Quote:
Originally Posted by RockCrusher
Automatic transmission fluid service is not a service one can do on his driveway. The procedure for the Hellcat was complicated requiring having the transmission temperature within a certain range and it staying there. Car had to be lifted so with the engine running the transmission could be put in gear and the drive wheels could turn to ensure a proper refill of the transmission. Word was this would run $1000... (The 5-speed manual fluid service on my Boxster required 0.3 hour labor and 2 liters of fluid. Least expensive service for the car. My Turbo's 6-speed manual fluid service cost more but not much more.)
I suspect BMW automatics are if not as complicated to service as the Hellcat transmission still more complicated than a simple drain and refill of fluid. Oh and with a filter change.
As for the MINI...
My current JCW is my *3rd* MINI. I bought a 2023 S last Dec. to drive until I could order and receive delivery of a JCW with a 6-speed but I found one on a lot — out in Loveland, CO — and bought it trading in my S.
The S like the 2018 JCW I owned first and now this 2023 JCW give every indication of being good reliable cars. I know the early MINIs have a rep for poor reliability but the newer ones circa I think 2016 or when the BMW engine appeared are much better in the reliability department. The car comes with a 4 year 50K mile warranty. Granted this only covers the car well, the 1st 4 years and 50K miles. My days of putting 50K miles on a car in 4 years (or less) are over with. But if this MINI proves to be unreliable I can get rid of it and get [...]
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You said it right there. Just bring it for service. You're really complaining about a service that you probably will need to get done once every 100k miles. It's a proven transmission the ZF8 is in so many cars albeit different variations.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TR23-87
I did the fluid/filter change on my X3 at 90,000 miles in my garage. Requires jack stands and a method of measuring fluid temp (OBD-2 blue-tooth device with BimmerLink). It certainly wasn't "easy" but very possible to do oneself.
Drive wheels do not need to be moving when you are doing final hot top-up.
So the real answer was that you didn't want to do it in your driveway and that's fine but there are many that do.
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And exactly this. Same procedure for my DSG Audi. I bought a $100 OBD dongle to tell me the temp of the transmission fluid. But otherwise it's as simple as most manual or other automatic transmission fills. A lot require it to be level and to fill until it runs out. Only difference is this needs to be at a certain temp and then fill is complete.
And I'm just assuming you aren't doing the work yourself based on your wording.
All I'm saying with all that is if you want a manual get one. If you want an auto get it. This is not a new drive train the transmission has been in BMWs lineup for some time. And in the M since 2020.
If you're afraid of reliability because it says there's no maintenance interval on something then bring it in for service.
If you're afraid of the price then bring it to a German shop. It's going to be out of warranty by then anyway.