Lifetime Tranny Fluid Hah!

[Tiger]

I drained my tranny today to send out the valve body to Kirt... I must have drained 10 quarts before taking out the valve body. After the valve body, nothing came out... maybe less than 1/4 quart.

Anyway, filter said 1993... so no one every changed the fluid... If you dip your hand in it, it look fairly clean... even dirty oil will look pretty okay. BUT... when I pour it into my recycle bucket... WHOA... pitch black full of sediment suspended. I have never dumped tranny fluid that dirty.

I'd like to smack whoever coined Lifetime Fluid... they obviously have no idea what they are talking about. There is no way the filter can handle all that sediments... must have bee running though bypass all these time. No wonder my valve body croaked.

[winfred]

it's good for as long as the tranny lasts

[Tiger]

Ha! They just want your money for new tranny... earlier than you have to.

[Unregistered]

Speaking of tranny valve body. What does it do, and why/when do you replace it?

[Dick Schneiders]

I drained my tranny today to send out the valve body to Kirt... I must have drained 10 quarts before taking out the valve body. After the valve body, nothing came out... maybe less than 1/4 quart.

Anyway, filter said 1993... so no one every changed the fluid... If you dip your hand in it, it look fairly clean... even dirty oil will look pretty okay. BUT... when I pour it into my recycle bucket... WHOA... pitch black full of sediment suspended. I have never dumped tranny fluid that dirty.

I'd like to smack whoever coined Lifetime Fluid... they obviously have no idea what they are talking about. There is no way the filter can handle all that sediments... must have bee running though bypass all these time. No wonder my valve body croaked.

[byurko]

Speaking of tranny valve body. What does it do, and why/when do you replace it?

Taken from howstuffworks.com:

The valve body of the transmission contains several shift valves. The shift valve determines when to shift from one gear to the next. For instance, the 1 to 2 shift valve determines when to shift from first to second gear. The shift valve is pressurized with fluid from the governor on one side, and the throttle valve on the other. They are supplied with fluid by the pump, and they route that fluid to one of two circuits to control which gear the car runs in.

The shift valve will delay a shift if the car is accelerating quickly. If the car accelerates gently, the shift will occur at a lower speed. Let's discuss what happens when the car accelerates gently.

As car speed increases, the pressure from the governor builds. This forces the shift valve over until the first gear circuit is closed, and the second gear circuit opens. Since the car is accelerating at light throttle, the throttle valve does not apply much pressure against the shift valve.

When the car accelerates quickly, the throttle valve applies more pressure against the shift valve. This means that the pressure from the governor has to be higher (and therefore the vehicle speed has to be faster) before the shift valve moves over far enough to engage second gear.

Each shift valve responds to a particular pressure range; so when the car is going faster, the 2-to-3 shift valve will take over, because the pressure from the governor is high enough to trigger that valve.

[NoSpeedLimits]

Tiger, I thought you recently did a trans fluid change? If so, did you use the BMW fluid or brand-x? I can't recall...

[Tiger]

94 540i

[Tiger]

I didn't change it yet... Although this will be it. I am contemplating... I most likely will go wth Pennzoil Muli Vehicle ATF. I am debating whether to go with Mobil 1 ATF Synthetic since that is what Redline oil are based from... but probably not.

Where is Funfer? He is the guy who changed his 5HP30 into Mobil 1 and supposedly had 30K miles on it.

[Unregistered]

Given it has been so long since the oil was changed, I would strongly suggest that within 500 miles you pull the pan and replace the filter a second time. The reason I recommend this, is the new fluid with fresh addtives will tend to break loose all the varnish and other junk which will in turn fill up the filter. If not changed the trans will not get adaquate lubercation and in turn will fail. This is commonly believed to be the reason that trans people say if the fluid hasn't been changed leave it. For people that have done this, they have often found the new filter completely filled after 500 miles.

Cary

[ryan roopnarine]

you might wanna consider emailing the gentleman in the last message of the thread below

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=16;t=000547

he could be wrong, but it seems like he did his homework about the subject, and i doubt the fluid he names costs more than the redline.


I didn't change it yet... Although this will be it. I am contemplating... I most likely will go wth Pennzoil Muli Vehicle ATF. I am debating whether to go with Mobil 1 ATF Synthetic since that is what Redline oil are based from... but probably not.

Where is Funfer? He is the guy who changed his 5HP30 into Mobil 1 and supposedly had 30K miles on it.

