cause slippage.
or
2. use a friction modifier in your transmission.
or
3. if the old fluid is still available, put it back in.
Hey Izzy, in this drain and fill, how many Liters did you use/need?
I got a gear symbol on the dash and then after my bmw wasnt shifting but then i turned it off and and waited like 5 mins a it went away does this mean i need to do this and change the fluid?
You probably should! Make sure to get things like brake part cleaner, and something to measure what was taken out (you can use an old oil container, and if you don't have one, change the oil, and take the old oil to a shop to be drained but ask to keep the container)
I have a 2009 328i and it's running nicely with 156k miles. Thinking of changing the transmission fluid and filter. How many quarts did you use for just the flush you did? How many would I use if I changed it all?
for the GM transmission, I’d have 8-10 quarts if you do the full filter and o-rings
hey great video, should we put the lubeguard before or after the fluid? or somewhere in between?
its been a month, did everything go well? is there anything you would change or add to this video?
Thanks bro!
I would put it before the transmission fluid that way I can get washed around with the ATF fluid out in after. no issues since, car drives great!
@@IzzyE9X thanks for the informative video my guy. i have an 07 323. on forums its pretty 50/50 on whether people suggest changing fluid or leaving it. but im gonna change it.
@@IzzyE9X also do you think its OK with just using the old oil pan and gasket or do you suggest changing that as well?
@@bredr1n do you have the GM or ZF transmission?
@@IzzyE9X GM automatic, based on the research it says: GA6L45R transmission
Good video. I am a little confused. After first filling the transmission, did you start it up and run it (I guess you did because your gauge read 63 Celsius). Then you shut it off and let it cool to 40ish Celsius. You then turned the engine back on and top it off while it was running?
Correct!
im doing the same job. just so you know. always lose the plugs before you do anything. in his video he did not open and losen the fill plug before he drains. many people arent able to open the fill plug and it is seized so much you are stripping the hex bolt. then u are fked as you cant fill the tranny up and fluid is all empty. and they are aluminum so easy to strip. always losen them first before draining
@@IzzyE9Xnow my 17 mm wrench the round end is starting to strip the corner of the fill plug hex bolt. what do i do😢😢😢
Thanks. I’ll also be sure to loosen the filler bolt first before the drain plug.
@@YorumiTech he literally said to do that in the beginning?
Does the Car have to be running while you pump the Fluid in the transmission?????
-pump fluid until it drips out
-bolt it up and turn on the car
-remove boot and continue filling while car is on until it drips back out
Thanks for this informative video. I have a 2010 BMW 328xi with a GM transmission GA6-L45R as well. Would there be an issue not using the Lubeguard if I drain and fill my A/T?
It depends on your mileage and if the fluid has been serviced before. If your GM transmission is over 100K miles and you cannot confirm if the fluid has been changed before, you risk a chance of the new fluid being too viscous and causing slippage.
I’d recommend saving your old fluid in a perfectly clean container so you can re-use it worst case scenario and use a friction modifier (lubeguard or etc.) with the new fluid.
I hope this helps!
@@IzzyE9X Thanks for your input! Have a good day!
Awesome Bro such a great job GOD Bless
Very important Question: How much transmission fluid does the E90 Take?
10 quarts
Thanks for this!
Sorry. Should you run it through the gears when its on the lift? Then top it off afterwards?
If I had a car lift I would have enough knowledge to change the fluid !!! try doing a video where you are working with car ramps !!
I actually just did my e90 to this video, and I’m working with ramps, two jacks, and two jack stands. Put the front end on ramps, and jack the rear up. I used one jack per side and did them evenly until I could get stands under the rear control arms.
I’ve done this job many times on car ramps/jacks but if a lift is available it makes sense to use it @andyrcampbell
I’m glad y’all were able to get the job done yourself and not pay a shop!
@@IzzyE9X Hey if you don’t mind, I have a question myself. What to do if I don’t have a way to check the trans temp for the second add? I’m just worried I may have added too much/not enough. It’s still sitting on stand/ramps because I’m worried I have an incorrect level. Is the temp really that crucial?
I got code for transmission fluid being deteriorated, do i need to do a full service as in filter/fluid change , or just drain & fill
I would recommend doing the filter as well.
I just had this service done buy an independent shop. Total cost was $800, labor was $495, and parts (new filter), fluid and taxes were $305.
thank you for this input! how is your transmission shifting now, is there anything you’d recommend to the rest of the community? total cost for doing it myself was about $50 in materials and then I rented the lift for another $50 so about $100 if you already own a BMW scan tool.
Awesome video! Thank you!
Whats the point to drain half of oil and put half new? no filter change, nothing.
he literally said
Thank u
you should change the filter and new sump pan mate Not simple fluid
I address this in the video, thank you though
Why did you not change the filter?
If you are unsure of the transmission health (example a used car) and you replace the fluid and filter, you risk shocking the entire system. drain and fills are done to put new fluid in, but also gauge the transmission health. If your car drives fine after a drain and fill, it basically tells you “okay, the transmission is in good internal shape. now I’ll do the filter and fluid again” rather than “my transmission is slipping”
@@IzzyE9Xbut the filter is not exactly a shock, it’s the same fluid of a drain and fill just with better filtering properties, where exactly is the shock compared to as you correctly say, doing a full flush?
Lol bullshit, swap the filter out; what does “shocking the system mean”? There is no shocking, u just wasted 6.3L of fresh tranny fluid
Inside the transmission there is also a filter and some orings which need to be replaced... So you did only about 70%
yes I didn’t do the transmission filter on purpose, it’s addressed in the video
Wtf… Bro just use an Allen socket and remove the undertray 😂
An Allen key are you serious? No you need a 5mm Allen SOCKET with a breaker bar anything else is stupid.
I have a 1/2 hex key socket set, however he got the plug out with the regular key and was careful how he did it. A T60 torx bit with a breaker bar would be a must on your drive belt tensioner.
Who cares..dosent matter either way.
He got the job done smooth and easy yet you still complain
Yeah. I giggled when I seen that. Straight out of grandmas roadside emergency toolkit. Good way to strip out a hex hole. I certainly don't want that stripped out. Step 2 is to hammer on a torq socket if that happens.
Good thing i got a tool box then 😂😂
Yeah, you rigged it. You should’ve dropped the whole pan. Took the filter off. Put a new filter on then refilled it.
took mine to a shop and now its making a gurgling noise at start and winding grinding noise is my filter clogged? could someone help i have a vid ruclips.net/user/shortsyzNrflRcHhs?si=0MaOtXISWxKc7ACM
There is no way that fluid did 120,000 miles. It must have been serviced previously.
Drain bad fluid that causes slipping to fill with new fluid that causes slipping if additive isn’t added. 🫡👍🏽
for this drain and fill, is 1 liter of DEXRON enough?
no, 1 liter is not enough