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      02-20-2016, 02:33 PM   #1
gtthree
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ZF 8HP gearbox service

Hi

My vehicle is approaching 80k miles and I plan to keep it for another 40-50k.
ZF recommend a service between 80-120k kilometers, although BMW claims its sealed for life. I would rather follow ZF's recommendations.

I just wondered if anyone has serviced their ZF 8HP gearbox? And if so whom did you use and how much did you pay?

I know you can get a genuine ZF sump and 8 litres of ZF Lifeguard 8 from Germany for €300.
(Incase anyone is lookng for an alternative to ZF Lifeguard then the Shell reference is L12108.)

Thanks
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      02-24-2016, 07:53 AM   #2
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I can tell you doing it with BMW garage will cost you more, in my case it was following driving over a metal object that left a hole in my gearbox oil tray (oil sump), the oil on it owns was 550 Euros around 430 sterling the auto box need 9 litres, my insurance covered the costs, so kind of a service in one way be it at lower mileage 55000 miles.
I know there is a debate about the type of oil used as it is the main cost factor, and a tread exist in this forum on how ZF recommendations are different to the one from BMW, hence maybe why the price you quoted is less, ZF recommendations for service intervals are shorter than the one by BMW, we talking of a considerable difference, so maybe why ZF can afford to go for cheaper oil, I believe BMW goes as far as saying the new auto gear box does not need a service in the life time of the vehicle, you find a good article on the matter by BMW Car magazine opting to go the ZF way i.e. recommend the service.
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      02-24-2016, 02:22 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gtthree View Post
Hi

My vehicle is approaching 80k miles and I plan to keep it for another 40-50k.
ZF recommend a service between 80-120k kilometers, although BMW claims its sealed for life. I would rather follow ZF's recommendations.

I just wondered if anyone has serviced their ZF 8HP gearbox? And if so whom did you use and how much did you pay?

I know you can get a genuine ZF sump and 8 litres of ZF Lifeguard 8 from Germany for €300.
(Incase anyone is lookng for an alternative to ZF Lifeguard then the Shell reference is L12108.)

Thanks
Usually the best guide is to go to ZF and find out what service kits they supply for their transmissions on the basis that they would know best.

http://www.zf.com/brands/en_de/zf_pa...il+Change+Kits

What's interesting here is that whilst ZF sell kits for the 5 HP and 6 HP (the latter as used in the E60) they do not sell or provide any information on such kits for the 8HP series of transmissions. Wonder why?
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      02-26-2016, 12:50 PM   #4
gtthree
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Thanks for contributing to the thread.

Johnny I hold the same view as yourself, I'd far rather trust ZF the manufacturer than BMW and I will be having my gearbox serviced this year. I'll update the thread with total cost and experience in due course.

In the meantime see below a german ebay link to buy a genuine ZF pan, bolts and oil

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Original-ZF-G...4AAMXQeKNTNA0u

Much cheaper than Martin's unfortunate (insurance funded) repair.

I'll update post later with other information I have.
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      04-12-2016, 08:49 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gtthree View Post
Thanks for contributing to the thread.

Johnny I hold the same view as yourself, I'd far rather trust ZF the manufacturer than BMW and I will be having my gearbox serviced this year. I'll update the thread with total cost and experience in due course.

In the meantime see below a german ebay link to buy a genuine ZF pan, bolts and oil

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Original-ZF-G...4AAMXQeKNTNA0u

Much cheaper than Martin's unfortunate (insurance funded) repair.

I'll update post later with other information I have.

Did you end up changing your fluid?
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      04-14-2016, 03:52 AM   #6
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Hi

I have not yet changed the oil in my ZF8HP70 gearbox, I'll probably have it serviced later in the year when I have more time.

I did however find this video on youtube of a home service of a ZF8HP gearbox on a Dodge RAM for those who are interested. It is a long video.



I will update the thread when I do get gearbox serviced.
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      04-14-2016, 05:01 PM   #7
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Is it only me who looks at the picture above and feels a sense of wonder that it all actually works?
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      10-30-2016, 09:42 AM   #8
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ZF8HP oil change instructions - hope this is of use to someone
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File Type: pdf ZF_SI_Oelwechselkit_8HP_50130_EN.pdf (714.0 KB, 7053 views)
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      11-02-2016, 08:40 PM   #9
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Just wondering why you need to change the Pan when changing the oil, is that because the oil filter is part of the pan?
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      11-06-2016, 06:33 AM   #10
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yes, the filter is embedded within the pan

Last edited by gtthree; 11-06-2016 at 02:54 PM..
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      11-17-2016, 04:06 PM   #11
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Thread update.

Well I finally found the time to have my gearbox serviced, my car had reached 92k miles.
You can really tell the difference, the gearbox particularly at low speeds shifting between forward and reverse is much smoother and I’d recommend it to anyone whos car has reached the ZF recommendations for a gearbox service.

