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Thread: DIY: Automatic Transmission Fluid Change

  1. #1
    Join Date
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    DIY: Automatic Transmission Fluid Change

    *** Attempt this DIY at your own risk. I am not responsible for any damage done to your vehicle or any injuries. ***








    Vehicle Information:
    • 2006 BMW 325i 6speed automatic w/ approximately 62,000 miles


    Materials Needed:
    Procedure:

    1. Pull your emergency brake up and begin by jacking up the front of your vehicle by the center jacking point underneath the engine labeled 1 in the diagram. Place two jack stands safely underneath the two front jacking points labeled 2. Lower the jack slowly until the front of the vehicle is resting on the two jack stands. Now move the jack to the rear of the vehicle and place it underneath the differential labeled 3. Place the remaining two jack stands underneath the two rear jack points labeled 2. Slowly lower the jack until the rear of the vehicle is resting on the jack stands. Make sure your vehicle is level and procede to the next step.




    2. Use an 8mm socket to remove the underbody panel covering the transmission. (Sorry I cannot provide pictures for this step since my underbody panels ripped off thousands of miles ago. )


    3. Place the oil drain container underneath the transmision oil pan and use the 8mm allen wrench to remove the fill bolt. Try using a box-end wrench for extra leverage if you are having trouble removing the fill bolt. Once the fill bolt loosens fluid will begin to pour from the fill hole.


    4. Once fluid stops pouring out of the fill hole use the 10mm allen socket (w/ a short extension) to remove the drain bolt. Remove the drain bolt and let the fluid drain out of the transmission. Once the fluid stops pouring out of the drain hole screw the drain bolt back on. Make sure not to over torque the drain bolt!


    5. Measure how much fluid was drained into the container. (About 4.5 quarts of fluid came out on my transmission.)


    6. Now get your fluid ready and assemble your transfer pump. Put the end of the hose on the top of the transfer pump into a quart of new ATF. Place the end of the bottom hose into the fill hole and begin pumping. Pump fluid in the fill hole and stop when fluid starts spilling out. Fluid will start spilling out of the fill hole after pumping about 3 quarts. Pull the lower hose of the transfer pump out of the fill hole and let the fill hole drain.


    7. Once fluid stops pouring out of the fill hole start your vehicle (the fill hole is still open at this moment). Let it idle for a minute and then lower your E-brake. Keep your foot on the brakes and slowly shift from Park to Drive, from Drive to Park, from Park to Reverse, from Reverse to Park, etc. Leave the vehicle in Drive but with the E-brake up and let it run for 5 minutes.


    8. Make your way back down to the fill hole while your car is still in Drive w/ the E-brake up. Reattach the lower transfer pump hose to the fill hole and begin pumping again. Pump about a quart to two quarts until the fluid starts pouring out of the fill hole again. Once fluid stops pouring (or leaks slowly) out of the fill hole screw the fill bolt back on.


    9. Clean up, reattach your underbody panels (if present), and lower your vehicle by reversing step 1. *Make sure to dispose of hazardous fluids properly.


    10.



    Images:










    The bad.


    The good. Nice and red.






    Overall Thoughts:

    This DIY is messy!
    Last edited by E90DTM; 04-30-2010 at 05:40 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    MD
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    uma E36 325 vermelho
    Very nice write up with the pics! Definitely smart to put the car on stands all around. My friend and I put Redline fluids in tranny and diff on my E36, but put the rear on ramps, so all the fluid was going forward and at the fill hole, seemed like it wasn't full.

    What ended up doing was overfilling my diff.
    What would Crockett and Tubbs do?

    1994 E36 Hellrot/Black 325is
    2007 E92 Jet Black/Saddle Brown 335i

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    Ottawa Ontario CANADA
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    21 M3 6MT Dravit/KO/ZPP
    Thanks a lot for the DIY. Can I move it to our DIY section?
    You may not have access to it after that. We can try it out and you can let me know (via PM) if you need to make modifications but can't.
    Current Car (delivered 20/10/21): 2021 G80 M3; 6MT; DravitGrau/Kyalami Orange/Black Extended Merino; Permium Pkg (ZPP); 826M bicolor wheels; Black M Compound brakes; Sunroof (yes no CF roof)
    (more pictures here)

    Previous Cars: 2018 F30 340ix 6MT Msport(Dec 2017 - Sep 2021); 2013 F30 335ix 6MT Msport (Nov 2013-17); 2011 e90 328i 6MT ZSP (Aug 10-Nov 13); 07 e90-323i ZSP (May 07 - Aug 10); 97-318ti ZSP (Feb 97 - May 07)

    "Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens", Friedrich von Schiller -- "Life is simple, people make it complicated", Me (About me)

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by mryakan View Post
    Thanks a lot for the DIY. Can I move it to our DIY section?
    You may not have access to it after that. We can try it out and you can let me know (via PM) if you need to make modifications but can't.
    Your welcome. I'm pretty sure I don't need to make anymore modifications to my post so feel free to move it.


    Update on differential fluid change:

    There is only a fill hole in our difs! There is no drain hole! I didn't want to pump fluid out of the fill hole because that would've been difficult and I wouldn't have been able to get it all out. So I just ended up loosening the dif cover to drain the oil.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jed View Post
    Very nice write up with the pics! Definitely smart to put the car on stands all around. My friend and I put Redline fluids in tranny and diff on my E36, but put the rear on ramps, so all the fluid was going forward and at the fill hole, seemed like it wasn't full.

    What ended up doing was overfilling my diff.
    Thanks
    Last edited by E90DTM; 04-30-2010 at 08:22 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

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