3 years, 4 months ago
When is it necessary to flush the transmission fluid on a BMW 2003 540 with 60K miles?
My mechanic, whom I generally trust, suggested this for my car. Should I? "They say" lifetime fluids for transmission...what happens if you don't flush? What are signs that your fluid is bad or needs to be replaced
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M$3 Answers
I am just going from personal experience here. I have worked on cars and trucks for the majority of my life but only as a hobby. So the advice I am handing out is just shop talk :)
To be honest your engine only has 60K miles on it. Its still a baby :) I know a lot of folks who change their transmission fluid pretty regularly, every 30K - 40K miles. You mentioned the BMW has a lifetime fluid rule for their transmissions. I know a lot of people including myself who have never changed or flushed their transmission fluid. I have a 99 F-150 and it has 200K miles on him. I just keep an eye on the fluid and make sure the levels stay correct and as long as the fluid is a nice red color and doesn't smell burnt you should be alright.
I have heard stories of people flushing their transmission fluid after 120K - 150K and the flush actually causing more damage than it would have solved due to the detergents in the fluid. At this point in the game I would play it safe and just leave the installed fluid in the trannsmission, but you only have 60K and if it would make you feel better to change it than to leave it in, it shouldn't hurt anything.
Out of curiosity, is your car shifting hard or are you noticing any performance issues possibly related to the transmission ?
If you are really concerned contact your local BMW dealer and ask to speak to a mechanic or lead mechanic.
If it makes you feel any better I have posted some similar conversations below.
To be honest your engine only has 60K miles on it. Its still a baby :) I know a lot of folks who change their transmission fluid pretty regularly, every 30K - 40K miles. You mentioned the BMW has a lifetime fluid rule for their transmissions. I know a lot of people including myself who have never changed or flushed their transmission fluid. I have a 99 F-150 and it has 200K miles on him. I just keep an eye on the fluid and make sure the levels stay correct and as long as the fluid is a nice red color and doesn't smell burnt you should be alright.
I have heard stories of people flushing their transmission fluid after 120K - 150K and the flush actually causing more damage than it would have solved due to the detergents in the fluid. At this point in the game I would play it safe and just leave the installed fluid in the trannsmission, but you only have 60K and if it would make you feel better to change it than to leave it in, it shouldn't hurt anything.
Out of curiosity, is your car shifting hard or are you noticing any performance issues possibly related to the transmission ?
If you are really concerned contact your local BMW dealer and ask to speak to a mechanic or lead mechanic.
If it makes you feel any better I have posted some similar conversations below.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$Report Abuse
I'm over due for an oil change and your post reminded me to call my local BMW dealer.
While on the phone, I asked the service manager at my local BMW dealer your question. He agreed and said that he likely would recommend new transmission fluid on an '03 with 60k.
He said that it wasn't required but for the cost of the transmission fluid flush, it would be good to do if the car has been sitting for any period of time or if the car is "driven hard". He said most folks don't change their transmission fluid but that it will not hurt the car to do.
It sounds like your mechanic is airing on the side of caution and trying to keep your car in top shape rather than sell you a service you don't need.
Thinking about how I drive my car and how it sometimes sits for extended periods of time, I think that I might ask for mine to be flushed next time they take it for service.
While on the phone, I asked the service manager at my local BMW dealer your question. He agreed and said that he likely would recommend new transmission fluid on an '03 with 60k.
He said that it wasn't required but for the cost of the transmission fluid flush, it would be good to do if the car has been sitting for any period of time or if the car is "driven hard". He said most folks don't change their transmission fluid but that it will not hurt the car to do.
It sounds like your mechanic is airing on the side of caution and trying to keep your car in top shape rather than sell you a service you don't need.
Thinking about how I drive my car and how it sometimes sits for extended periods of time, I think that I might ask for mine to be flushed next time they take it for service.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Is your BMW a standard or automatic?
Its a good idea to change the transmission fluid in a standard transmission every twenty thousand miles to check for early wear signs and other issues as well as keep the fluid fresh.
As far as automatics go, for optimum protection, change the (Shell LA or Esso ATF) fluid and filter every 30,000 miles (unless you have Dexron III ATF which is supposed to be good for 100,000 miles).
According to the Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association, 90% of all transmission failures are caused by overheating. And most of these can be blamed on worn out fluid that should have been replaced.
Signs of bad fluid:
Transmission fluid should be a translucent red color, if it has a cloudy or muddy color, or has a burnt smell to it, that means that the fluid needs to be changed.
Vibrations when you shift gears.
Stutter or drag through a gear shift.
Low transmission fluid level.
Conditions that necessitate a fluid change:
Majority of driving in stop and go traffic, hilly terrain, hot weather, or towing can build up excess transmission heat causing fluid to be lost, damaged, or both.
If you have had any problems/repairs to the drive shaft, universal joints, drive axles, constant velocity joints, engine flywheels, flex plates, computer system, sensors, radiator or cooling lines to the transmission, engine and transmission mountings, as these can affect transmission fluid.
Its a good idea to change the transmission fluid in a standard transmission every twenty thousand miles to check for early wear signs and other issues as well as keep the fluid fresh.
As far as automatics go, for optimum protection, change the (Shell LA or Esso ATF) fluid and filter every 30,000 miles (unless you have Dexron III ATF which is supposed to be good for 100,000 miles).
According to the Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association, 90% of all transmission failures are caused by overheating. And most of these can be blamed on worn out fluid that should have been replaced.
Signs of bad fluid:
Transmission fluid should be a translucent red color, if it has a cloudy or muddy color, or has a burnt smell to it, that means that the fluid needs to be changed.
Vibrations when you shift gears.
Stutter or drag through a gear shift.
Low transmission fluid level.
Conditions that necessitate a fluid change:
Majority of driving in stop and go traffic, hilly terrain, hot weather, or towing can build up excess transmission heat causing fluid to be lost, damaged, or both.
If you have had any problems/repairs to the drive shaft, universal joints, drive axles, constant velocity joints, engine flywheels, flex plates, computer system, sensors, radiator or cooling lines to the transmission, engine and transmission mountings, as these can affect transmission fluid.
source(s):
My mechanic via telephone
My mechanic via telephone
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M$