For those who are interested
I managed to locate a genuine ZF8HP70 sump, together with 8 litres of Lifeguard 8 fluid, the attachment screws and sealing/filling plug on ebay.

I purchased these from onestopgearboxshop of High Wycombe via their ebay store for £239.99 delivered next day (November 2016).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ZF-8HP70-A...kAAOSwn7JYDdwm

Again I trusted the work to TGM Sport in Fleet who have a full diagnostic computer to communicate with the car in order to read the sump temperatures inline with the service document I previously posted.
Access to diagnostic equipment is essential as the gearbox has very a specific filling process which not everyone will be aware of or be able to measure temperatures.

The work took two hours all in, so not too long a process, and in my eyes good preventative maintenance.

Last edited by gtthree; 11-21-2016 at 12:36 PM..
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      11-18-2016, 04:06 PM   #12
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Very interested in getting mine done too. How much was the total outlay to get it serviced?
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      11-21-2016, 12:53 PM   #13
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The overall cost was £239.99 for the parts and oil plus two hours labour.
In my case the labour is £60 per hour plus VAT so two hours comes to £144 inc VAT.
A total cost of £383.99 to the penny.

The trick is finding a good garage who will accept you providing your own parts particularly for the gearbox service as the lifeguard 8 varies considerably depending on where you buy it from.
The garage I use have no issuse with me providing my own parts, however I only use genuine parts and have used the garage for over 7 years. I should point out when I have my old Honda Prelude serviced I don't bring my own service items as TGM Sport are Honda specialists.

Also Fleet is a little bit of a distance for you so you'll need to find a trusted garage. I certainly wouldn't have my gearbox oil changed unless I had 100% confidence that they had access to the temperature of the gearbox and could follow the ZF manufacturers instructions.

There is a guy in Dundee (MMP LandRover), who services Range Rover Sports/Discovery's, which also have ZF8 gearboxes.
If I were looking to have the work done in the Central Belt I would call him and talk through the the process, then make my own decision. He has posted a few articles on the www.RRSport.co.uk forums on the ZF8 box.

Good luck

I should say after a 400mile long distance motorway haul the gearbox is working perfectly and the additional smoothness is also there at motorway/A road speeds.

Last edited by gtthree; 05-12-2018 at 02:10 PM..
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      11-21-2016, 01:52 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gtthree View Post
The overall cost was £239.99 for the parts and oil and two hours labour.
In my case the labour is £60 per hour plus VAT so two hours comes to £144 inc VAT.
A total cost of £383.99 to the penny.

The trick is finding a good garage who will accept you providing your own parts particularly for the gearbox service as the lifeguard 8 varies considerably depending on where you buy it from.
The garage I use have no issuse with me providing my own parts, however I only use genuine parts and have used the garage for over 7 years. I should point out when I have my old Honda Prelude serviced I don't bring my own service items as TGM Sport are Honda specialists.

Also Fleet is a little bit of a distance for you so you'll need to find a trusted garage. I certainly wouldn't have my gearbox oil changed unless I had 100% confidence that they had access to the temperature of the gearbox and could follow the ZF manufacturers instructions.

There is a guy in Dundee (MMP LandRover), who services Range Rover Sports/Discovery's, which also have ZF8 gearboxes.
If I were looking to have the work done in the Central Belt I would call him and talk through the the process, then make my own decision. He has posted a few articles on the www.RRSport.co.uk forums on the ZF8 box.

Good luck

I should say after a 400mile long distance motorway haul the gearbox is working perfectly and the additional smoothness is also there at motorway/A road speeds.
This is great thanks for that,I'll get intouch with him
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      11-28-2016, 05:00 AM   #15
gtthree
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Also attached are the BMW service instructions for the ZF8HP box, probably best used for the torque setting.
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File Type: pdf zftransmissionoilprocedure.pdf (681.3 KB, 4503 views)
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      11-28-2016, 07:21 PM   #16
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I would not wait until 92k miles to change the fluid
Did you get to see the fluid when it was changed?
Problem with changing tranny oil at such high mileage is that the sludge buildup in the transmission may loosen with the new oil and clog other areas of the tranny.
You change at 50-60k miles to prevent the sludge buildup.

BTW thats a good ZF procedure doc there with the flowchart.. essentially the procedure I used.

Last edited by insanecoder; 11-28-2016 at 07:31 PM..
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      08-10-2017, 02:48 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gtthree View Post
Thread update.

Well I finally found the time to have my gearbox serviced, my car had reached 92k miles.
You can really tell the difference, the gearbox particularly at low speeds shifting between forward and reverse is much smoother and I’d recommend it to anyone whos car has reached the ZF recommendations for a gearbox service.

For those who are interested
I managed to locate a genuine ZF8HP70 sump, together with 8 litres of Lifeguard 8 fluid, the attachment screws and sealing/filling plug on ebay.