[Bill R.]

grind, states very clearly on their website the only fluid that is approved for use in your car. On the same website they have provisions for other manufacturers to submit their fluids for approval. Now i'm certain that zf would be pleased as punch if other manufacturers made an oil that qualified for the testing process, yet each time I check the list there haven't been any added to it... which leads me to believe that thats the only fluid that meets zf specs and if i owned a transmission as expensive as yours Stan I wouldn't think twice about paying the extra and getting the right fluid for it.










you might wanna consider emailing the gentleman in the last message of the thread below

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=16;t=000547

he could be wrong, but it seems like he did his homework about the subject, and i doubt the fluid he names costs more than the redline.

[ryan roopnarine]

i certainly wasn't agreeing with anyone, Bill. if i had a 540 that required $250-300 ($17/qt) service every 100k i wouldn't bother trying to find an alternative, i just don't think that pennzoil is a very prudent replacement, and this gentleman, it would seem, has put some effort into finding a more suitable choice. the fluid he mentions is an actual extended drain one, which im sure would be better than conventional pennzoil.


grind, states very clearly on their website the only fluid that is approved for use in your car. On the same website they have provisions for other manufacturers to submit their fluids for approval. Now i'm certain that zf would be pleased as punch if other manufacturers made an oil that qualified for the testing process, yet each time I check the list there haven't been any added to it... which leads me to believe that thats the only fluid that meets zf specs and if i owned a transmission as expensive as yours Stan I wouldn't think twice about paying the extra and getting the right fluid for it.

[NoSpeedLimits]

Good point, I've already scheduled an appointment at the local stealer to get the fluid and filter replaced. I already had mine replaced 10K miles ago(cost $200 US), and have been meaning to do it again. Mainly because I used an after market filter kit (from BMA) which came with a not to spec o-ring and as a result the trans has been making a strange sound when accelerated in first gear. Plus, it has been getting on my nerves. ;) Between your point and Tiger's finding I am not going to put this off any longer. Thanks.

[Tiger]

Bill... here is another to add to the list... Valvoline Maxlife ATF

http://www.ptcruiserclub.org/forum/PT_Cruiser_Customizing_C1/Engine_Performance_Forum_F12/ATF+4_auto_trans_fluid_finally_available!_P154071

[mrbmw1]

what the $$$ on the valve body from kirt?

[Bill R.]

read all the material data sheets no mention is made anywhere of it being approved as a replacement for other than dexron II, III mercon and atf 3 and 4.... yet this email which if your trans fails you can't take to the bank purports to state that its approved , not by the manufacturer since it was never submitted for testing but valvoline tested on its own and decided it was aok... Ultimately its your trans and your choice, Until i see it in writing from a verifiable source such as zf themselves on their site or even pennzoil or valvoline on their sites I'm not about to choose them...









Bill... here is another to add to the list... Valvoline Maxlife ATF

http://www.ptcruiserclub.org/forum/PT_Cruiser_Customizing_C1/Engine_Performance_Forum_F12/ATF+4_auto_trans_fluid_finally_available!_P154071

[Tiger]

Pennzoil is not a conventional one... but a semi-synthetic just like Shell LA-2634. Here is another thing, Shell owns Pennzoil too. Anyway, I email ZF for their opinion on all these products. Hopefully I can get to the bottom of it.

I would never run any tranny fluid to 100,000 miles... the filter itself cannot handle such extended interval as evidenced by my black ATF fluid. The additives also cannot last that long.

[Tiger]

$375 to rebuild it.

[Tiger]

$200? How? The oil itself is $18 a quart and you need 10 quarts just draining the pan. The filter also cost money too.... so Free labor? Something doesn't add up here. I bet you the ATF fluid they used isn't really Shell.

[NoSpeedLimits]

They even gave me a free rental car for 24 hours, unlimited miles, just fill her up when you bring it back. I don't know if I actually have evidence to prove it, but I would be willing to bet the farm because I made sure it was the correct stuff. I stood in the shop and watch them transfer the fluid from the BMW bottle to my car's tranny. Actually, when you do a fluid & filter change you should only need 5.5 liters of fluid (see link and info provide in Ryan's thread below for confirmation of the 5.5 liters). The kicker is the .5 of the 5.5 required, because BMW sells the fluid in 5 liter containers at 120/container. This is how my stealer got in trouble, they only had one container on the self...thus, the free rental car. The next day they got in the container and topped off the fluid...she actually took a little bit more than 5.5 liters. Anyway, the stealer quoted me the job at $200 and since I was a familiar face, they cut me a brake. Plus, I supplied the filter.... And, I think they knew I would be back :) I just hope they give me the same deal.

