I have been getting mixed reviews and suggestions. Some say that it is not serviceable and that Mini recommends leaving it alone unless there is a problem. Others say that that is a load of horse crap and that it should be changed at whatever personal interval they swear by. So which is it?

 

Lots of good info in regards to the lifetime fluid here. Starts at the 3rd paragraph.

 

Of course it's serviceable. It's just a normal getrag 6 speed. Drain plug on the bottom, fill plug in the middle.

Personal choice if you want to change it. I changed mine. It's certainly not going to hurt anything and could potentially prolong the life of the transmission.

 

I schedule a transmission fluid change every 25 to 30k miles. I don't agree with the dogma of lifetime transmission fluid. It is very inexpensive insurance versus the potential costly repairs accelerated by tired transmission fluid.

 

Think about it: Whose "lifetime"? Your lifetime? The lifetime of the warranty? The lifetime of the vehicle? Preventive maintenance is the best kind. Do it! 2 quarts of Redline MTL. Remember, always remove the fill plug first (the upper one).

 

So these getrags really just use a 75W80 gear oil?

 

Yes but just order two quarts of this.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/...erTech%23item0

I have yet to hear one negative review of this fluid in a Mini.

 

Which one of the fluids listed do you recommend? I plan on changing the manual trans fluid on my R50.

 

Redline MTL.
Look no further.

 

100% STOCK!!!!
That has to be the rarest 1st Gen MINI in the world.

 

Sounded much better than "No mods wanted or needed"

 

Let him experience a 1st gen MINI in the twisties with a 19 or 22mm rear sway bar installed and then see how long that 100% stock in his signature remains.

 

Sorry. It should have gone to the Redline MTF but it took you to the main transmission fluid page for some reason.

 

I would change it out. Lifetime fluid always means the lift of your transmission, not the life of the car or you. Transmission fluid should be done every 60k miles IMO.

 

I agree ...My 2006 MCS that i bought used this past Feb only had 31,000 miles when i bought it ...... now has 39,000 ..Changed the Oil and filter.... new air filter and cabin Filter ...New spark Plugs ...Flushed and changed the Coolant and Brake fluid ..... plan on doing the Serpentine belt and changing the Manual Trans fluid at 60,000 miles ....My Car has the LSD Option ...im guessing i should change the Differential Fluid as well???

 

The twisties are fun "as is" with the stock setup in place.

I do not doubt your contention that light modding will enhance the car's performance level from where it is now. I do fear however, that if I were to have that sway bar installed among many other available mods, then a substantial hole in my wallet would eventually develop, as it has with past automotive projects I've delved into. A modded Porsche 914 I had back in the '80s comes to mind...

For now, I'll be enjoying my "rare 100% stock" m/c/s as is...

 

FWIW; "Lifetime" is defined as: Lifetime of the Warranty. That's all the manufacturer cares about; getting the car out of their 'concern'.

Similar case with the SuperCharger oil.

Also, every time you pull an axle (like for a CV Boot, or clutch work) you have to change the fluid anyway.

So go for it!

 

I changed the oil in my 6-speed to Redline MTL at around 90,000 miles. To be perfectly honest, I didn't notice a bit of difference. But, it probably needed to be done. It's an easy job to do.

 

If I were to take it to Mini and have them do it, what fluid would they use? Redline?

MT fluid changes usually are easy, that's not the problem. I just want to make sure that I am using the right shtuff.

 

If you take it to a MINI dealer, they are probably going to get a MINI brand fluid. If you want to use the redline MTL, take it to another shop that isn't a MINI dealer...probably end up saving a lot of money also.

 

No I'll totally do it myself, just quadruple checking. Is it hard to get Mini's fluid or is Redline just the easy go-to?

 

Everyone seems to love the Redline MTL fluid....so I'd probably just go with that. I ordered mine online, but you might be able to find some auto shops that carry it on the shelf.

 

When I did it 3 years back, we went to the dealer with an empty fluid container. They filled it from the bulk collection/container they had. It was not a product that is ready for sale and may not be able to sell it to you. At the time it was hard enough just to figure out what the viscosity and weight was.

But, I'm doing Red Line on the two cars soon. No other reason than people seem to like it.

 

I don't think you can buy the Mini oil by the 1ltr, just 20ltr containers, but it if you can get Fuchs oils, they have an oil called Syntofluid which is their correct oil for the Getrag box including LSD, also in 20ltr, but cheaper.


I believe the oil should be changed, and a high number of cars I've seen have low oil with no sign of leakage, both of my own have been the same with only around 30k, so although topped up, this one will be flushed out at 50k if not before.

 

Why is this? Does it burn out?