Ok thanks.

 

Did my second drain fill at 21k miles today. We found a great way to get the fill plug in out. We took a big slotted screwdriver and ground it down to fit the T55 fill plug. Now we can do a straight shot to the plug versus getting a T55 bit with a hex cap.

 

I've done the partial drain twice and being the lazy guy that I am I thought I'd share my $13 solution
With the Car Leveled..
1. After you've removed the drain plug and the overflow tube (both use 5mm Allen) and let the trans drain..
2. Re-instal the plastic overflow tube (5mm Allen) (This is what you'll check the fluid level with, in later steps)
3 Wrap a couple turns of pipe tape around the 1/4OD X 1/8mip and screw it into the pan. (It's not metric but works perfectly, Lowe's part number 15118) (pic3)
4. Connect the 1/4 in OD line (Lowe's part number 443431) (pic3)
5. Connect the line to the funnel end (made with a trans filler funnel and (Lowe's part numbers 20514 and 126919) Zip tied to the hood strut... (pic1 and 2)

Here's the cool part.. Put a quart in.. wait for it to drain in.. and settle..
Now note the level of the fluid in the line....
That's the level of the over flow tube.... Magic
6. Mark the line with a sharpie. (don't move the line, that's why I zip tied the funnel)(pic4)
7. Now continue fill, one quart (or 1/2 quart) at a time.. check level on line each time.
Once it settles above the line it will be above the overflow mark... (that's ok)
8. Start the engine (noting that it drops below the mark) and thoroughly warm up the engine.
9. While the engine is running add fluid until it settles very slightly above the sharpie marked line..
10. While the engine is running, remove the line from the pan and let it drain until it slows almost to a drip.. (the purpose of the overflow tube)
11. While the engine is running, Re-install the drain plug
(For me it lost only about a 1/2 cup of fluid)

I took me about half the time, no special tools and I didn't have to clean the top of the transmission. Parts with pipe tape, epoxy (for gluing part to funnel) and hose parts it was about $13. Lowe's part list/receipt (pic5) (and it's reusable)

 

Justawatcher, thanks for your write-up. I'm going to attempt this tomorrow and I was looking for an easier way.

 

drop a note if you have any questions..

 

Hi All,

I have an 07 R56 MCSa. Before I begin, let me first say, I have scoured the interwebs and read everything on NAM that I could find even remotely pertaining to a partial drain/refill of the auto trans on the R56... I've been doing so for 2 months now. All that said, this morning I attempted Justawatcher's method described above, while also loosely following along a Pelican Parts technical article for dropping the pan and doing a full fill/gasket & filter replace. Justawatcher, thanks for the write-up btw.

I encountered a small hitch I'm hoping one of you can help me with:

I first put the car up level on jack stands the night before I attempted this. With the car cold and level, I pulled the plug and the drain spout and drained exactly 2 qt. and 19 oz. out. I then hooked up the Lowes refill contraption (which worked fine) and proceeded to refill exactly 2 qt. and 19 oz. back in. All of it went great. I then started the car and moved through reverse and a few gears with the refill contraption still attached. The fluid level didn't change. Once the transmission pan reached 100 degrees on my IR thermometer, I pulled the Lowe's plug to let the overflow drain. It began to free flow. I let an entire quart drain before I finally put the plug in. It was still draining at full speed when I put the plug in. At this point, I obviously don't know how much more will drain and seeing an entire quart come out, freaked me out a little. Is it really possible that the transmission was overfilled that much at the factory?? Logic however, wants me to put back in exactly what I drained out.

Best I can guess, I can either fill the quart back in and plug it or I can bring it to temp, let it drain for awhile and see where it stops and then plug it. The car is currently still level up on jacks. I will also mention, I refilled with Amsoil synthetic, which I'm sure is going to have somewhat a different viscosity than the BMW fluid. Although, I can hardly imagine it making a significant difference. The quart I drained out is currently at 80 degrees. it's level in the container isn't perceivably different from when it was 100 degrees.

Update: After I wrote the above, I went back out and tweaked my jacks to double check that I was as close to level as I could possibly be. I then pulled the plug and another quart came out. It was still free flowing when I replaced it. I'll also mention, I did correctly reinstall the overflow spout before I started all this...


anyhow, I'm completely at a loss as to how to proceed. This makes zero sense to me. Any help is most greatly appreciated! Thoughts anyone?

