[Socom]

Hey guys,

My 2011 BMW 535i xdrive with 77,200 miles, seems to be slipping gears from the first gear to second, would you guys recommend changing my transmission fluid and differential fluid? Or what do you think might be the problem and also how much does it cost for both fluid changes? I know BMW claims that BMW transmission fluid is "lifetime" but we all know it isnt lol i just don't want to do more harm than good by changing.

What are you thoughts on this?

[ziekxq]

You can try drain and refill on the trans: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...-24118612901kt

252 for the kit. You can get this kit, it will be cheaper than going to stealership. I think bmw trans oil from stealership is around 150 or so bucks per bottle.

[Surly73]

I have one of these same kits on the shelf waiting to go. I'm excited to get it changed. Not so excited to perform the procedure itself but hopefully I'll love the results.

[ziekxq]

Originally Posted by Surly73

I have one of these same kits on the shelf waiting to go. I'm excited to get it changed. Not so excited to perform the procedure itself but hopefully I'll love the results.

What state you in?

[n3985]

Wife's car hit 80K and I brought the FCP Euro kit to my independent BMW shop for them to properly refill and reset adaptations.

While in there also changed front, rear diff, and transfer case fluid.

Car drives smoother especially morning cold start 1-2 shift.

[Sylverlee]

Originally Posted by n3985

Wife's car hit 80K and I brought the FCP Euro kit to my independent BMW shop for them to properly refill and reset adaptations.

While in there also changed front, rear diff, and transfer case fluid.

Car drives smoother especially morning cold start 1-2 shift.

How much did that labor cost?

[n3985]

Originally Posted by Sylverlee

How much did that labor cost?

$400 just for the transmission service

[chowmeinpapi]

Thought I'd chime in since I had my tranny fluid/filter changed today. Car had 70k miles on it with no shift issues. After reading countless posts on the topic, I just wanted to change the fluid for peace of mind.

My local indy ordered the ZF pan and 7 quarts of lifeguard 8. Price came out a little lower than the kit found on fcpeuro. After $180 labor, the total service cost $445.

Fluid came out pretty dark and there was quite a bit of metal shavings in the pan. He reset the adaptations, so it was shifting kinda funky otw home. It was smooth to begin with, so I can't say that it got any smoother.

[BurrNinja]

Originally Posted by chowmeinpapi

Thought I'd chime in since I had my tranny fluid/filter changed today. Car had 70k miles on it with no shift issues. After reading countless posts on the topic, I just wanted to change the fluid for peace of mind.

My local indy ordered the ZF pan and 7 quarts of lifeguard 8. Price came out a little lower than the kit found on fcpeuro. After $180 labor, the total service cost $445.

Fluid came out pretty dark and there was quite a bit of metal shavings in the pan. He reset the adaptations, so it was shifting kinda funky otw home. It was smooth to begin with, so I can't say that it got any smoother.

[IMG]http://i68.tinypic.com/28w0492.jpg[/IMG]

Did this get any better? I know my trans has random shift issues from take off. Some days it's smooth as hell, would you suggest doing this at 95k? I don't know if trans had service before. No slipping though. I'm going to see if my DME needs update for it cause when I reset adaptations it's smooth then week later it goes back to normal.

[Surly73]

For what it's worth, I've seen it stated in various places that transmission adaptations are NOT to be reset. Unlike with most systems in the car, the transmission adaptations which are reset by that procedure are WEAR adaptations, not driver/fluid/weather/whatever adaptations. They are there to account for clutch and brake wear. I believe the documentation for xHP mentions this. With various software you can read out the current adaptation values to determine wear in different areas of your transmission.

xHP says that in an extreme case, if you reset adaptations some cars will no longer be able to move until some adaptations are manually programmed back in to get close the values needed for that particular transmission. (Note, I said EXTREME cases).

I left it alone and after my DIY pan/fluid replacement shifts were instantly smoother the next time I drove. YMMV, of course.

[jonobro]

Originally Posted by Surly73

For what it's worth, I've seen it stated in various places that transmission adaptations are NOT to be reset. Unlike with most systems in the car, the transmission adaptations which are reset by that procedure are WEAR adaptations, not driver/fluid/weather/whatever adaptations. They are there to account for clutch and brake wear. I believe the documentation for xHP mentions this. With various software you can read out the current adaptation values to determine wear in different areas of your transmission.

xHP says that in an extreme case, if you reset adaptations some cars will no longer be able to move until some adaptations are manually programmed back in to get close the values needed for that particular transmission. (Note, I said EXTREME cases).