[Beachcomber]

I recently changed the fluid and filter in my 1994 530ia (mine isn't "Lifetime"). The filter I took out was also dated 1993. I drained and refilled several times and dropped the pan to swap the filter after the last drain in the series:

http://members.roadfly.org/beachcomber/TransOilFlush.jpg

My original post (http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?p=20852)




I drained my tranny today to send out the valve body to Kirt... I must have drained 10 quarts before taking out the valve body. After the valve body, nothing came out... maybe less than 1/4 quart.

Anyway, filter said 1993... so no one every changed the fluid... If you dip your hand in it, it look fairly clean... even dirty oil will look pretty okay. BUT... when I pour it into my recycle bucket... WHOA... pitch black full of sediment suspended. I have never dumped tranny fluid that dirty.

I'd like to smack whoever coined Lifetime Fluid... they obviously have no idea what they are talking about. There is no way the filter can handle all that sediments... must have bee running though bypass all these time. No wonder my valve body croaked.

[Tiger]

Wow. Mmm... That's not too bad... I drain my oil routinely to know how much 7 or 8 quarts will fill my drain pan. Yesterday, when I drain my tranny, it filled up my drainpan more than my typical oil drain. Plus, it filled up my 5 gallon recycle bucket real high... I think I had less than 2 gal in the bucket... and it filled it up to near the top that leaves 1 gallon spill safety.

Maybe it is because something is wrong with my valve body that it let all the fluids drain out... because when I took the valvebody out... hardly anything came out.

[Tiger]

How many bolts do you have holding your pan? I counted mine... 23 of em... yes 23!

[NoSpeedLimits]

Holly crap! That display is awesome!! Now only if the lifetime fluid was cheaper, 200 per fluid change x5 = 1000 dollar trans fluid change...ouch!!! And I thought 200 bucks was an expensive fluid change... Although, I suppose spending a grand would be cheaper than replacing the tranny...hummm....decisions, decisions.... And my stealer thought I was crazy for rescheduling another fluid change so soon, I can't wait to see his face when I show him beachcomber's picture and schedule another fluid change...ha, ha, ha :)

[NoSpeedLimits]

Dunno if the valve body would effect the amount that drains? But, since there wasn't much left afterwards, then I would assume that it does. Maybe someone else knows...

FYI. When I was getting my fluid changed, about 5 to 6 liters came out and about 7 liters went back (my tranny was leaking a small amount of fluid).

[new540iowner]

I didn't change it yet... Although this will be it. I am contemplating... I most likely will go wth Pennzoil Muli Vehicle ATF. I am debating whether to go with Mobil 1 ATF Synthetic since that is what Redline oil are based from... but probably not.

Where is Funfer? He is the guy who changed his 5HP30 into Mobil 1 and supposedly had 30K miles on it.

[Tiger]

Thanks! I sent him an email.

[Tiger]

Bill... Valvoline responded and confirmed the compatability of their product. Valvoline is full synthetic ATF I believe. Their final statement of guaranteeing their product is very impressive. I think I am going this route as they are the most forward statement company to date. I used their regular ATF for other cars and loved their products.



Stan,
The statement is correct.

Thom
-----Tiger <88tiger@optonline.net> wrote: -----

To: Thomas R Smith/OML/Valvoline/Ashland@ASCSYS60
From: Tiger <tigerisit@optonline.net>
Date: 05/26/2004 09:14AM
Subject: Verification of Statement Please...

Hi Thomas,
I am writing to you because I'd like to confirm your statement that I saw at PTcruiserclub.org... I am looking for tranny fluid to be used in my 1994 BMW 540i... which has a ZF 5HP30 transmission that was originally filled with Shell LA2634 ATF fluid. Is the statement you made below correct and that your Maxlife ATF is compatible with my transmission?

Thank you very much,
Stan

THOMAS R. SMITH
Technical Director, Valvoline Brand
Phone: (859) 357-2766
Fax: (859) 357-7610
e-mail: trsmith@ashland.com

March 11, 2003

To Whom It May Concern:

Valvoline has received several inquiries regarding the topic of MaxLifeATF and its use in various vehicles beyond those requiring Dexron III or Mercon approved products. In response to these questions Valvoline has issued the following statements:
While MaxLife ATF is designed to meet the special needs of higher mileage transmissions, new transmissions can also benefit from its enhanced oxidation protection and antishudder protection and many consumers have chosen to take advantage of this level of performance.

