| Remove fill plug on right side of transmission first (green arrow). Early
transmissions require a 17mm Allen key for removal. Later transmissions require a 17mm
socket. As a rule of thumb, if an Allen key is required, the transmission came from the
factory with gear oil, if a socket is required, the transmission was originally filled
with Automatic Transmission Fluid. |
 |
| Note:
The reason for removing the fill plug first is two fold. Primarily it allows the fluid to
flow from the drain plug more freely, with less mess, as air enter the transmission from
above the fluid level. The other reason is quite simple. If , for any reason, you
cannot remove the fill plug, at least the transmission is still full of oil. Draining the
oil, then being unable to open the fill plug, leaves you with an undriveable car. |
| Remove drain plug (blue arrow above) and catch fluid in a
suitable container. |
| Allow trans to drain until fluid is dripping at less than 1
drip per second, this means that there is nothing more than a coating of oil left in the
trans. |
| Install drain plug, and using a hand pump, fill transmission
until fluid runs from the fill hole. Vehicle must be level while filling transmission to
get an accurate fluid level. |
| Install fill plug and tighten to correct torque. |
| Most BMW manual transmissions hold approximately 3.5 pints of oil. A red
label on the right side of the transmission indicates Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF)
is the standard fluid for this transmission. ATF is used for smoother cold shifting, but
engine oil , or gear oil , can be used to quiet a noisy transmission with no detrimental
effect. |
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