Thanks, ian

 

Did you confirm that the stand pipe was in place before adding fluid? I've read some guys had no stand pipe from the factory. That is the only thing that I can think of with losing a quart of fluid.

Have fun,
Mike

 

Here is a link to an ATF application guide and information re fluid. Please let us know if we can help!

http://new.minimania.com/Search_Resu...t&setCarType=4

 

Hi Mike,

As I mentioned at the end of my post, I did correctly reinstall the overflow stand pipe before I started refilling.

That Mini Mania link doesn't appear to lead to any helpful information, just various transmission parts and supplies that are for sale...

Anyhow, I've been contemplating my situation; I didn't bring the trans. up to temp BEFORE draining. The Pelican article says that's important. I'm wondering if that is where I went wrong. Justawatcher's write-up doesn't mention that. Justa if your around, did you warm it up beforehand?

Also, since I'm not pulling the fill plug located at the top, I'm wondering if air pressure is playing into the problem. I of course did get some air back in while refilling through the drain hole...

So moving forward, I'm thinking I'll warm the trans. up to 100 degrees and shutting it off. Then pull the plug and overfill pipe allowing it to redrain completely. Meanwhile, I'll heat some new bottles of fluid to 100. Then reinsert the overflow pipe and attach the lowes fill contraption and replace the same total amount of fluid that has come out while the car has been warm. Then I'll remove the contraption and let it drain to a drip, making sure the trans is at temp while doing so. I'll then reattach the lowes contraption and add another half quart. Then remove it and start the car. I figure I'll repeat that step until I see a small amount of fluid drain out and come to a stop. Then I'll restore the plug and be done. I'm going to keep notes as to how much the overall level has deviated (if at all) and hopeful it won't be by much. If the deviation is big, I figure at that point I'll commit suicide. lol, kidding.

Anyone have any better ideas? Does this sound like a plan? Good grief I sure didn't think this procedure was going to be such a headache, lol.

 

Exactly what I was going to say. It certainly sounds like the stand pipe is missing given the way the fluid keeps draining well beyond what would be expected if it was in there. Assuming the stand pipe is missing then once it's replaced the plan should be to do the temperature based level check. It would seem the best route since it appears that a proper measurement of what has been drained is not possible any longer.

Best of luck with the re-fill!

 

Hi Guys,

Again, the stand pipe WAS correctly in place before I started refilling. Which is why this whole scenario is so particularly weird!

After everything is said and done with, I still know exactly how much fluid total has been removed. I'm exactly 2 quarts below the amount of fluid that was in the transmission to begin with.

 

Ok, glad that the stand pipe is fine.


Make sure that the car is idling in park when you remove the plug. Do not shut the engine off when confirming the correct amount of fluid. If the engine is not running, the fluid in some of the passages will drain down to the pan.


don't sweat the total amount removed compared to added. With the car level, running, and the trans warm, pull the plug on the trans. If no fluid comes out, then add some. When the fluid coming out of the drain plug slows down to a trickle, then install the plug, clean the pan, and check for leaks.


Have Fun,
Mike

 

In the event anyone else encounters this same situation, here's how it played out: I spoke with the head tech at Orlando Mini (their service dept. is honestly top notch) He told me I needed to fill at temp, from the top fill hole and do so until I get dribble at the stand pipe, then plug the bottom and plug the top. Go for a drive and see how it feels. I did so and dribble happened 2 and 1/2 quarts before reaching the total amount of fluid that originally came out (so, the transmission was 2 1/2 quarts low from the starting point). The car was slipping while in reverse backing out of my garage at idle speed. It slipped in ever gear. I drove it down the street, shifting all the way up through 6 and back down while being careful not to let the rpm's exceed 3500, just to give it a chance to push the fluid around. I called him back to report my findings. He said perhaps the wrong stand pipe was installed at the factory; stranger things have happened. He told me to go ahead and fill back in exactly the same amount of fluid that originally came out of the transmission. He also informed me, the trans has a vent and i was overfilled a bit, it will actually burp fluid, bringing itself to level. This vent also helps with equalizing air pressure. So, I then put back in exactly what came out and took the car for a drive. Everything was pretty much back to normal. Car was shifting great. Over the next day, it felt as though air was still working out. I did send a picture of the stand pipe to the tech and he confirmed it looked to be the correct stand pipe; ...very strange. I took the car to a track event this last weekend and I'm happy to say, it shifted PERFECTLY all weekend.