I purchased these from onestopgearboxshop of High Wycombe via their ebay store for £239.99 delivered next day (November 2016).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ZF-8HP70-A...kAAOSwn7JYDdwm

Again I trusted the work to TGM Sport in Fleet who have a full diagnostic computer to communicate with the car in order to read the sump temperatures inline with the service document I previously posted.
Access to diagnostic equipment is essential as the gearbox has very a specific filling process which not everyone will be aware of or be able to measure temperatures.

The work took two hours all in, so not too long a process, and in my eyes good preventative maintenance.
Hi gtthree

Just wanted to say thank you for this post. I am entrusting Tom @ TGM to do this oil change on my own car's ZF 8 speed, using the same oil kit you bought.
Thanks for sharing this information, much appreciated.

Trust all is well with yours after the service?
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      08-10-2017, 04:31 PM   #18
gtthree
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Hi there Metrics

Like I said in my earlier post the smoothness of the gearbox improved, and all is still well in the 7k of miles I have now driven since the gearbox service.
I did print out the instructions but Tom knew the exact procedure anyway.

I would also recommend you change the diff oil at the same time, you will need the diff oil, I used Castrol Syntrax Longlife Oil 75W-90, 1 Liter approx £15 (amazon), and a new diff plug.
I cannot remember the cost of the plug but it would have been less than £10 for a genuine plug from a dealer.
There is no sump so the old oil needs to be extracted by pump and the new oil also pumped in, this is a fairly cheap preventative maintenance routine and I intend to replace mine every 30k.

TGM will look after you well, and if you're lucky you may see some rather nice race cars in being prep'd. I certainly would go nowhere else now, even for tyre fitting.
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      08-11-2017, 03:09 PM   #19
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Had the gearbox oil changed on my D5 BT today by Tom @ TGM. I asked Tom to also change the diff oil. He's a top bloke, really pleased with the service from him and his team. The oil that came wasn't too dirty at all (car has done 87k miles), but given the miles the car has done and the monster torque the engine produces, it makes sense to refresh the oils in the transmission too.
The shifts in the car are noticeably smoother too. So an endorsement of this approach, supplier and garage to do this job. If you have a ZF 8 sp that's covered in excess of 60k miles, get this done.
Thanks gtthree for the info sharing, much appreciated.
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      08-20-2017, 05:59 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gtthree View Post
Thread update.

Well I finally found the time to have my gearbox serviced, my car had reached 92k miles.
You can really tell the difference, the gearbox particularly at low speeds shifting between forward and reverse is much smoother and I’d recommend it to anyone whos car has reached the ZF recommendations for a gearbox service.

For those who are interested
I managed to locate a genuine ZF8HP70 sump, together with 8 litres of Lifeguard 8 fluid, the attachment screws and sealing/filling plug on ebay.

I purchased these from onestopgearboxshop of High Wycombe via their ebay store for £239.99 delivered next day (November 2016).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ZF-8HP70-A...kAAOSwn7JYDdwm

Again I trusted the work to TGM Sport in Fleet who have a full diagnostic computer to communicate with the car in order to read the sump temperatures inline with the service document I previously posted.
Access to diagnostic equipment is essential as the gearbox has very a specific filling process which not everyone will be aware of or be able to measure temperatures.

The work took two hours all in, so not too long a process, and in my eyes good preventative maintenance.
The service instructions say to disable limp home mode as a pre-requisite. Did you have to do that? Did you use an IR gun to measure temp, or use an app like Torque?

I've done my 2002 e39 transmission flush twice in the 120k miles I've had it, so I have some experience, but I've heard these 8-speeds have transmission coolers and need extra steps?
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      08-20-2017, 06:06 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by insanecoder View Post
I would not wait until 92k miles to change the fluid
Did you get to see the fluid when it was changed?
Problem with changing tranny oil at such high mileage is that the sludge buildup in the transmission may loosen with the new oil and clog other areas of the tranny.
You change at 50-60k miles to prevent the sludge buildup.

BTW thats a good ZF procedure doc there with the flowchart.. essentially the procedure I used.
Hi,

I've done the e39 procedure attached twice, on my e39, using an IR gun. No issues. Car has 270k miles and trainy rock solid still. So im comfortable doing that, but that flow chart has a lot more steps in it. Looking at the attached, would it work just the same (like you did yours)?
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File Type: pdf Transmission Flush-Filter.pdf (232.3 KB, 779 views)
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      08-22-2017, 01:54 PM   #22
gtthree
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Hi MJB

I was not present when my ZF8HP gearbox was serviced.

There is however an excellent video on youtube for topping up the gearbox.

The video covers all the steps for checking the oil level, topping up and also the key step of check the oil level again after running the transmission up to temperature , letting it cool and then rechecking the level

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