Automatic Gearbox Leak - Pan Seal Gasket ?

[ttr]

Eh up all,

I noticed a slight weep of oil around the plastic shield protecting the automatic gearbox underneath the car.

Managed to strip the shield of this weekend as figured out i could get to it without the need for a ramp.

After juggling the shield out of the way it would appear i have a weep from the gearbox pan, from what i can tell it appears to be from the gasket area, which is somewhat of a relief. I took a video on my phone but no idea how i upload it to the site ( technology not my strong point!) just so i could get a second opinion from you guys.


Questions:-

Are these prone to weep ?
Im not too worried as its a weep and does not look like ive lost alot of fluid - but should i be ?
I will get this fixed but think i will get a fluid changes and replacement kit at the same time - any views ?
Any kits i should use?


Welcome any views , thanks in advance

[henrym3]

This is what BMW supplied me for the 4.6ltr I bought 5ltr can’t remember the price but do remember needing time to recover. I see on the parts list they put that oil in a huge number of gearboxes including manual. Stinks. Due to do it again in 5k

[ttr]

Henry m3

Cheers for that, i am busy looking at what i need kit wise - might consider a specialist though depending on price of all the parts i need.

Gasket
Filter
New sump pan ?
ATF

not sure its worth me doing yet - could be a garage job

[henrym3]

Choose carefully, plenty of stories of garages (professionals) not doing it properly

[ttr]

Henrym3,

mmmm i have past experience with auto boxes.

Will be using one of two i know once i have decided if im doing it or not.(suspect i wont be )

I was debating anyway to get a fluid swop anyway, at just over 100k its probably due.

I want to ensure i use someone who can empty the lot including to torque converter in one go. A mate of mine has just invested in a new piece of kit, hes a Landrover independent, but the boxes i believe are the same/similar to the older discos and RR sports. Need to do a bit more digging.

Apparently its similar to a pressure driven swop you would do in brake fluid, the ATF is fed into the system through the fill and out through the drain, run it until fluid changes colour ( or at least in principle)

I did my volvo xc70 myself and it went ok but too mush measuring and a  degree of guesswork re ATF temperatures so promised myself never again.

[moose04]

if it is the gasket weeping i had same problem on my 2006,
i purchased a meyle kit of ebay, new pan, gasket, oil filter, all new bolts around £150
you need to raise all four wheels of the ground, change the parts,refit pan,  fill the pan with as much fluid as it will hold, seems like it will only hold a litre or two, then start the engine with sump plug still removed (i no what your thinking lol ) keep filling the box untill the oil starts to run out, move through the gears on tickover, buy this time you should have put in the rest of oil, switch off recheck level test drive and recheck again, about a 2 to 3 hr diy job, i used a fluid pump from machine mart let me no if you details of that

[ttr]

Moose04

Cheers pal, that’s really useful information - good to know it might only be the gasket and that makes sense from what I can see.

Process Seems similar to the volvo.

I made a fluid pump ( as such) from two 2 litre lemonade bottles , some silicone tube and few car tyre valves and used my MTB track pump to pressurise the “Heath Robinson “ device ! Worked a treat mind

Read about the Myle kit- good to have a recommendation.

Going to have a good think on this one before I attempt and see what the costs work out like verses a trusted garage.

Cheers

[ttr]

Moose04 / Anyone,

Im just getting my ducks in a row for doing the gearbox ATF , decided to have a  go myself!!!!

I also manged to get a blo$$y picture of the video i took on my phone ( daughter helped in fairness,,,,,shes 3 !)

A few questions to confirm:-

Mines a facelift 3.0D with ZF 6 speed 6HP26 box from what i can deduce - anyone confirm based on theirs ?

The colour of the weeping ATF appears golden yellow which confused me at first as all ATF i know in the past was RED. However i believe mine is filled with Longlife 83230142516 ( yellow sticker on sump with code) which apparently was fit in european build vehicles with "sealed for life" boxes. Anyone confirm im correct ?

Anyone recommend a supplier of said oil other than OEM ? Moose04 where did you get yours

If im correct i cannot use DEXTRON 4 as its not compatible and risk mixing fluids so will need to buy OEM ZF Lifeguard 6 oil to suit ?
Im scratching my head a bit as based on the picture below

1 = drain plug raised torx by looks of it - Anyone confirm ? Moose04 im confused ( its doesnt take much)  as
what you say is leave the drain plug out on refill 

2 = looks for all the life in me like the fill plug as i cannot find any other fill plug in the vicinity, this worries me a bit ive check my video a couple of times as i was expecting the fill to be higher up in the main body of the box above the sump pan ? I can only assume its recessed and the reason is it sits above the level inside the sump (like a mountain top ) and you fill to the top of the mountain after which it dribbles over on the final fill to let you know its correct -Anyone confirm im on the right lines.


