any possibility of re-upping this method???

 

Unfortunately BMW made them take that site down. Luckily, I had it saved. File attached.

Also attached the steps for replacing the filter - which is probably not really necessary. There weren't many shavings on the filter magnet back when I did mine a few years ago (around 115k miles).

 

Thanks [SIZE=5]gknorr[/SIZE] I much appreciate this. If I could I would plus rep you.

 

Thought I'd see how things are two years after changing the ATF fluid. Everything still good? I am debating about whether or not to tackle this myself. The biggest concern for me is those 2 difficult bolts on the pan, as I don't think I have the capability to lower the subframe.

 

As someone who's done the job, I recommend seeing what your dealer charges for the change. I think mine charged a little less than $200 when I had it done maybe 5 years ago. The adaptation re-learn procedure should be done after any change and requires special software and driving the car in a specific way after the change. If you don't have the software already, its a big hassle. Getting the level correct has its own nuance too. All that to say, the $200 for the labor and fluid really is reasonable for once at a dealer.

Based on how few metal shavings there were when I changed mine, I'm guessing the filter probably never needs to be changed during the life of this transmission.

 

Thanks. The dealer wants $800 here in Minneapolis. I would think the fluid and filter alone would be $200, then 5-6 hours in labor charge for dropping the subframe. At $100/hr, that's the $800.

I haven't contacted any of the indy shops here yet, though.

 

What about for fluid alone?

The $200 or so I paid was for the fluid change only. I don't think the filter is worth changing on this particular transmission, but that's just my personal opinion. There is no documentation I've found (and I've done a lot of research for this CVT!) that prescribes a filter replacement interval. Official fluid change interval is 45,000km.

 

Aha! That makes a bit more sense. Thanks for the info.

 

Sorry for the delayed response...actually have done it twice now and have just ordered 5 quarts of Red Line CVT Fluid. I changed the filter both times...the first time because I wanted to...the second time because I had to change the transmission pan & gasket...the drain plug would not come out when I tried to drain the fluid...it acted like it was stripped....so my Mini sat on the jack stand for a week while I waited on a new pan/plug. I always use a torque wrench so I'm not sure what happened to the plug.

Anyway...I have not had any problems with the transmission and each time I change the oil the transmission seems to perform better...keep in mind I'm a very mild driver. I follow the directions in the Bently service manual after the fluid is changed.

It took a better part of a day to do it the first time and if I had not had the problem with the drain plug the last time it would only have taken about 4 hours. Keep in mind you have to take the bumper off and take the bolts out for the MFE to be able to pull the pan...it does not want to come out and there are two bolts that are very hard to reach but with the right tools you can get them out. I had to use an offset wrench to get the bolts loosened and then used a flex driver to remove the bolts. You will have to take your time and figure out the exact position that will allow the pan to drop.

You have to set the filter inside the pan and then get the pan back into place...then press the filter onto the nipple that holds it into place....I really take my time with this step because if the filter is not in place and snug you stand the chance of it dropping down after you put the pan into place and you'd really take a chance.

I will qualify this with the following..I have a 2006 Mini and cannot confirm if any other year would work the same way...for that matter I cannot confirm if it would work on any other 2006...I just know it worked on mine twice and I replaced the filter both times.

It's a lot of work but has saved me a lot of money...I've got over 110K on my Mini/tranny and have had no problems following the fluid changes.

If you are not comfortable working on it through I would not recommend attempting it unless you are willing to have it pulled to the mechanic if you get into a bind...otherwise take it to the mechanic up front and even though it's expensive you may sleep better knowing you have some recourse if the transmission fails after they work on it. It's more than 5K to replace a CVT unless you do a conversion to the Getrag (SP?)...

Terry

 

It is interesting to note that for our 2004 MINI the recommended CV T fluid change interval is 60k miles. We have had the dealer do it twice now and the car only has 55k on it. My recollection is that the dealer only charged between $200 and $300.

In another thread, the person had a partial failure of the belt and was able to do the rebuild successfully (DIY) https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...built-cvt.html. The interesting thing is that the belt is very inexpensive and it is about a day's worth of labor. His suggestion was to have your CVT rebuilt at about 80 - 100k miles thereby precluding the chance for failure for another 100k.

 

Well...have had the Mini for about 6 years now and we have just over 126K...just changed the CVT fluid for the 3rd time and we've had no problems with the transmission. Only use Red Line full synthetic CVT fluid.

 

Just changed the CVT fluid for the 4th time...knock knock knocking on heaven's wooden door ...148,752 miles...

 

The correct fluid change interval from ZF, the manufacturer, is 45,000km or just about 28,000 miles. Check out the documentation here:

https://www.scribd.com/document/5559...ox-Description

Another common failure, which is how mine died many years ago is you become stuck at a low gear ratio (feels like you're stuck in first gear). I don't think I've come across anyone successfully solving that problem. My research led me to believe it could be a stepper motor or sensor problem.

 

Awesome! Do you also reset the adaptations when doing the change?

Mine lasted until about 120k miles, so you're doing well in my book!

 

I believe you on the ZF recommendation, but...

I checked my 2004 owner's manual and it says change the CVT fluid during "Inspection 1". Nowhere could I find when "Inspection 1" was. But, there is a lot written in the manual about how almost all service intervals are controlled by the computer. I do specifically remember the SA telling me 60k miles for the CVT fluid change. Now remember, they were all going by what the computer said and we all know how well MINI did with those estimates; early on our oil change intervals were said to be ~25k miles by the computer. 60k miles for the CVT fluid seemed too long for me which is why I paid to have it done at about 28k miles and then again at 50+ k miles.