I left it alone and after my DIY pan/fluid replacement shifts were instantly smoother the next time I drove. YMMV, of course.

I'm wanting to do transmission fluid change myself can you help me source tools I need to do this job

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by jonobro

I'm wanting to do transmission fluid change myself can you help me source tools I need to do this job

I used the change kit from FCP, which includes fluid, pan, pan bolts and a new fill plug. You can verify tools for the bolts and the fill and drain plug before starting. Harbour Freight should have everything if you don't have what's required. I think all of this has been documented somewhere on bimmerpost over the years but...

From memory, steps and stuff needed:

• You need to raise and support the car safely and level.
• You need to remove the middle belly pan (8mm socket) and one of the heat shields near the transmission (8mm or 10mm)
• (You will find a small battery impact tool helpful to speed up belly pan removal plus adapter to 8mm socket)
• You need to be able to remove and replaced the fill bolt (8mm hex key I believe it was).
• You need to be able to remove the existing drain bolt (10mm hex key or socket I believe)
• You need something to catch old fluid
• You need to be able to remove and replace the pan bolts (Torx - I didn't note the size).
• You need to be able to precisely torque the pan bolts to 10Nm - this will require a 1/4" click type torque wrench and whatever adapters to use the Torx socket required.
• You need some kind of apparatus to pump fluid into the transmission - all kinds of options for all kinds of budgets.
• I found it helpful to have my torch soldering flame protector cloth draped over a portion of the exhaust closest to the transmission fill plug to protect my hands and arm from accidentally brushing it while setting the level
• You use ISTA+ to read out the transmission temperature while setting the final level with the engine running. It also walks you through the R, M1, M2, revving steps required to properly set the level. Getting ISTA working is a whole "thing" and I'm not covering it here.
• an assistant needs to to the ISTA and shifting work while you're under the car setting the final level
• Assemble in reverse of disassembly and leave the side of the transmission clean with brake cleaner.

The only thing I had to buy was the 1/4" click torque wrench.

Procedures are found in ISTA+ and online from ZF. Videos are on Youtube and FCPEuro showing other people (with hoists) doing the change.

Here's a page from ZF themselves all about it: https://www.zf.com/unitedkingdom/en_...hange_oil.html

YMMV. I'm not responsible for any problems or injuries. Be smart and work within your capabilities. Don't take any chances when working under your car. Etc...etc... disclaimers. Do lots of reading and research before attempting.

[chowmeinpapi]

Originally Posted by BurrNinja

Did this get any better? I know my trans has random shift issues from take off. Some days it's smooth as hell, would you suggest doing this at 95k? I don't know if trans had service before. No slipping though. I'm going to see if my DME needs update for it cause when I reset adaptations it's smooth then week later it goes back to normal.

I can say that it actually felt smoother than usual this morning. Could be a placebo. Before the fluid change, 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd was somewhat jerky in Sport Mode. But this morning the shifts were smooth, similar to what I usually experience in Comfort.

I'm no tech, but it seems like the internet recommends a change between 60k and 80k, based on ZFs intervals. Some say anything above is risky, but at the same time, I heard from a few shops that they recommend changing fluid at 100k. My guy told me to come back at 100k to change ONLY the fluid then fluid+filter at 130k. Who knows when I'll retire the car.

[Thecastle]

There seems to be a lot of old mechanics tales when it comes to transmission fluid changes. Basically transmission fluid is a petrochemical oil. Like all oils overtime it breaks down and the additives are used up. For maximum life of the part you should change the fluid for. This same transmission is used in a lot of vehicles including trucks which do recommend changing the oil

The issue that some folks run into... is automatics have clutches that wear and create particles that sometimes come out of suspension in the oil and arenÂ’t caught by the filter. Especially if the filter is full and operating in bypass. When you change the oil on this transmission there is some risk in dislodging the sediment and causing it to get stuck in tiny passages or reduce the flow of oil in places causing bad shifting. But if you in this position you were on borrowed time anyway on the transmission.

All I can say is in my work truck fleet. On transmissions (different trans) in ford f450s diesels, ones that aren’t serviced die at around 170k miles. Ones that are serviced routinely last 250k+. So spending 400 in transmission fluid to gain another 70k miles, is a cheap investment, considering the cost of a transmission, loss of service and labor involved in a swap.

Most people don’t keep their cars for more than 3-5 years and 36-60k miles. So for you passing the car on to the next person... transmission oil changes are a waste of money.

