2006 Cooper w/ ~64,000 miles.

Going to do the CVT fluid and filter change in the near future. I have 5 quarts of fluid already, but should I be expecting to use more with a filter change? Should I have an extra quart on hand?

~mike

 

Are you sure you want to do this?
I heard stories about gearbox failure after changing fluid ....

 

I never had problem with it I am the 3rd owner, I changed the fluid at around 100k and I am now at 115k. There is someone on the forums(who I cant remember) got up to 200k+ by changing the fluid everything 30k miles.

As far as changing the filter. I have no idea sorry. I know its very tedious. I would get an extra quart just to be on the safe side.. I would imagine its something like this. THIS IS FOR A ASIN TRANSMISSION THOUGH, http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...uid_Change.htm

 

I wouldn't worry about changing the filter out. I did mine at around 115k miles, and there weren't many shavings on the magnet in the transmission pan. The key is keeping the fluid fresh to keep the box cool and lubricated.

Getting the pan off is a pain too because part of the subframe blocks a few of the bolts.

If at all possible, stick with the esso fluid too. I did use Redline once and the tranny ran smoothly. However, the CVT stepper motor died about 1k miles afterwards, which I believe is coincidence and not due to the fluid (because it ran smoothly), but...who knows for sure.

You also need to make sure you'll be able to reset the adaptations or could damage the box.

Also, I believe the shop manual calls for 5 liters of the fluid, so you might want an extra quart on hand. Getting the fluid level correct involves overfilling and then draining while the car is running via the level correction hole.

Be sure to change the fluid every 28k miles.

 

well, this sounds like a royal pain...
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...aptations.html

~mike

 

My car is CVT , it has 125K on the clock , for now no problems with the transmission ,
I didn't touch it since new...

 

Consider yourself lucky and on borrowed time. Mine went out at around 121k miles. The fluid wasn't changed between 30k miles and 100k miles.

Page 11 gives the drain interval for the transmission:
http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/pse/...F%20040323.pdf

The longest I've heard anyone make it before failure is around 190k miles.

 

My local dealer said , it's non changeable , and if I insist to do it , they sign me on some papers that I take all responsibility of any thing that happens afterwards..

 

Your dealer is definitely incorrect - the BMW TIS shop manual even has the steps for replacing it.

With that said, I personally don't think the box really ever needs the filter replaced, unlike more traditional automatic transmissions, which should have the filter replaced regularly. Despite lots of searching a while back, I was never able to find a suggested change interval for the filter. And, from my experience when I changed mine, it really didn't show outward signs that is was getting full/clogged.

 

Yeah, I did it once and waited a while (a month or two) to do the adaptations. It's certainly possible it accelerated the failure I had, but who knows for sure.

Honestly, if you have a dealer nearby, they'll change out the fluid for $200-$250 (at least that was the going rate from my dealer). I think it's worth that cost not risking damage to the box.

 

Anyone with experience filling his CVT from the top plug? I see the guides indicate you should fill from the front "view" plug, but with the battery box off, it seems easiest to let gravity assist.

If you have used the "top fill" method, any issues or concerns?

Thanks

 

I used the top plug when I did mine. No problems or issues. You will need to make sure you use the side plug to drain to correct the level once you've filled it. Shop manual lays out the procedure - involves turning the car on and going through different shift positions for a few seconds, etc...