Back then I think BMW did their car owners a big disservice by going to that computer generated service interval and that possibly has played into some of the CVT issues; but we will never know. I do know that for the oil change interval, later updates to the computer greatly reduced that interval. That ZF recommendation may be a reflection of this later thinking instead of what I was told in our early days of ownership...

At any rate (and a bit of a rant), thanks for the link and it is encouraging to see that with regular and frequent fluid changes these things may last a while longer...

 

I think you definitely made the right choice changing the fluid that often. Service advisors don't always seem to follow the manufacturer suggestions, even though you would think that's their job.

On mine, the car was relatively neglected until I took over servicing at around 90k miles I think it was. (my wife is the original owner and that was before we were married). I'm sure that played a role in the failure at 120k miles. I had the fluid changed at around 90k miles I think. If the dealer followed the inspection 1 list, it would have been changed then too.

The inspection 1, which I think would be around 30k miles was supposed to include a CVT fluid change:

http://www.pearceautotech.com/articl...aintenance.htm

 

That reads the same as my owners manual. I understand the logic with thinking that Inspection 1 would be at 30k miles, it makes sense. But, BMW didn't publish anything to that affect and stated intervals would be controlled by the computer. At that time BMW was greatly extending replacement intervals, while at the same time offering maintenance coverage. One must wonder if the two were connected. I've see the same thing with the fan belt and spark plugs. I had a fan belt let go and another almost let go at 30k miles (2 different cars) and spark plugs that were toast at 50k and should have been replace at 25k, all of which needed replacement well before the recommended interval. I'd like to believe that BMW has the car owners in mind when they make these decisions but it seems that $$$ control it all.

Again, sorry for the rant. I try to do what I think is best for my cars based on what I know. I just feel sorry for those who don't know, have to rely on the manufacturer and windup stuck when those recommendations are not right. This CVT is right in the middle of all of that.

I appreciate everyone posting about their experiences with these, good or bad. It will help me and others to be better informed. My wife really loves her little blue car and I don't want this to be the reason she doesn't have it. So far it has been a great, fun and trouble free little car and I hope I can keep it that way.

 

I just follow the recommendation in the Bently manual (less the part about checking the CVT fluid temperature...I run it through the paces. I'm very particular about measuring out the amount (4.8qts) down to the ounce. I leave it at that and call it a day.

 

2008 R52 128k miles, with CVT replaced by local dealer at 80k miles; no service since then;
I'm considering using Castrol Transmax CVT oil, full synth, product data sheet indicates: 'suitable for use Mini Cooper EZL799'
I'm confident I can drain and refill myself; I'm unclear on resetting adaptations. Does everyone do that? I presume it requires a specific scan tool which may cost me $2-300? I guess I can do the work then drive it a short distance to a local independent garage (G3/Chris Gerber) who can resest the adaptations
Thanks in advance

 

You definitely don't want to skip on resetting the adaptations. The gearbox needs to adjust for the new fluid, and without resetting, you may damage the box. This may have contributed to my CVT failing many years ago. If possible, I would try to use the specified Esso fluid so you're not taking any chances on what has proven itself to be a finicky gearbox. A while back, my local dealer charged less than $200 for the fluid change including the fluid. I do almost all the maintenance and repair work on both my cars, but I'd say if you can get it at that price, it's actually worth having them do it for you.

Resetting the adaptations requires a tool like INPA to do the resetting and then driving in a specific sequence to relearn the adaptations:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...aptations.html

For future reference, the manufacturer of the CVT recommends fluid changes every 45,000km (about every 28k miles).

 

excellent, that link is what I was looking for the whole time!
if I understand correctly, I can get the appropriate software, a laptop or tablet, an OBD2 to USB cable, (i'm wondering if my Elm327 OBD2 bluetooth adapter would suffice, that's what I use with Torque Pro) ...then I'll be off to the races, so to speak....as soon as I learn to navigate the DIS applications.....
I think the local dealership quoted $300 drain, refill, reset....however, I prefer not to go there based on past experiences....and I just like DIY

 

Yes, you can get the cable and software to use on your laptop. I'm guessing you'd have problems with the bluetooth adapter just due to all the network settings that have to be setup correctly for INPA to work. When you have it setup, INPA is the easiest way to reset the adaptations - much easier than booting up the old DIS software in VMware.

My cable and software is from https://bcables.com/. Their installer makes it much easier to get the BMW software up and running on your laptop. The software itself can be found on for download on BMW forums, but beware of the setup time needed - at least a few hours on your laptop without the installer from bcables. There are other places on eBay, etc. that sell the software as well as the MINI Peake tool that can reset.

 

The BCables kit looks to be a solid product, I just went ahead and got the cable with discs from there, I looked at buying from DJWW auto diagnostics, but found a pretty nasty thread on bimmerforums from 2011 with several unhappy purchasers

 

Good luck and hope to hear it all goes well!

 

So far, getting this to communicate with the 2008 R52 has been futile, running DCAN.exe results in '''time out error" message.. .ive made sure microsoft framework. Net is running, turned off firewall and virus protection. .. still no indication it's connected to the ECU.. .. ugh