3 = this is the yellow stick i found the part number on.

As usual all help greatly received - would rather ask the daft questions first than start something and regret!

The Volvo was "simples" as you could see the drain and fill plugs easily - this looks odd unless im missing the obvious somewhere and without taking the sheild off again thought i would ask

Cheers in advance 

[moose04]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-X5-E53-X3-E83-AUTOMATIC-GEARBOX-TRANSMISSION-FILTER-GASKET-OIL-MEYLE-A614/221522006173?fits=Car+Make%3ABMW%7CModel%3AX5&epid=655846940&hash=item3393bd909d:g:pVAAAOSwnipWYBRe

hello mate this the correct kit for my 2006 3.0d 6 speed yours looks the same, have you been on the
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/ its great for checking things out?
1, is the drain plug
2, is fill plug
3, i had a simular sticker

the kit on ebay includes everthing you need,
drain the oil, remove the fill plug aswell, unbolt and drop the sump (about 20 bolts) i used a little thread lock when fitting the new bolts

when you look up into the box the filter should be hanging on the suction pipe remove the filter your new filter should be with the kit,

remove the magnets out the sump, new ones in the kit (mine had a small amount of swarf attached)

the plastic wire conneter plug i did not replace i didnt want to tamper with it,

put it back together

fill till it spills over, start the motor continue to fill, go through the gears refill, there should have some oil left over as you cant drain everything

all wheels off the floor and as level as possible

happy days

[ttr]

Moose04

Eh up and thanks for that.

The kit link is great cheers - I might opt for zflifeguard6 oil and get the filters etc from your supplier.

Still digging around a bit on the atf oil front, loads of info on here which is great plus on the Jag forums as they use the same box.

Tried realoem I must be doing something wrong as not found it that useful ????

Glad my logic on the plugs worked, only way I could think of doing it.

The filter is what I suspects from my digging around, long neck push fit via what appears to be two rubber o ring seals which need a smear of new atf oil on them prior to pushing home.

I’m not intending to swop over any other components like you, unless there is something obvious amiss.

Question again - I get the running through all the gears whist applying the brake and then a refill but did you go into sport mode and run through all the gears as well or just the main PN D R .

Makes no sense for me to do this as surely the voids in the box will be filled through going through the main PNDR selection - but thought I best ask.

Also just to be clear the fill plug is left out after refit of the sump, but top up to the level so it just runs out on the first refill. Then Start car and run through gearbox, refill through fill plug until it dribbles out again, fit pug and torque up fill Plug. That’s the same process as the Volvo in fairness.

Thanks again for all inputs really a big assist.

[Alan Gunn]

Silly question but have you asked a local bm inde for a price.
Had mine done a few weeks ago for under £150. (mine is a 5 speed).
A m8 of mine had his done but the newer 6 speed and his was over £300 same inde.

[ttr]

Alan

Been checking out local guys I know reasonably well.

Price ranges from £185 to £500, depending on work etc, but all use as equivalent oil not SF lifeguard 6 .

Also I want to start with a filter change and then top up as the box itself is fine , my logic is just replace the atf lost in this change and due to the weep. If the box settles after the change I will drain and change again slowly working my way through the older oil.

Appreciate I can get a full flush on new equipment but I’m nervous about that route, just in case it creates a problem where there isn’t one.

Might be a bit old fashioned in my thinking but years of using STP engine flush and seeing the tales of woe it caused sometimes makes me pause on this one.

Plus I like a challenge, thanks to all on here it’s a great resource and full of people who want to help so if I can crack the last few questions I posed ( over to moose04) or anyone else I probably have a go.

Might live to regret but not done so far by taking advice before starting, it’s a nice motor and I don’t want to B!!£er it up.

Cherry again 

[Alan Gunn]

Don't know what make oil and filter they used in mine but it is so smooth now and i thought it was ok before.
Mine is at 166k and the old oil didn't look black like i was expecting it to.
Just found the invoice and it was £137.80 for 6ltr oil 1 filter and an hour labour.

[ttr]

Alan,

Nice one - im at 100k and will be interesting to see the colour when its drained.

You got a good price there by the looks of it and glad it runs fine after, hoping for the same.

I might do a few photos of the job and post as it could be useful to others on here.

Cheers

[hennabm]

I had mine done in May this year by a BMW indy. They replaced the oil and filter and including labour was £300.