Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Seacoast, NH
    Posts
    832

    SMG Transmission fluid change

    I had the chance to experience changing the transmission fluid on my cousin's 04 330ci equipped SMG with 65K. Which was "almost" as easy as changing the tranny fluid in a manual car.

    You will need an 8mm and 17mm socket
    2 liter of transmission fluid (BMW sells it in a 5 liter bottle)
    Fluid pump/siphon
    Drain pan
    Able to get car in the air (I used 4 jack stands)

    Jack the car up with your floor jack and place the jack stands. Make sure the car is level.

    Use your 8mm socket + ratchet to undo the 2 under trays in the way.

    Undo the smaller one which sits more to the passenger side of the car and that will swing down.

    Then undo the larger of the trays which sits across the middle of the car, right under the gearbox. Approx 6 8mm hex bolts and 2 8mm washers secure the trays to the underneath the car.

    Once these are removed, you'll see and have access to the gearbox, to the left of the yellow sticker which says life time oil you will see the drain plug. Above but inline with this you'll see the filler plug. I undid this plug first and a small bit of fluid came out so this shows you just fill it until it comes out.

    You then want to place the drain pan or under the drain plug and undo it. It comes out fast so undo the plug with your socket then use your hand to pull it away fast.

    The old fluid was very watery and had a lot of metal filings in it.

    Put the drain plug back in and "simply" refill the box.. I used the transfer pump. I put one end in the filler hole and one end in the fluid bottle and simply pumped. The first pump on the third liter had fluid coming out of the gearbox so I quickly put the plug back in and tightened them up.

    I then jet washed the underside as fluid had been weeping from the drain plug then replaced the under trays.

    It's been 100 miles since and the difference is noticeable. No more clattering or clunky gears when selecting first or reverse, hard changes seem a lot smoother and the box seems totally silent compared to before, I could hear gears engaging etc.

    The fluid which came out smelt burnt, had filings, was more water like and when rubbed between my fingers, it wasn't the most lubricating of fluids.

    Sorry for not posting pictures of this DIY. I was planning on taking pictures but my cousin was in a hurry. I was also planning on changing the diff and SMG fluids but that will have to wait for another day.

    This DIY will work for all SMG equipped cars.
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    2009 Horizon Blue Mini R56 Cooper S 6spd
    2012 Pepper White Mini R56 "Justa" Cooper 6spd
    On the hunt for an e30, z3, or 318ti...


  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Liberty Township, OH
    Posts
    37,935
    Quote Originally Posted by mikeyb74 View Post
    The fluid which came out smelt burnt, had filings, was more water like and when rubbed between my fingers, it wasn't the most lubricating of fluids.
    That ain't good.

    ME = Master of the obvious.
    Call Me Dane l 2/2004 330i ZHP l 18x8 ET45 BBS CK's wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ @ 245-40-18 l KW V1 Coilovers in front l KW V1 springs w/ Bilstein B8 dampeners in rear l BMW Performance Rotors l UUC StrutBarbarian l Racing Dynamics Rear Strut Bar l Jim Conforti Shark Injector l Light Birch Interior Trim l Bimmian Celly Mount l M3 Trunk Mat l l e90 Performance E-Brake & Shift Knob l M3 Tri-Stitched Boots l AL Headlight Retrofit with ZKW Lenses l CobyWheel Wrap w/M3 Stitching l LCM sw 4.5 triple blink and rear fogs l Maple Interior Trim

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Seacoast, NH
    Posts
    832
    Quote Originally Posted by danewilson77 View Post
    That ain't good.

    ME = Master of the obvious.
    Not good at all. The previous owner was pretty hard on the car when he owned it. When my cousin first bought it there was bits and pieces of rubber all over the underside.
    "The server is too busy at the moment. Please try again later."


    2009 Horizon Blue Mini R56 Cooper S 6spd
    2012 Pepper White Mini R56 "Justa" Cooper 6spd
    On the hunt for an e30, z3, or 318ti...


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Liberty Township, OH
    Posts
    37,935
    Autozone.com
    Niiiiiiiice.

    Droid! Srs Legitness!
    Call Me Dane l 2/2004 330i ZHP l 18x8 ET45 BBS CK's wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ @ 245-40-18 l KW V1 Coilovers in front l KW V1 springs w/ Bilstein B8 dampeners in rear l BMW Performance Rotors l UUC StrutBarbarian l Racing Dynamics Rear Strut Bar l Jim Conforti Shark Injector l Light Birch Interior Trim l Bimmian Celly Mount l M3 Trunk Mat l l e90 Performance E-Brake & Shift Knob l M3 Tri-Stitched Boots l AL Headlight Retrofit with ZKW Lenses l CobyWheel Wrap w/M3 Stitching l LCM sw 4.5 triple blink and rear fogs l Maple Interior Trim

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