Can anybody advise me on how to change the automatic gearbox oil on my 1993 5 speed BMW 320i which does not have a dipstick. How do I know when the box is full? Haynes manual says leave it to a BMW garage, but that goes against my principles.
Help please, Best Wishes for the new year.GGH
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You would have to remove the sump from the box, replace the internal filter and gasket, tip out the old fluid and refit sump. Refill, then follow the topup procedure which may require the engine running,
You will only be able to replace a bit over half of the fluid, the rest will remain in the system.
Buy the fluid from the BMW dealer if you like, it is a reasonable price
1 ltr BMW Dexron IIIg ATF 83 22 9 407 858 £5.39
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I don't think that's quite correct, ST.
Changing the fluid doesn't require removing the sump and filter, and refilling the BMW 5-speed gearboxes is not a simple top-up procedure. The box is filled through a hole in the side (car on ramp with engine running) and a specially-shaped dispenser is necessary in order to get the fluid into the correct place inside the box.
The cost of having this done by a BMW dealer shouldn't be excessive and is what I would do despite being an avid D-I-Y mechanic who normally only pays others for MoTs and tyre changes.
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www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/SD92-113.pdf
for info, there was a good page somwhere with pictures that showed how to change the fluid in a ZF and the GM box on a BMW can't find it now though.
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ST,
Some useful info there on specified fluids and capacities, however I believe it applies to the North American market where, in some cases, the gearboxes differ from those for the European market.
For instance, my 1992 E34 525i had a ZF 5HP box but the chart shows GM. It would thus be easy to use the wrong fluid and, as the chart says, "cause a non-warrantable tranmission failure".
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Thank you all for your advice, regretfully I think I am forced into going to BMW.GGH
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