Best DIY CAPTION TUTORIAL EVER! Not so much about the part your replacing but the structure and layout of how the video was constructed. Very Well Done. Every DIY on youtube should use this same formula.
You don't need to take it to a BMW shop unless you have money to burn. Did mine last Friday, not dirty and messy at all. Took about an hour and a half including the post change run up to temperature and level check. You need to make sure the car is level, side to side and fore/aft. You can do it by getting the car up on axle stands but it is undoubtedly easier on a lift, over a pit or using something like a QuickJack. A friend of mine has a pit so we used that.
BMW's "lifetime" fluid in these auto transmissions actually refers to the "lifetime" of an extended warranty. The makers of the gearboxes recommend changing the fluid between 60,000 and 80,000. Just changed the fluid and filter on my 2001 530d Auto (A5S390R) for the first time after 173,000 miles. The fluid was still red (albeit dark) and the mechanism was as clean as a whistle. After the change the auto box is a lot smoother and responsive in both normal and sport mode.
I’m gonna try and follow these same steps for replacing my transmission pan. i’m gonna replace all the bolts, the filter, and the pan itself. It’s kinda daunting lol.
Great video very useful. I read somewhere to change the fluid but not the filter, drive it for 50/100 miles or so then change the fluid again with the new filter this time, that way you pretty much get rid of all the dirty fluid. Make sense?
Love this video. Super helpful for my 2002 530i. How do you like the Maxlife fluid? Would you recommend it for spirited driving/occasional track use where temps are higher more often?
Glad you liked the video. As for the Maxlife fluid, it has been fine so far. The car does get some spirited driving occasionally and has performed perfectly.
My e39 touring will for sure be seeing some new transmission fluid, last couple of days its been not gearing properly during hard acceleration and its knocking and pulling… car has 300k km so its probably due😬
Does the car have to be in park or neutral for the final refill once you start it back up? I had mine jacked up this weekend and warm and opened the fill plug and it came running out. Maybe there was too much in it from before? Plan to do a full flush ASAP.
@@frankiewild9931 good luck! I just got mine done 2 weeks ago but it's been shifting like a dream ever since. For the record I did it with the car in park while it was up on the jack stands.
I just bought a 03 525i and I'm going throught all the fluids. There is a canister under the hood next to the oil filter housing. It says ATF on the top. What is that? Does that change the process for changing the ATF?
what is the clearance in inches your car is and what floor jack is the Pittsburgh? I have e46 and think maybe a low profile and long throw is necessary? Everyone invited to share your experience.
Hey there, i have am e39 with bilstein b12 suspension and the front sits pretty low. I have a harbor fright 1.5 ton jack. All I do is grab some old like, 3/4" thick ply wood and drive the car on it and then I can squeeze the jack under the front.
Do you feel it’s necessary to replace the fluid again after a month/couple hundred miles in order to flush out old fluid from the torque converter etc.?
@@msbrunell quick question, how does the ride and shifting b feel after changing the fluid? Some say it's not recommend to replace the fluid because it part of the lifetime of the transmission and might have issues with the transmission mechanical part as far as the car responds on the shifting response either it's rough or smooth? I'm just asking honestly on the feel because I want to change it on my 1998 BMW 528i sport.
Hi, I know this video is almost 3 years old now, but is there any chance you link a website where I can buy the fluid you used? I can't find it and I'd appreciate the help greatly :)
Hi. Great video. I was over taking a truck when all of a sudden my car slowed down and I struggle now to work my way up the gears. Could a service like the video fix this? Thanks
My car had 270k kilos .. never changed that oil .. idk what to d really the old owner told me its life time oil and don't change it .. am so confused .. what you think i should do ? They say i will have too many issues .. thanks.
You might try draining out a small amount of fluid and taking a close look...if there are lots of particles floating you may not want to change the fluid. My fluid was brown but no particles.
BMW's idea of "lifetime" is to take it past any BMW extended warranty. Check the manufacturer's (GM or ZF) recommendations, the fluid and filter should be changed every 60,000-80,000 miles. Having said that I've just changed mine for the first time at 173,000 miles, no sludge in the pan, no particles and the fluid was still red albeit rather dark. hadn't noticed a problem with the auto change before but since the auto box is more responsive in both normal and sport mode.
I'm confused. The dealer told me to never change the transmission fluid as introducing new fluid to an already set transmission would cause issues yet everyone else on forums and videos says change it.
@@msbrunell i have changed on my 525i 2003,i put febi fluid inside and car works better then before change 😁 Car have 229000 km and old fruid was black 😭😂
@@msbrunell no i mean did you reset the adaptations on the gearbox or leave them unchanged? In theory the gearbox learns the pressure profile of each valve over time. As you changed the fluid these should have changed.
I have the zf lifeguard...this should be the correct oil for the zf trans..but its green ..and your oil is red why is that? You have the wrong oil or i do ?
