pricing question: transmission fluid change

[garretb]

So how much have you paid to have your transmission fluid changed if done at a shop, or how much is it for the fluid (and how much fluid is needed) and how much time should a shop charge to change it if I brought it in myself? I'm running at just over 126,000 miles and I don't know if it's ever been changed before (hasn't been by me), so needless to say I'm anxious to get it done. Unfortunately, I don't have the facilities or tools to do a proper job myself.

My car is a 95 540i, auto transmission.

Many thanks.

[micjordan]

It should take 8 liters of fluid. The fluid runs about $25/liter. I have the same transmission as you have die at 129k miles :( and replaced about a week ago. Even though its a sealed transmission about a liter of fluid had somehow leaked out and because it was sealed nobody even thought to check it until it was too late. I'd get it done asap even though the fluid cost is a bit steep. The cost of a new 5HP30 transmission from bmw is $4800 and they'll charge about $1500 to put it in. I did find a place online that only charged $1700 for the transmission but thats still over $3k.

-Adam



So how much have you paid to have your transmission fluid changed if done at a shop, or how much is it for the fluid (and how much fluid is needed) and how much time should a shop charge to change it if I brought it in myself? I'm running at just over 126,000 miles and I don't know if it's ever been changed before (hasn't been by me), so needless to say I'm anxious to get it done. Unfortunately, I don't have the facilities or tools to do a proper job myself.

My car is a 95 540i, auto transmission.

Many thanks.

[Sweetwater]

AAMCO - $79.95 for the change
- $129.95 for the power flush.

I don't know which seals they use, but they guarantee no leaks for 90 days. I'd go for the power flush if you haven't had service for that long.

The other tranny shops I've priced are the same or 20% higher. They all use Dexron III as their standard fluid. There's a table here in the last week that shows how much more than normal the Bimmers torque converter holds....seems like around 50% of the total for our cars.

[MBXB]

Here's a couple of links:

http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=3848&highlight=5HP30+fluid

http://www.e38.org/zf-5hp30-service.html

[Tiger]

Kirt Koeller charges $2600 I think for rebuilt 5HP30.

[Tiger]

Ooooh yeah... I remember this post... My tranny is still alive... sweet!

[Tiger]

U cannot use Dextron III on 5HP30.

[black_bird_blue]

I have the same transmission...and my car is away getting a new transmission. Ouch! On Thursday evening I backed on to the drive and decided to inch forward a bit...as I'm proning to doing in that anal way of mine. Imagine my surprise (sic) when the car went backwards whatever I did... My rescue service (RAC) graciously agreed to transport the car wherever I wanted to go even though it was from home and technically I'm not covered. There is a local place that will take out and recondition my tranny and then refit it. But it's still expensive! Still, I do love the car and a new one would run me £40,000+, so I try and keep it in perspective that way...

Damian

P.S. It's now at 121000 miles

[rnrn]

If you don't know if your fluid has ever been changed I would not recommend a power flush. I would replace the fluid in 5K or 10K intervals, say 3 of them, and settle there. If you throw all that new fluid in you may create a hornet's nest of probs for the frictions, bands, etc... this way with each change you'll also be changing your filter and the crap the new fluid is dildging as well.

My .02

[ryan roopnarine]

....i thought that problem was only a 500 USD or so problem to fix on that transmission, not a whole rebuild....if i'm correct in assuming it just needed a modified valve body to solve the reverse problem.


I have the same transmission...and my car is away getting a new transmission. Ouch! On Thursday evening I backed on to the drive and decided to inch forward a bit...as I'm proning to doing in that anal way of mine. Imagine my surprise (sic) when the car went backwards whatever I did... My rescue service (RAC) graciously agreed to transport the car wherever I wanted to go even though it was from home and technically I'm not covered. There is a local place that will take out and recondition my tranny and then refit it. But it's still expensive! Still, I do love the car and a new one would run me £40,000+, so I try and keep it in perspective that way...

Damian

P.S. It's now at 121000 miles

[garretb]

...for all of the information and links. I called my indy shop today to ask about their price and the guy I talked to said that he would recommend not changing it because of the problems that it would lead to with the transmission. He was saying that he had a 5 that he sold at 168k miles with nothing done to the transmission, and that the guy that bought it still brings it to their shop and it now has 215k miles on it with nothing done and it's still running fine. He said he would do it if I really wanted, and quoted somewhere around $400 for the fluid, filter, and labor. I didn't ask how much the labor would be if I brought in the other stuff myself. I suppose I'll have to call some other places and see what their prices are, both with and without the fluid and filter.

-Garret