Gearbox oil advice needed

[kkx5]

There is no gearbox oil on this planet which will stand 100.000+ miles. Change it asap. Lots and lots 6hp drivers all over Europe using this oil (zf certified) with no probs:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-AUTO-GEARB ... 416799e512
static change(not recommended by me) takes 5.5l, dynamic 10l. Software upgrade will make gear changes much smoother too.

[Smeeagain]

you may well be correct about the oil lifespan, however it is well documented across this forum that there can be potentially more problems caused by changing the oil than not and it has to be his decision, and his decision alone, to do so.
And has Jason has pointed out, it is about software fixes, generally, rather than software updates.

[Smeeagain]

[quote="b20wht"]
My x5 has done 119k now and I want to change the gearbox oil and filter but I'm reading all sorts of do's and don't's when it comes to the brand of oil to use. Ideally I want to use shell m1375 oil which is what bmw use/specify but I can't find anywhere (other than dealers) that supply it. I have crossed the shell oil over to various different oils that say they are up to the job ie valvoline max life, Fuchs 4134 etc but I'm not sure what to do!! Any advice from people experiences on this please?
[/quote]

You can get a five litre drum of Shell M1375 oil on ebay here
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ZF-Lifeguard- ... 4608a01881

[kamb]

My old Merc E class had done 275k miles and never had oil in gearbox changed

I know its a different car/gearbox but just saying oil can be for life

car is still going

[Smeeagain]

agreed, I'm on 170K. E53 2004 3.0 D Sport

[kkx5]

yeah yeah guys, same as bmw "lifetime" transfer box oil...You are just lucky, just lucky... 

[b20wht]

Ok so I'm thinking that the software fix might be my 1st port of call now.  Jason is just to far away from me though so can anyone recommend someone around lincs/notts area that can do it for similar money? 

[Smeeagain]

[quote="kkx5"]
yeah yeah guys, same as bmw "lifetime" transfer box oil...You are just lucky, just lucky... 
[/quote]

Yes maybe we are lucky. But we are not naive -  we took a chance and it worked for us. But all we have done is delay the inevitable. Some folk move cars on quickly. I tend to keep cars for a very long time and/or mileage. My last vehicle had 250K on it when I let it go (although I did not have it from new, only from around 150k). BUt I have money set aside for a gearbox build, and a couple of other things, and I know who I will use, as and when it happens. My point is that I could have changed the oil and then have it go Pete Tong on me, but I didn't and it hasn't, yet. When it does so be it, but I don't need to, potentially, increase the chances of it happening. If I get 200k or more out of an autobox without an oil change then thats fine by me. I didn't have the history when I bought it, so had to assume from other things on the car, that that job hadn't been done. As and when I need to get the box rebuilt then I'm more likely to do change the oil far more frequently ie before it becomes a problem.

And are we lucky? Actually we are probably in the majority - folk rarely join forums to praise the build quality of their vehicles. In fact they joining to find out how to solve problems that they do have, or learn about their cars or improve them. There are more cars sold than fourm members so Id suggest that those who, unfortunately, have had bad issues, are in the minority.

Remember the TV ad 'if only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen'. I have a 150bhp golf Tdi from brand new and it had ten grands worth of repairs, all under warranty, inside two years. But you talk to the vast majority of golf owners and they will tell you what a reliable car it was.
So we're either lucky or we outnumber the problem cars. It doesnt really matter - we simply took a choice not to change the oil.

[kkx5]

Maybe British weather makes it easy for geraboxes . If You will drive to country like Poland where is +35 in summer and -35 in winter then You will know what it mince to not change "lifetime oil" on zf gearbox.

[X5Sport]

I wish the 'lifetime' or 'sealed for life' terms were either banned, or manufacturers were forced to state what the term actually means, because it certainly doesn't mean for ever and a day as too many people might think it does.

As above oils don't last forever.  BMW told me it lasts the 'useful life of the vehicle' which to them is only the warranty period or 60k miles.

As has been said before on here though (and elsewhere on all makes of auto box forums) sometimes changing it results in an almost immediate failure yet on others it does a power of good.  Given the cost of it going wrong
I can understand a certain 'reticence' amongst owners to leave it alone and hope you are one of the lucky ones with a good box that just keeps running.

R

[Steamyrotter]

I can only comment on my experience..
I had to change the fluid, as the gearbox went at 101k miles

Was recommended by many places (did a lot of research) that Devron 6 would be OK for mine (the GM box)
the original fluid was nearer to Devron3 but tweaked.

I think the Devron6 is a little thin as it doesn't appear to be getting the same fuel consumption than before..
might be a coding issue as the box has been completely refurbed now (reman oil pump (sent away - they screwed up and now got a replacement bell housing with a different issue!!!!!), valve body sleeved (Sent away) and all new internals (did myself)) and i seem to remember somewhere that the box should be "calibrated" to the car.....


You need to check the specs of any fluid you are considering carefully with the original..

[jason@bwchiptune]

[quote="b20wht"]
Ok so I'm thinking that the software fix might be my 1st port of call now.  Jason is just to far away from me though so can anyone recommend someone around lincs/notts area that can do it for similar money?
[/quote]

I have one of our dealers who is a BMW independent simon thrope in grimsby


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