Check the fluid spec against the specific auto box you have in your vehicle. There are 2 different fluids fo rthe boxes in E39s. Using the wrong one will cause problems.
Some of the best BMW DIYs on RUclips! Thank you for including captioned instructions and all OEM part numbers. Extremely well done.
Holy crap, this was an amazing tutorial. Made it look super easy, and now I feel confident enough to do it myself.
Thank you good Sir.
Best DIY CAPTION TUTORIAL EVER! Not so much about the part your replacing but the structure and layout of how the video was constructed. Very Well Done. Every DIY on youtube should use this same formula.
Glad you liked it. I make them the way I want to see them.
Great video. Sorry if I laughed when the pan spilled…
The factory ZF transmission fluid is amber in color when new, not red. Your old fluid looks not bad at all. Great DIY. Cheers.
Great illistration!! Thank You
Great video! Thank you
Most informative Thank you
excellent vid, thanks so much!
Thank you! Multiply people told me I have to take it to the bmw shop.
The BMW mechanic would love for you to bring it in. You can do it, but it's a messy job - wear old clothes and expect a smelly, slippery mess.
You don't need to take it to a BMW shop unless you have money to burn. Did mine last Friday, not dirty and messy at all. Took about an hour and a half including the post change run up to temperature and level check.
You need to make sure the car is level, side to side and fore/aft. You can do it by getting the car up on axle stands but it is undoubtedly easier on a lift, over a pit or using something like a QuickJack. A friend of mine has a pit so we used that.
BMW's "lifetime" fluid in these auto transmissions actually refers to the "lifetime" of an extended warranty.
The makers of the gearboxes recommend changing the fluid between 60,000 and 80,000.
Just changed the fluid and filter on my 2001 530d Auto (A5S390R) for the first time after 173,000 miles. The fluid was still red (albeit dark) and the mechanism was as clean as a whistle.
After the change the auto box is a lot smoother and responsive in both normal and sport mode.
Great video 10_/10
thank you
Great video. I wonder why you replaced the bottom drain plug. I will probably not unless there is a good reason.
I’m gonna try and follow these same steps for replacing my transmission pan. i’m gonna replace all the bolts, the filter, and the pan itself. It’s kinda daunting lol.
Great video very useful. I read somewhere to change the fluid but not the filter, drive it for 50/100 miles or so then change the fluid again with the new filter this time, that way you pretty much get rid of all the dirty fluid. Make sense?
just the facts
I’ve heard other DIYs say something about warming the new ATF fluid to 90-100 degrees? Is this true?
3:08 thanks for leaving that in. 😂
That stuff has finally stopped oozing out of my camera.
Exxon Valdez baby.
When changing fluid do you have 2 change the trans filter for a new 1? How much did you drain out
Does anyone know of any adjustments that can be made. Such as band adjustment. Or ....
Love this video. Super helpful for my 2002 530i. How do you like the Maxlife fluid? Would you recommend it for spirited driving/occasional track use where temps are higher more often?
Glad you liked the video. As for the Maxlife fluid, it has been fine so far. The car does get some spirited driving occasionally and has performed perfectly.
@@msbrunell cool, thanks!
My e39 touring will for sure be seeing some new transmission fluid, last couple of days its been not gearing properly during hard acceleration and its knocking and pulling… car has 300k km so its probably due😬
How many liters of the atf did your vehicle take?
How much was drained out?
Can bad fluid put the car into limp mode
Great job. How many miles a the time of this job? Thanks
102K. Now has about 130K.
Does the car have to be in park or neutral for the final refill once you start it back up? I had mine jacked up this weekend and warm and opened the fill plug and it came running out. Maybe there was too much in it from before? Plan to do a full flush ASAP.
Kinda did the same for me but I was on a hill so it was expected, is till got in 6 quiets and ima put in the other 3 right now once I get it leveled.
@@frankiewild9931 good luck! I just got mine done 2 weeks ago but it's been shifting like a dream ever since. For the record I did it with the car in park while it was up on the jack stands.
Hats the torque specs for the bolts on the pan🤧
I just bought a 03 525i and I'm going throught all the fluids. There is a canister under the hood next to the oil filter housing. It says ATF on the top. What is that? Does that change the process for changing the ATF?
Well that's were the power steering fluid reservoir is located. So no I don't think it will alter how you change your ATF fluid.
For e39 you also use ATF for the power steering
what is the clearance in inches your car is and what floor jack is the Pittsburgh? I have e46 and think maybe a low profile and long throw is necessary? Everyone invited to share your experience.
Hey there, i have am e39 with bilstein b12 suspension and the front sits pretty low. I have a harbor fright 1.5 ton jack. All I do is grab some old like, 3/4" thick ply wood and drive the car on it and then I can squeeze the jack under the front.
@nikolasbergeron9942 thanks for your comment 👍
When u first filled it up and started the cars
Did you go from park to reverse to neutral to drive & back afew times ?? Than refill again
Yes
@@msbrunell thank you!! How is it? Still holding ? No issues ??
