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  #21  
Old 10-20-2012, 02:28 PM
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Not sure if this trick will work easily with the BMW but.........

- drive the vehicls to get trans up to operating temp
- identify and disconnect the input side of the trans oil cooler
- use a vice grip to clamp the line down to restrict the flow rate to a manageable level. Around a.quart a minute is good.
- extend the hose if necessary to reach your container for the flushed trans fluid.
- disconnect the return side trans cooler hose. If necessary, extend the hose to comfortably reach your container of fresh trans fluid.
- with rear wheels off the ground start the engine the cycle the shifter through the gears to move could through all areas of the trans.
- monitor the level in your fresh fluid container at all times.
- when the flush with is done, check the trans fill level and adjust as required.

An alternative method is to leave the return side connected to the cooler and manuallyreplace the flushed fluid with fresh.
I've used both methods on the LandBruiser and the ML430.
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  #22  
Old 10-21-2012, 12:19 AM
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My wife's Mini also had the "lifetime" fluid. The stealer quoted us $230 to flush and refill and I didn't want to bother with it. They called to say it was very low on fluid and took four flushes to get the fluid looking clean again, but that now it was making some noise at idle. So to be nice guys, they said no charge for any of it. We traded that car in a few weeks later, I think at about 65k miles.

Her E92 has 41k miles on it and I'm thinking of just leaving the fluid in there. She has four more years of aftermarket warranty and I doubt it will die before then or that she'll keep it longer.
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  #23  
Old 10-21-2012, 11:16 AM
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Just replaced the lifetime fluid in the new E46 M3 I got.. 153k miles and the stuff reeked.

Label on the trans said LT1 fluid. They are already on revision three (LT3).
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  #24  
Old 10-21-2012, 03:50 PM
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I did the fluid on the wife's '01 boxster (ZF 5HP19) when we did the tranny swap(s) . It requires a tool like a durametric, the engine running and in a very specific temp range (thus need for durametric), and a J shaped fill hose so you can fill through the drain hole.

IIRC, fill until 'full', start car and warmup, and keep filling. You have to shift into certain gears and back. The fluid gets pumped off to the nether regions and only once overflowing slightly at operating temp, do you reinsert the drain plug. If you turn off the car at any step before doing this, say because you ran out of fluid and needed to go get a little more, it rapidly becomes apparent that it all rushes back into the pan and makes a hell of a mess.

Knowing what I know now, I would have changed the fluid VERY often on the ZF slushbox. They are fragile units. Dont believe lifetime fill. The E90 prob has a 6 speed 6hpXXX but who knows if it has the same weaknesses the 5hp19 does. Better safe than sorry.
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  #25  
Old 10-21-2012, 04:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smdubovsky View Post
I did the fluid on the wife's '01 boxster (ZF 5HP19) when we did the tranny swap(s) . It requires a tool like a durametric, the engine running and in a very specific temp range (thus need for durametric), and a J shaped fill hose so you can fill through the drain hole.

IIRC, fill until 'full', start car and warmup, and keep filling. You have to shift into certain gears and back. The fluid gets pumped off to the nether regions and only once overflowing slightly at operating temp, do you reinsert the drain plug. If you turn off the car at any step before doing this, say because you ran out of fluid and needed to go get a little more, it rapidly becomes apparent that it all rushes back into the pan and makes a hell of a mess.

Knowing what I know now, I would have changed the fluid VERY often on the ZF slushbox. They are fragile units. Dont believe lifetime fill. The E90 prob has a 6 speed 6hpXXX but who knows if it has the same weaknesses the 5hp19 does. Better safe than sorry.
This process is exactly what I've read to do for the 6 sp ZF trans in my E90. For BMW you have to use the BT (Bavarian Technic - same people that make the Durametric) tool and the process is the same.

I'm convinced - I'm changing mine at 60k miles. I'll write it up here.
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