ok so many have opinions about should you flush or should you just dump and refill, my 04 MCS has 45K on it and i thought it might be a good time to change the fluid, i have heard horror stories about trans flushing, should i just dump the old and fill with new? looking for thoughts! thank you!

 

Hummm I would like to know as well .. I just got 48k on my 05 MCS ...

 

Morning guys,i've found it easy to change out the tranny fliud every
25k, may sound excessive but it works for me.i've been using redline
mt90. if your worried about metal being moved thru your tranny check
out MossMini's web site for a magnetic drain plug hope this helps.a
straight drain and fill should work just fine. so far so good with 93k
on the clock

 

thanks minilites, i thought about the mag plug just to see what shows on the next change, but its nice to get thoughts from you all before i venture!

 

We're talking manual, right? I believe there is a change in gear oil viscosity recommendation depending on build-date, July 2004 being the start date for a different formulation.

 

Actually had to do this not too long ago... mine's an '03 R50. stick.

ended up getting MTF-90 from the dealership down here in FL.. (bring your own CLEAN bottle to pick it up with, since they only sell it in bulk, here anyway)

The guy @ the parts counter told me that "technically" it's a lifetime fluid and shouldn't need to be replaced. i had to since when i was changing my clutch i made the mistake of not retaining the old stuff.

Given the option in the future, i'll drain, strain and reuse. and will DEFINITELY put in a magnetic plug

I changed the clutch @ around 113k miles.. hadn't EVER done anything with the MTF prior to that and never had any problems..

 

Any fluid that is lifetime is lifetime of the warranty.....if you have any doubts take a sample and send it to Blackstone Labs for analysis, you'll be glad you change it every 25-30k miles

Fluid is cheap, transmissions not so much.

 

Changed the fluid recently on our 6 speed manual at 23K with BMW/Mini spec fluid for our model. Had read several threads stating the whys and wherefores and many stated that there was an improvement in the smoothness or ease of shifting after a fluid change. I was a bit skeptical---but it's true. The improvement in the shifting smoothness is not gargantuan but noticeable. So it was a worthwhile endeavor for us and the transmission. FWIW.

 

Buzzsaw: Did you have the dealer do it, or did they sell you the fluid over the counter?

 

The dealer is 3 hours away so I had the service done at Bavarian Auto in Wichita. They had to order the fluid from their BMW vendor-I don't know if it was from the dealer. Their service was very reasonable and quick. I forgot to mention that shifting into first gear is much smoother and easier since the fluid change.

 

Would you mind letting me know (either here or in PM if you prefer) how much the trans. drain/fill service was at Bavarian here in Wichita? I've got 80k on my '04 S and have been thinking of having this done. Bavarian has done service for me before and I like them a lot. The job is much easier to do on a lift which I don't have, plus I checked and my drain & fill plugs are very tight so I think I'll just have this done at the shop.

 

I think that one of the local dealers here in the DC area quoted me $250 to change the gear oil in the manual gearbox of my 2004 MCS.

 

Bavarian Auto quoted me $103.00 for the transmission fluid change. In and out in 45 minutes. Great service and pricing!!!

 

Does anyone have good instructions as to how a DIYer could do this themselves? Do you siphon the new stuff in or use something like the MityVac?

 

You're in luck. Found this link that should help you. Good luck.

 

I've got 108,000 miles on my tranny. I'll go with the Redline MT90.
How many quarts for an oil change in the Getrag 6 speed?

 

My invoice says 2 qts but have read 1.75 used by other commenting about this subject.

 

I thought the flush vs drain and fill debate was referring only to automatic transmissions? Many report that on older and/or neglected transmissions, the flush will stir up debris and kill the transmission within a few hundred miles after the flush.