[The_E92_Fan]

My car is a 2010 E92 335i. It puts down a little over 400 to the wheels, and uses the Alpina Transmission tune. As fas as i know, the transmission has never been touched, after 110k miles. Once in a while there is a little clunk when shifting into reverse, drive, and so forth. It isn't horrible, and i honestly don't mind it much as my drivability is fine. It still rips through gears and holds all the power; it spins the tires in first and second, no problem. Ive taken it up to ~145 with no issues, and i routinely break 100. Ive read up on different posts about signs and symptoms, preventative maintenance, and also just changing fluid at a certain mileage point. Should i just get my peace of mind and change the fluid with fresh OEM stuff, or should i just let it be? Is there anyone who thought their transmission was healthy, just to have it crap out because the fluid got old?

[YoungBlood]

following, I've been wondering the same thing

[335e92tx]

As the 6hp19s age they tend to have rougher downshifts most of which can be traced to the solenoids in the valve body getting various varnish and deposits. In general, that I have seen, life expectancy is not really dependent on fluid changes for this specific trans. They generally have low clutch wear and as long as it's not at high load levels and high heat they will survive even additional output. Having said that, I still recommend changing fluid at 60K. If there is something amiss, it will be able to be identified sooner than later.

[limitdown]

I changed my ATF at 60k, 80k and 100k. If I was the first owner of the car, I would have done the first change at 20k.
At 80k, I had limp on some gear changes. Replacing the solenoids fixed that.

[JuniorB]

Yes, service the trans. At fliud breaks down and looses it's properties like any oil. To restore it, replace with fresh fluids and filter.

[mweisdorfer]

Change the filter and fluid. Drive one week drain & fill. Drive one more week & drain & fill one last time. 95-99.9% of your fluid will be brand new.

The OEM fluid was done at the 100k mark.

Change it every 50k from this point forward. The parts in the tranny are not as resilient now, as they straight from the factory.

[McLeanSC]

Mines had done 86,000 and I serviced the box and diff. Oil for life my ass. It cost me a little under £400 but considering a AT gearbox build is 10x that I figured it was good for peace of mind. If I were you I would.

[Boland01]

Drain and fill only. I would NOT have it power flushed. First time I would drop the pan and put a new pan on since it has the tranny filter built in. Also, you will get rid of more old fluid that way too. After that service if you're ambitious you could just then do a drain and fill on the second service.

[xQx]

Originally Posted by The_E90_Fan

Should I service my 6AT?

Yes, you should.

[The_E92_Fan]

Sounds like some good testimony. I'll be ordering the parts tonight then. Thanks all.

[R.G.]

Drain, change pan / filter and fill. Drive around for a week and top it off.

Be EASY on the trans after drain and fill. Keep in mind you should do a trans adap reset as well. That is a time consuming task that requires a lot of empty road.

I can't stress the be easy on it after servicing enough. Drive a few hundred miles at house wife pace, then gradually start giving it more stress as the miles pass.

If you are going to diy you have to be mindful of the trans fluid temp before filling. You want it to be under 100F as it expands when hot. It heats up quick and takes a long time to cool. Prep your supplies so you can get under it quick after you start the car. AC on for higher idle.

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

Change the filter and fluid. Drive one week drain & fill. Drive one more week & drain & fill one last time. 95-99.9% of your fluid will be brand new.

The OEM fluid was done at the 100k mark.

Change it every 50k from this point forward. The parts in the tranny are not as resilient now, as they straight from the factory.

At that point he is spending as much on fluid as a reman trans would cost. Well almost but I'd consider that overkill.

[GMWNashville]

yes. do a trans service. It should have been done a while ago realistically...

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

Change the filter and fluid. Drive one week drain & fill. Drive one more week & drain & fill one last time. 95-99.9% of your fluid will be brand new.

That sounds like a waste of time and money; especially considering that subsequent drain & fills get rid of just as much new fluid as it does old.

If you want to get ALL the old fluid out the correct/easy way, just drain it from the trans cooler in the first place...it literally could not be any easier than this.

[mweisdorfer]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

That sounds like a waste of time and money; especially considering that subsequent drain & fills get rid of just as much new fluid as it does old.

If you want to get ALL the old fluid out the first time around, just drain it from the trans cooler...it literally could not be any easier than this.

Hmm.. never thought of that. Diy?

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

Hmm.. never thought of that. Diy?

Google Google Google

1. unplug return line to drain fluid
2. start car awhile
3. shut car off
4. fill trans
5. repeat steps 2-4 til you see fresh fluid
6. ???
7. Profit.

[mweisdorfer]

Originally Posted by FCobra94

Google Google Google

1. unplug return line to drain fluid
2. start car awhile
3. shut car off
4. fill trans
5. repeat steps 2-4 til you see fresh fluid
6. ???
7. Profit.

If this is the best way to ensure 95-99% of the fluid is brand new, why isn't it found prominently in the diy section ?

Just playing devils advocate. I am not saying it's wrong.

Originally Posted by mweisdorfer

If this is the best way to ensure 95-99% of the fluid is brand new, why isn't it found prominently in the diy section ?

Just playing devils advocate. I am not saying it's wrong.

Probably because this is such a common method for draining/filling almost any automatic transmission that it's simply been carried over as common knowledge from different platforms. Either that or simply nobody has chosen to create one yet...you decide.

After perusing through that section myself though, I have also noticed that there is no DIY showing the proper method for filling one's fuel tank with gasoline...should we take a poll to see what the proper steps for that are as well?

[Underground6t9]

I have changed my ATF at intervals of 30k, with the pan alternating everyother service. Transmission is smooth as butter. I bought the car with 67k, did my first service right after and now I have 127k.

[whyzee125]

I'd service it. Your mechatronic sleeve is very likely leaking and as putting fresh fluid is always a good thing, even with higher mileage. Just don't flush. Drop the pan, do the sleeve and gasket and put in new Lifeguard 6 and you'll be good to go.

[jwebb335xi]

Originally Posted by Underground6t9

I have changed my ATF at intervals of 30k, with the pan alternating everyother service. Transmission is smooth as butter. I bought the car with 67k, did my first service right after and now I have 127k.

My car is about to roll 100k. The trans was partially re-filled at 50k when the mechantronic leaked. then it was drain d and filled twice at 55k. Most recently, I did the trans oil pan and fluid from ZF and it shifts very well(up and down) with Alpina B3 and MHD 93 tune. If you're keeping the car, I'd bite the expensive bullet and buy pan/oil AND pay for the swap if you don't want to do it.. new trans is very costly!

[AndyW]

I did a drain and refill at 73k, then did the pan, filter and mechatronic seal at 100K. Spent the cash at the dealer to ensure it was done right (especially the fill procedure, which, to me, seems fraught with peril for a shadetree mechanic). If it only had a dipstick...

I intend to replace pan+filter, and mechatronic seal every 50k from here on out for reasons mentioned by others. Will probably replace the separator plates, other rubbery bits, do a sonnax kit, and replace the solenoids at 150k (~$400 on ebay) as well. I am big on preventative maintenance as insurance...