@@chrysler300sguy8 No problems...works great.
Какой цвет ATF надо заливать
Do you feel it’s necessary to replace the fluid again after a month/couple hundred miles in order to flush out old fluid from the torque converter etc.?
Haha yes I feel guilty about not doing that...but I'll get over it. Maybe some day when I want to spill that gross fluid everywhere.
@@msbrunell haha okay for sure. Do you think I need to drop the pan again and replace the filter too or just do a drain and fill?
@@msport_erick No just drain and refill.
@@msbrunell quick question, how does the ride and shifting b feel after changing the fluid? Some say it's not recommend to replace the fluid because it part of the lifetime of the transmission and might have issues with the transmission mechanical part as far as the car responds on the shifting response either it's rough or smooth? I'm just asking honestly on the feel because I want to change it on my 1998 BMW 528i sport.
@@Genecuellar The car ran perfectly before and after the fluid change. Absolutely no change. I think you are safe in changing the fluid.
Hi, I know this video is almost 3 years old now, but is there any chance you link a website where I can buy the fluid you used? I can't find it and I'd appreciate the help greatly :)
Amazon and Walmart both sell it. By the way, I have added 30k miles since this video and the car runs beautifully. Great fluid.
Thank you!
Just changed my fluid and filter, and now the gasket is leaking. Is there a trick to reinstalling the bolts?
New gasket? Mating surfaces clean? Torqued to correct value?
@@msbrunell realized it was actually the drain plug! I hadn’t pulled the old washer off so it was not sealing well
just curious how the transmission is going ? i was planning on using the same fluid you used.
The video was made almost two years ago, and my son has been driving the car almost continuously since then. Transmission is perfect - no issues.
@@msbrunell perfect. exactly what i was hoping for. much appriciated for the replty.
Hi. Great video. I was over taking a truck when all of a sudden my car slowed down and I struggle now to work my way up the gears. Could a service like the video fix this? Thanks
I like the video well done.
My car had 270k kilos .. never changed that oil .. idk what to d really the old owner told me its life time oil and don't change it .. am so confused .. what you think i should do ? They say i will have too many issues .. thanks.
You might try draining out a small amount of fluid and taking a close look...if there are lots of particles floating you may not want to change the fluid. My fluid was brown but no particles.
you're meant to change it every 60,000 km
BMW's idea of "lifetime" is to take it past any BMW extended warranty. Check the manufacturer's (GM or ZF) recommendations, the fluid and filter should be changed every 60,000-80,000 miles.
Having said that I've just changed mine for the first time at 173,000 miles, no sludge in the pan, no particles and the fluid was still red albeit rather dark. hadn't noticed a problem with the auto change before but since the auto box is more responsive in both normal and sport mode.
How much more did you car take when you turned it on? I accidentally filled my car while not level and forgot to add more afterward
About 3 quarts more after running through the gears. I don't how being not level will effect the volume. You may want to check the level.
How many quarts did it take til full? Did you have to pump, shift, repeat in each quart?
Turn on the CC and you will see all of this mentioned.
@@msbrunell gotcha, thanks
If my transmission is slipping does that me I need to change the transmission oil
I don't know for sure, but I think that new fluid could make it worse.
@@msbrunell why would it make it worse, I’ve haven’t ever done a changed the transmission oil since I got it
@@shaunfonoimoana1437 You might have friction material suspended in the old fluid. Changing the fluid might eliminate some of the grip.
Thanks bro, is it hard to change the transmission oil
@@shaunfonoimoana1437 Not hard but very messy
I'm confused. The dealer told me to never change the transmission fluid as introducing new fluid to an already set transmission would cause issues yet everyone else on forums and videos says change it.
Yeah I was confused too. But I went for it. No change in performance from what I can tell.
@@msbrunell i have changed on my 525i 2003,i put febi fluid inside and car works better then before change 😁 Car have 229000 km and old fruid was black 😭😂
@@msbrunell did u redo adaptations?
@@ironmantooltime Do you mean use new bolts?
@@msbrunell no i mean did you reset the adaptations on the gearbox or leave them unchanged? In theory the gearbox learns the pressure profile of each valve over time. As you changed the fluid these should have changed.
I have the zf lifeguard...this should be the correct oil for the zf trans..but its green ..and your oil is red why is that? You have the wrong oil or i do ?
I used a compatible fluid. Car has been running perfectly since that video was made.
Check the fluid spec against the specific auto box you have in your vehicle. There are 2 different fluids fo rthe boxes in E39s. Using the wrong one will cause problems.
@@grahamepigney8565 yes i see now i done the correct...mine is 2003..and i had an older 97 and that one had red..so i have done correct
@@grahamepigney8565 i bought a haynes service manual that has all the specs
@@mule666 my 2001 had red ATF but it was the GM transmission.