Valvoline supports the use of MaxLife ATF in a broad range of transmissions beyond those requiring Dexron III and Mercon fluids including those where the following fluids are recommended:

o GM Dexron II
o FordMerconV
o Chrysler ATF+3 or ATF+4 fluids
o Toyota (and Lexus) Type T, T-Ill or T-IV fluids
o Mitsubishi Diamond SP-II or SP-Ill fluids
o Honda ATF-Z
o BMW LT7114l or LA2634 fluids
o Nissan J-Matic Fluid

Valvoline has conducted in-house testing to support MaxLife ATF performance in these transmissions. However, it is important to note that these vehicle manufacturers have neither evaluated nor approved MaxLife ATF .

Valvoline stands behind all of its products, including MaxLife ATF. Useof MaxLife ATF in transmissions where recommended by Valvoline WILL NOT void the vehicle's warranty. In the unlikely event that any transmission was to be damaged as a result of the use of MaxLife ATF, please contact Valvoline at 1-800-Team-VAL.

Thomas R. Smith
Technical Director
Valvoline Brand
THE VALVOLINE COMPANY. A DIVISION OF ASHLAND INC. .P.O. BOX 14000EXINGTON, KENTUCKY 40512. (859) 357-7000

[ryan roopnarine]

going off on a tangent.....i'm surprised that anyone on a chrystler vehicle board would have the stones to run anything BUT the atf+ stuff that they are supposed to use. the last vehicle i owned before the 34 was a dodge caravan....what reliable transmissions dodge makes! (sarcasm)...less than 10k off a tranny rebuild, and the thing still rolled backward on mild inclines.

[Bill R.]

poking around... (https://www.valvoline-technology.com/data/valv/prodinfo.nsf/0/85256AE300727D2B85256D89003EBAE2/$file/MaxLife+ATF.pdf?OpenElement)

The only thing that bothers me is that part at the very bottom of the page...









Bill... Valvoline responded and confirmed the compatability of their product. Valvoline is full synthetic ATF I believe. Their final statement of guaranteeing their product is very impressive. I think I am going this route as they are the most forward statement company to date. I used their regular ATF for other cars and loved their products.



Stan,
The statement is correct.

Thom
-----Tiger <88tiger@optonline.net> wrote: -----

To: Thomas R Smith/OML/Valvoline/Ashland@ASCSYS60
From: Tiger <tigerisit@optonline.net>
Date: 05/26/2004 09:14AM
Subject: Verification of Statement Please...

Hi Thomas,
I am writing to you because I'd like to confirm your statement that I saw at PTcruiserclub.org... I am looking for tranny fluid to be used in my 1994 BMW 540i... which has a ZF 5HP30 transmission that was originally filled with Shell LA2634 ATF fluid. Is the statement you made below correct and that your Maxlife ATF is compatible with my transmission?

Thank you very much,
Stan

THOMAS R. SMITH
Technical Director, Valvoline Brand
Phone: (859) 357-2766
Fax: (859) 357-7610
e-mail: trsmith@ashland.com

March 11, 2003

To Whom It May Concern:

Valvoline has received several inquiries regarding the topic of MaxLifeATF and its use in various vehicles beyond those requiring Dexron III or Mercon approved products. In response to these questions Valvoline has issued the following statements:
While MaxLife ATF is designed to meet the special needs of higher mileage transmissions, new transmissions can also benefit from its enhanced oxidation protection and antishudder protection and many consumers have chosen to take advantage of this level of performance.

Valvoline supports the use of MaxLife ATF in a broad range of transmissions beyond those requiring Dexron III and Mercon fluids including those where the following fluids are recommended:

o GM Dexron II
o FordMerconV
o Chrysler ATF+3 or ATF+4 fluids
o Toyota (and Lexus) Type T, T-Ill or T-IV fluids
o Mitsubishi Diamond SP-II or SP-Ill fluids
o Honda ATF-Z
o BMW LT7114l or LA2634 fluids
o Nissan J-Matic Fluid

Valvoline has conducted in-house testing to support MaxLife ATF performance in these transmissions. However, it is important to note that these vehicle manufacturers have neither evaluated nor approved MaxLife ATF .