[Skibum]

I have given up trying to use the bootleg ISTA software, and I have no idea how to purchase this software from BMW directly. The bootleg stuff errors out, and I've tried downloading it from multiple sites and installing it on two different WIN 10 Pro Core i5 laptops with no success. I'm old, I don't do programming, and I need something turn-key that will display the tranny fluid temp in real time.

Does anyone know of any reasonably priced OBD2 scanners that will display live readings of the transmission fluid temperature for F and G model BMWs? Presently, I need to change the fluid on my 2014 F10 550i with the ZF 8HP 8-speed, and in a year or so, I'll be needing to do the same thing on my 2018 G30 540iX. Thanks to anyone who knows of any readers/scanners that will display live trans fluid temps on 2011 and later F and G series Bimmers.

[jonobro]

Originally Posted by Skibum

I have given up trying to use the bootleg ISTA software, and I have no idea how to purchase this software from BMW directly. The bootleg stuff errors out, and I've tried downloading it from multiple sites and installing it on two different WIN 10 Pro Core i5 laptops with no success. I'm old, I don't do programming, and I need something turn-key that will display the tranny fluid temp in real time.

Does anyone know of any reasonably priced OBD2 scanners that will display live readings of the transmission fluid temperature for F and G model BMWs? Presently, I need to change the fluid on my 2014 F10 550i with the ZF 8HP 8-speed, and in a year or so, I'll be needing to do the same thing on my 2018 G30 540iX. Thanks to anyone who knows of any readers/scanners that will display live trans fluid temps on 2011 and later F and G series Bimmers.

Following this, my INSTA works just fine though

[rahdigga165]

Originally Posted by Skibum

I have given up trying to use the bootleg ISTA software, and I have no idea how to purchase this software from BMW directly. The bootleg stuff errors out, and I've tried downloading it from multiple sites and installing it on two different WIN 10 Pro Core i5 laptops with no success. I'm old, I don't do programming, and I need something turn-key that will display the tranny fluid temp in real time.

Does anyone know of any reasonably priced OBD2 scanners that will display live readings of the transmission fluid temperature for F and G model BMWs? Presently, I need to change the fluid on my 2014 F10 550i with the ZF 8HP 8-speed, and in a year or so, I'll be needing to do the same thing on my 2018 G30 540iX. Thanks to anyone who knows of any readers/scanners that will display live trans fluid temps on 2011 and later F and G series Bimmers.

I did not do the transmission fluid yet, but i purchased & downloaded the bimmerlink app along with an obd adapter to read some codes and i was able to see transmission live temp values. Maybe that can be another alternative for you.

For a novice like me, bimmercode and bimmerlink along with an OBD adapter does the simple jobs for me.
ISTA is a different level for me.

[Skibum]

Thanks for this idea rahdigga. Yes, since all I'm wanting at the moment is the ability to see live tranny fluid temps - I will give this a try!

Originally Posted by rahdigga165

I did not do the transmission fluid yet, but i purchased & downloaded the bimmerlink app along with an obd adapter to read some codes and i was able to see transmission live temp values. Maybe that can be another alternative for you.

For a novice like me, bimmercode and bimmerlink along with an OBD adapter does the simple jobs for me.
ISTA is a different level for me.

[jonobro]

Originally Posted by Skibum

Thanks for this idea rahdigga. Yes, since all I'm wanting at the moment is the ability to see live tranny fluid temps - I will give this a try!

Hey Ski bum what tools are you going to be using to do your transmission fluid change ?

[lsturbointeg]

So know DIY's with photos or YouTube video on this? Mines due

[Surly73]

Originally Posted by lsturbointeg

So know DIY's with photos or YouTube video on this? Mines due

They're all over. See the link in my post above to ZF's page all about doing this work - they have published their own videos. It's generic for the ZF 8HP and not F10 specific but, then, so is the job.

FCPEuro has a page too https://blog.fcpeuro.com/how-to-serv...p-transmission

[535_BiTurbo]

Originally Posted by Surly73

For what it's worth, I've seen it stated in various places that transmission adaptations are NOT to be reset. Unlike with most systems in the car, the transmission adaptations which are reset by that procedure are WEAR adaptations, not driver/fluid/weather/whatever adaptations. They are there to account for clutch and brake wear. I believe the documentation for xHP mentions this. With various software you can read out the current adaptation values to determine wear in different areas of your transmission.

xHP says that in an extreme case, if you reset adaptations some cars will no longer be able to move until some adaptations are manually programmed back in to get close the values needed for that particular transmission. (Note, I said EXTREME cases).

I left it alone and after my DIY pan/fluid replacement shifts were instantly smoother the next time I drove. YMMV, of course.

You didnt reset the transmission adaptations at all right? Just changed the fluid only