XSeries-forum

Hi, I'm new to this forum and just wanted to get some info about doin a gear box oil change on my x5 e53 3.0d 2002, I've been tryin to find a good quality fluid to use so I rung my main dealer to be sure and got 6 litres of BMW fluid which cost £8.50 +vat a litre! Is that the best to fluid to use? Thanks

BMW oil will simply be rebranded version of whatever the oil approved by the transmission manufacturer is....at an inflated BMW price of course.

Don't forget to introduce yourself in the newbies section......and don't forget the piccies........or you'll have a 'Sanj' chasing you with one of these....



Out of interest, what prompted your decision to change the transmission fluid?

Sanj lol pics pics pics

[quote=""Benxwyatt""]Hi, I'm new to this forum and just wanted to get some info about doin a gear box oil change on my x5 e53 3.0d 2002, I've been tryin to find a good quality fluid to use so I rung my main dealer to be sure and got 6 litres of BMW fluid which cost £8.50 +vat a litre! Is that the best to fluid to use? Thanks[/quote]

If you've bought it already then the question is a little late really.
Welcome to the club btw

[quote=""Sanj""][/quote]

Tol you.....It.....is......[size=99px]A L I V E[/size]...

I was quoted £450 all in for a transmission fluid change (including a new filter) last week.

Although I was told in no uncertain terms that if it goes bang afterwards they are not liable. As I had read, some owners report changing the fluid just to be on the safe side, but doing it actually causes the box to fail shortly afterwards. This was at a BMW Indy. They said they have done many and only seen one go in that time, but they always have to make sure that the customer is aware before they do the work...

Wow £450? Why was my oil that cheap then? Coz the job itself is easy! The filter was £62+vat.

Welcome to the forum

It sounds like they many of supplied you with the wrong oil as the gear box oil is a long life oil which is about 26-30 per litre +vat

The long life oil is clear golden colour
Your old oil may of came out a darker colour

If they have given you a red (ATF) oil then this is the wrong oil and have seen so many customers who have been supplied this by bmw parts by mistake

If you have changed your long life oil to this red oil then you have now contaminated your gear box system with lower graded oil that will need changing every 15,000-20,000 miles

This red ATF oil was last used on BMW auto boxes from 1975-1996

As above, when quoted £450 I was told the oil was over £25 a litre from BMW.

to the op. you haven't mentioned, but i assume your gearbox is automatic??
if so the oil should be as already said- at least £30 a litre

Really?! Ffs I'm really concerned now coz the fluid they give me is red and is now been in the car a week! Wots the best thing to do now then? Do I contact the dealer? I also have the receipt which says its ll04 magnatec pr? Wot av they sold me?

Sorry, yea it's auto!

That's not good, how much did you pay to get the oil changed? Who did it?

A local garage did it for me! But I went to BMW to make sure I got the correct fluid for it coz I've heard it can destroy ur box if u don't get the right stuff?! I'm fuming now!