Valvoline stands behind all of its products, including MaxLife ATF. Useof MaxLife ATF in transmissions where recommended by Valvoline WILL NOT void the vehicle's warranty. In the unlikely event that any transmission was to be damaged as a result of the use of MaxLife ATF, please contact Valvoline at 1-800-Team-VAL.

Thomas R. Smith
Technical Director
Valvoline Brand
THE VALVOLINE COMPANY. A DIVISION OF ASHLAND INC. .P.O. BOX 14000EXINGTON, KENTUCKY 40512. (859) 357-7000

[Tiger]

The disclaimers? Hehehehe... I can live with it. Everything comes with a disclaimers nowdays... like Sears hair dryer... "Do not use while sleeping"

[Beachcomber]

IIRC 8 (maybe 10) bolts.


How many bolts do you have holding your pan? I counted mine... 23 of em... yes 23!

[Beachcomber]

Ouch. My trans requires Dexron III. I bought 2 cases of Dexron III at Sams club for about $24, plus the OE ZF filter kit from Kirt Koeller for about $40 bucks. So, for $64 and several hours of work, I feel pretty good. Local indy wanted ~$250 just to change the filter.

Of the ~8.25 quarts of fluid in the transmission, I drained ~3 quarts each time. The last drain when I dropped the filter, I got about 4 quarts to come out. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I figure I've got just under a half a quart of old fluid left using this calculation:

Each time I drained and refilled, I was left with about 5.25 of the 8.25 total quarts of old fluid, or 63.64%. So,

1) 8.25 * .6364 = 5.25 quarts 'old' fluid left
2) 5.25 * .6364 = 3.34 quarts 'old' fluid left
3) 3.34 * .6364 = 2.13 quarts 'old' fluid left
4) 2.13 * .6364 = 1.35 quarts 'old' fluid left
5) 1.35 * .6364 = 0.86 quarts 'old' fluid left
on the final drain, I drained 4 quarts, which left 4.25/8.25 quarts, or 51.52%, so:
6) 0.86 * .5152 = 0.44 quarts 'old' fluid left

So, when all was said and done, I've got just under a half a quart of old fluid left.

Naturally, you'd have to adjust the calc to fit your transmission specs (capacity and amt per drain).

Does this sound about right?



Holly crap! That display is awesome!! Now only if the lifetime fluid was cheaper, 200 per fluid change x5 = 1000 dollar trans fluid change...ouch!!! And I thought 200 bucks was an expensive fluid change... Although, I suppose spending a grand would be cheaper than replacing the tranny...hummm....decisions, decisions.... And my stealer thought I was crazy for rescheduling another fluid change so soon, I can't wait to see his face when I show him beachcomber's picture and schedule another fluid change...ha, ha, ha :)

[Tiger]

Bill R read this... Funfer replied and this is what he has to say...

Hey Tiger....Yes I did swap to the mobil 1 atf and even have it in my e38 750iL too. The 540i is still a local car and just spoke with the current owner yesterday. The car is still going strong with no new issues since the swap to the Mobil 1 ATF. The tranny has about 210K miles on it with a valve body rebuild at 155K miles. I don't know how long the clutch packs will last but it is still on the road.

For a tranny that was lifetime fill and at 210,000 miles, I really think the mobil 1 as well as the valve body rebuild has helped it along. The shell and the Esso fluids are only semi-synthetic fluids and not a full synthetic like the Mobile 1 ATF. One other thing I did use in it is the automatic tranny a LSD differential additive from GM. It decreases the wear on the clutch packs and allows for easier shifting. It is about $11.

55,000 miles since Mobil 1 added and still going at 210,000 miles.

John

----- Original Message -----
From: Tiger
To: funfer@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2004 10:09 AM
Subject: 5HP30 tranny fluid question please.

Hi Funfer,
This is one of your fellow E34 owner from bimmer.info group before you sold your 540i. I got a question. I recalled that you did your fluid change on your 5HP30 transmission and you used Mobil 1 ATF. Is this correct? If so, how long did you have it after that change and did anything go wrong afterward?
Bill R and some others are pretty adamant about sticking with original Shell LA2634 ATF... and I just sent my valve body to Kirt Koeller for a rebuild. Your help is very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Tiger

[ryan roopnarine]

not trying to start anything here, buuuuuuut, it would be real interesting if someone that did this (funfer, or if someone did it here) sent a sample of their new tranny fluid away for analysis at their 3k oil change to see if its swimming with invisible clutch material or not.

