R56 Automatic Transmission Fluid Change
#26
04-17-2017, 11:58 PM
Also, maybe I'm missing something, but how does one get all the old fluid out with that system? Some of it hides in the filter (a strainer, actually). In addition, the $650 dealer job presumably includes replacing the pan gasket and the strainer and cleaning any shavings off the magnets.
So he's comparing half an apple to a sack of oranges, I think. All things considered, the $650 dealer job is a better buy than investing $239 in a tool plus the cost of fluid, and either leaving a lot of dirty old fluid, metal shavings, sludge, and a possibly leaky gasket (mine's leaking at 49k) in place.
For my money, the best way to go about it is the somewhat painful DIY posted here on the North American site. About $100 to $120 and a lot of gooey, greasy work, after which you're the proud owner of a used cat litter box or two.
#27
06-26-2017, 09:32 AM
Need to get the VW drain plug adapter and the syringe to pump the fluid back in. All parts needed are 5 qts of ATF, filter and pan gasket. Got the kit from ECS tuning for less than 300 dlls. I recommend to have a scanning tool ready or have somebody that does as some CEL's will need to be cleared and the transmission adaptation needs to be reset. You need to get the oil pan off to get this done right. Do not drain the 2 qts and refill. This is not the best method. You need to inspect the 2 magnets
inside the oil pan to make sure your transmission is healthy and the filter needs to get replaced. Now to the quick and easy procedure.
- Jack up the car and make sure is leveled on 4 jack stands if possible. We'll get to that. Better if you have a lift.
- Need to drill the brace underneath the bolt that is hard to get to. You'll see what I'm talking about when you get underneath. Get a guide drill bit first then a drill bit slightly bigger that the 10mm to fit it though the brace and get to this bolt. Spray paint or grease exposed metal.
- Remove drain plug and drain approx. 2 qts of oil that sits above the stand pipe inside the oil pan as mentioned in posts above. Collect drained oil and put away so it's ready for the remaining 3 qts of oil.
- Remove the 10 (I think 10mm that hold the oil pan) and carefully remove the oil pan. The 3 qts will come down with it. Make sure you have a wide enough recipient to get all the oil.
- Remove the 3 bolts that hold the filter. More oil will come down.
- If you can, tilt the car with a hydraulic jack to get most of the fluid from the torque converter. I don't think this will be necessary but I got it done. Be careful not to get the car off the passenger stand when you do this. I lifted from the driver side and pulled the jack stand and then lowered the car until fluid stopped coming out.
- Raise the car again and put the jack stands back in.
- Inspect magnets in oil pan, wipe oil pan clean and replace gasket.
- Reinstall new filter with the 3 bolts.
- Reinstall oil pan with new gasket with the VW drain plug fill adapter.
- Hook up the syringe and pump 3 qts into the oil pan.
- Ensure car is level on jack stands. This is important because you'll need to start the car and put the car in drive and run it through the gears. At this time traction control will flicker and the ABS light will come on and the car will hesitate a bit. It's ok, you'll clear the check engine light and ABS light with the scan tool at a later time. Leave the car in drive and finish pumping in the last qts of fluid. It is important the car be running for this because this keeps the transmission full and final level will be set after you pump the last of the fluid you should drain some after you remove the drain/fill plug. Meaning, you'll fill abouve the stand pipe inside the oil pan with the car running in Drive and that little oil over the stand pipe will drain to the correct level. At this time, remove the VW drain/fill plug adapter and some oil will come out into the collection recipient and replace drain plug.
- Turn car off and take the car off jack stands. Need scan tool to reset CEL's and reset transmission adaptation.
For me the car drives so much better, like new. Hope this helps. For me it was a simple job anyone can do. And you can save yourself some 500dlls and avoid the dealership which will tell you not to change the fluid and filter and keep driving it like that 'till the wheels fall off. LOL. Enjoy
inside the oil pan to make sure your transmission is healthy and the filter needs to get replaced. Now to the quick and easy procedure.
- Jack up the car and make sure is leveled on 4 jack stands if possible. We'll get to that. Better if you have a lift.
- Need to drill the brace underneath the bolt that is hard to get to. You'll see what I'm talking about when you get underneath. Get a guide drill bit first then a drill bit slightly bigger that the 10mm to fit it though the brace and get to this bolt. Spray paint or grease exposed metal.
- Remove drain plug and drain approx. 2 qts of oil that sits above the stand pipe inside the oil pan as mentioned in posts above. Collect drained oil and put away so it's ready for the remaining 3 qts of oil.
- Remove the 10 (I think 10mm that hold the oil pan) and carefully remove the oil pan. The 3 qts will come down with it. Make sure you have a wide enough recipient to get all the oil.
- Remove the 3 bolts that hold the filter. More oil will come down.
- If you can, tilt the car with a hydraulic jack to get most of the fluid from the torque converter. I don't think this will be necessary but I got it done. Be careful not to get the car off the passenger stand when you do this. I lifted from the driver side and pulled the jack stand and then lowered the car until fluid stopped coming out.
- Raise the car again and put the jack stands back in.
- Inspect magnets in oil pan, wipe oil pan clean and replace gasket.
- Reinstall new filter with the 3 bolts.
- Reinstall oil pan with new gasket with the VW drain plug fill adapter.