A few notes in hindsight: You should use the top fill hole. It looks intimidating to get to at first. But, after diving into it, it really becomes pretty easy. I can take it on and off now with my eyes closed. Just fill VERY slowly. Air needs to escape around the fill device. If you go too fast, it will start pooling out around the opening and filling the valleys around the top of the trans. If you fill from the bottom only, you inevitably will pump in air which will take longer for the system to pump back out. Pelican Parts' tech article entitled "Auto Transmission Fluid Change" was by far the most helpful and accurate information I came by. I won't include a link because it's easy to find on their site and links are always changing.

I plan to do this a few times a year because I'm tracking my car. Next time I do it, I will:

1. Put the car on jack stands and level it (a bubble level on trans pan works great).

2. Bring the trans. up to 100 degrees and shut the car off. The fluid flows better when warm.

3. Break the top fill plug loose. You'll need a T55 Torx socket, A universal and a 10" extension. Move the coolant overfill tank and the intake hose coming off the airbox to get to it. With a 5mm hex key socket, pull the bottom drain plug. Note how much fluid (if any) drains BEFORE removing the stand pipe. Next remove the stand pipe with that same 5mm hex. It loosens normally, counter-clockwise. Carefully measure ALL the fluid that comes out. Then replace the stand pipe (be careful not to over tighten. Hand tighten only) and the plug (with a new crush washer) torque to 20 ft/lbs.

4. Heat up some fluid to 100 degrees by putting the bottles in a pot of hot water on the stove. It seems like common sense, but, I would highly recommend a dedicated pot for this. SLOWLY, fill through the top fill hole exactly the TOTAL amount of fluid that drained out, allowing air to bubble out while doing so. Replace fill plug and torque to 20 ft/lbs.

5. Clean up and replace you coolant tank and intake hose.

6. Drop the car and go for a drive. Car should shift through all gears properly.

I'm simply sharing my experience. I am not a licensed mechanic. Follow my advice at your own risk. Hope this is helpful.

 

One thing that I would add is that at least one time you should drop the pan to clean it. Any dirt and/or metal will be in the bottom of the pan, and there are a couple of small magnets that can be cleaned. The design of the drain plug fitting prevents all of the fluid from being drained out of the pan, or any potential sediment. The gasket is reusable. If you choose to change the filter screen, more fluid will drain out of the trans when this is removed.


I'm glad that you got it straightened out and enjoyed the track day.


Have fun,
Mike

 

Is it necessary to heat up the ATF oil before pouring in the gear box?

 

Honestly, I don't think it is. That's the one part of my outline that I think could be overlooked. The fluid did move through the fill hole a bit easier warm versus cool. I tried both. I don't think putting it in cool will cause any problems. It's really quite easy to warm it up though.

 

Noted, thanks for the reply.

 

I am planning to change my ATF filter, total many liter of ATF do we need ? Thanks

 

Hi Club 77! Here is a handy application guide for the type and amount of fluid you will need:

http://new.minimania.com/MINI_Cooper...mission_Fluids

Also, here is some information on various fluids available:

http://new.minimania.com/Search_Resu...0fluid/default

 

You don't have to heat it up before filling, but the temp should be 100 degrees F when checking the fluid level because the volume changes at different temps.

 

Thanks for all the information.

 

Thanks for all the information.

Refer to the Automatic chart ATF capacity
6.3 QT Dry: is this referring when changing the ATF filter?
4.8QT Refill: is this referring to normal drain servicing and TOP up?

 

I think dry is completely empty, including the torque converter and filter... refill is removing the pan and filter. Just like oil change capacities, the actual amounts don't always equal the stated amounts. The fluid temp is important because it's a little more work to adjust the trans fluid amounts, and the trans is a lot more tempermental when the fluid isn't correct, high, or low.

 

Got it, thanks.

 

Does anyone on here know how to drop the trans oil pan. There is one last bolt or torx bit above the subframe rail that is impossible to access. Has anyone done this before and if so how did you get to all of the pan bolts...