[Unregistered]

my appologies for the late coming.. but, ,,ur saying that you are changing your fluid how many times??..i am having really stupid issues with my trans. and im leaning toward the valve body..
i see that people keep dropping the fluid and refilling.. can you be more specific on the procedure. and or a site that can explain this.
thanks gentlemen.

Jerry

[Unregistered]

Like Jerry, I'm about to flush/change the transmission fluid in my '90 535i/automatic.

FWIW, Costco has ATF by the case for ~$10, which seems like a decent price for flushing fluid.

After a couple of flushes, I plan on using Redline ATF, installed with the new filter and gasket.

Thoughts/recommendations on this?

[Tiger]

What kind of car do you have Jerry?

[Tiger]

Ryan... at 55,000 miles in fluid and 210,000 on original tranny... how much longer do you think it will last? What would the sample of fluid do? When incompatible fluid is put in... it usually dies pretty fast... within 5K miles.

[ryan roopnarine]

i guess if it already has high mileage on it.....though i might be comparing apples and oranges here....chryslers regularly die in 60-80k mile range when wrong fluid is put in, its just an esoteric, expensive box to experiment on, that's all. if somebody put the stuff in and their tranny started to puke because it didn't particularly like it, pulling a little sample at 3k gives the experimenter a chance to change it if it doesn't work, before something irreversible happens.


Ryan... at 55,000 miles in fluid and 210,000 on original tranny... how much longer do you think it will last? What would the sample of fluid do? When incompatible fluid is put in... it usually dies pretty fast... within 5K miles.

[tim s]

from kirt koeller, i started to get trans program errors & decided 180,000 was enough so i bought a rebuilt. kirt advised for the 5hp30 not to use anything besides shell la-2634 unless it was rebuilt & started fresh zf parts, upgraded valve body & then use esso, which is what he sent with my rebuilt. i just considered it a waste to mess around trying to band-aid a tired tranny. i spent the big bucks & i am much happier & i am confident with going on long trips. i find messing around with none approved fluids is risky.
tim s.

[Bill R.]

post from funfer about his 750 tranny fluid.... (http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e38/4655990-1.html)







Bill R read this... Funfer replied and this is what he has to say...

Hey Tiger....Yes I did swap to the mobil 1 atf and even have it in my e38 750iL too. The 540i is still a local car and just spoke with the current owner yesterday. The car is still going strong with no new issues since the swap to the Mobil 1 ATF. The tranny has about 210K miles on it with a valve body rebuild at 155K miles. I don't know how long the clutch packs will last but it is still on the road.

For a tranny that was lifetime fill and at 210,000 miles, I really think the mobil 1 as well as the valve body rebuild has helped it along. The shell and the Esso fluids are only semi-synthetic fluids and not a full synthetic like the Mobile 1 ATF. One other thing I did use in it is the automatic tranny a LSD differential additive from GM. It decreases the wear on the clutch packs and allows for easier shifting. It is about $11.

55,000 miles since Mobil 1 added and still going at 210,000 miles.

John

----- Original Message -----
From: Tiger
To: funfer@hotmail.com
Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2004 10:09 AM
Subject: 5HP30 tranny fluid question please.

Hi Funfer,
This is one of your fellow E34 owner from bimmer.info group before you sold your 540i. I got a question. I recalled that you did your fluid change on your 5HP30 transmission and you used Mobil 1 ATF. Is this correct? If so, how long did you have it after that change and did anything go wrong afterward?
Bill R and some others are pretty adamant about sticking with original Shell LA2634 ATF... and I just sent my valve body to Kirt Koeller for a rebuild. Your help is very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Tiger

[Tiger]

Gee man... where do you find time to do all this search? I'd probably stick with Valvoline. I wrote to Mobil a while ago and they told me they don't approve the use in 5HP30. It is just interesting what funfer said.

[Unregistered]

What kind of car do you have Jerry?

yes..that would help.. its a 1989 BMW 535I.. thanks for all the info.very helpfull

[Tiger]

That's ZF 4HP22 tranny. Uses Dextron III fluid. You have many choices for fluid... Regular Dextron ATF... I recommends Valvoline Dextron ATF... For Synthetic, there are tons to pick from... Mobil 1 ATF is an option for you too.