- Hook up the syringe and pump 3 qts into the oil pan.
- Ensure car is level on jack stands. This is important because you'll need to start the car and put the car in drive and run it through the gears. At this time traction control will flicker and the ABS light will come on and the car will hesitate a bit. It's ok, you'll clear the check engine light and ABS light with the scan tool at a later time. Leave the car in drive and finish pumping in the last qts of fluid. It is important the car be running for this because this keeps the transmission full and final level will be set after you pump the last of the fluid you should drain some after you remove the drain/fill plug. Meaning, you'll fill abouve the stand pipe inside the oil pan with the car running in Drive and that little oil over the stand pipe will drain to the correct level. At this time, remove the VW drain/fill plug adapter and some oil will come out into the collection recipient and replace drain plug.
- Turn car off and take the car off jack stands. Need scan tool to reset CEL's and reset transmission adaptation.
For me the car drives so much better, like new. Hope this helps. For me it was a simple job anyone can do. And you can save yourself some 500dlls and avoid the dealership which will tell you not to change the fluid and filter and keep driving it like that 'till the wheels fall off. LOL. Enjoy
#28
06-28-2017, 07:50 AM
the way i have been doing it is that you support the transmission from the bottom (away from the pan) with a jack. then, remove the transmission bracket/mount on the right. use the jack to lift up the transmission enough to use a Torx key (L shape). it isnt too tight so you should be able to unscrew it.
#29
10-06-2017, 08:55 AM
3rd Gear
#32
10-06-2017, 10:50 AM
FYI: My dealer quoted me $650 for a transmission fluid CHANGE, not including the filter, etc. So, seems to me, the $250 investment in the DIY sounds like a lot better deal. I STILL find it hard to believe what they want to charge for changing out a little bit of fluid.
1. Unless you're at very low miles, DO NOT just change the fluid without changing the filter, cleaning the sludge out of the bottom, and running the engine a bit with a throwaway batch of fluid, then replacing that fluid. At 50k miles, the sludge buildup was significant, and changing the filter is an insignificantly small task in terms of labor once you have the bottom pan off. Also, I don't remember what the filter cost, but not much, I think.
I've seen postings from people who didn't remove the pan and just replaced the fluid once or twice with a pump system. Those people should have asked themselves why there are two magnets in the bottom of the pan (to attract metal shavings that could pass through the filter and into the transmission gears and bearings a couple hundred thousand times) and how effective these magnets are once they are covered with sludge, which mine were at 50k. Answer: they are not effective once they're sludged-over, and you'll have new metal fragments floating around after the transmission has run awhile on the new fluid.
1a. If you're at low miles, don't change the fluid. It can probably last 40 to 50k.
2. The real culprit is the design of this car with regard to changing the ATF. In my view, this is a designed-in scam. A $650 charge to do the change is not at all unfair at dealer rates, considering the huge amount of labor involved. Again, that was designed into the car. It's not the dealer's "fault," except to the extent that dealers know the manufacturer did this on purpose for the benefit of dealer revenue.
3. Two pieces of design make this job so complicated. One is that in order to remove the bottom pan, you have to lower the sub-frame to remove ONE BOLT. And even then, it's difficult to get that bolt off and back on.
The other is that you have to remove a lot of air intake stuff off the top of the engine just to get to the fill hole, and even then, getting the plug off the fill hole is tricky work with an extension and a torx bit. Then, filling it involves using a long, thin funnel or tube, and pouring very slowly. It took me a couple of hours of intermittent pouring into the top of the funnel and watching it slowly seep in.
And again, in order to really clean all the old fluid out, I had to do this twice and run the car some miles in between.
I guarantee you this: once you do the job, you'll be cursing the slimy people at BMW who designed the car this way, not the dealer. Alternatively, an independent Mini expert shop might be a little cheaper.
So...bottom line...Be cheap like me and do a thorough job, or pay the $650 or a bit less to an indy shop.
#34
10-06-2017, 11:34 AM
2. Did they replace the filter and clean the sludge out from over the magnets?
3. Did they run a batch of new fluid through once to wash out the residue stuck in parts of the trans that don't drain, then put new fluid in?
4. Well, good luck to ya if they did not. See my comment about all the little pieces of metal that wash around in the fluid.
#35
10-06-2017, 12:25 PM
2nd Gear
1. At what mileage?
2. Did they replace the filter and clean the sludge out from over the magnets?
3. Did they run a batch of new fluid through once to wash out the residue stuck in parts of the trans that don't drain, then put new fluid in?
4. Well, good luck to ya if they did not. See my comment about all the little pieces of metal that wash around in the fluid.
2. Did they replace the filter and clean the sludge out from over the magnets?
3. Did they run a batch of new fluid through once to wash out the residue stuck in parts of the trans that don't drain, then put new fluid in?
4. Well, good luck to ya if they did not. See my comment about all the little pieces of metal that wash around in the fluid.
1. 42.5k
2. OEM Filter replaced but I'm not sure about the sludge because I wasn't there to watch him do it.
3. I'm not sure about that either but they put new OEM Mini fluid in.
4. The shop probably cleaned it if they see the metal and/or sludge.
Last edited by Minicoopersmodel; 10-06-2017 at 12:31 PM.
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