I would like to change the fluid in the 5 speed transmission and differential of my E 46 2001 325i which presently has 102,000 miles on it. Since the fluid is listed as lifetime in the manual, there is no capacity listing. I would like to know the capacity of each, and would also appreciate any suggestions on the brand and weight of fluid to use in each. Thanks!! MT
In my 330ci ... Your best bet is to buy a gallon of whatever you plan to use in your transmission; you'll have some left over. I use Redline MTL in my 330ci which has a ZF gearbox. I just changed out the fluid ( around here, that is a 15k mile ritual) in my trannie and it took maybe 2 quarts. The pump I use to put the stuff in the transmission isn't very good about helping you measure exactly what is going in but I'd guess 2 quarts. You can contact www.redlineoil.com and leave them a message - they'll get right back to you. They will know what exactly to put in your transmission. Yours is a Getrag, I believe. The differential in your car holds a little over a quart. I use either Mobil 1 75w/90 or Castrol Syntec 75w/90. Both are more than suitable. I have used them both (again at 15k mile intervals) and have no complaints what so ever. Also, they are readily available at AutoZone or any major auto parts store and the price is reasonable. It pays to stay after these cars maintenance wise - my car has 103k and counting and the drivetrain is quiet. Cheers!
Not exactly sure.. My 330ci takes around 2 qts in the trans and the diff around 1 qt. I use Redline MTL in the trannie and either Mobil 1 or Castrol Syntec 75w/90 in the diff. Do yourself a favor and get a gallon of the trans fluid (whatever you wind up using) that way there'll some left over. You can go to www.redlineoil.com and they will tell you which of their products will be suitable for your trans. Cheers!
I don't have the exact capacities handy, but 2 quarts of each will be enough. Basically, you fill to the level of the filler plug... until it starts running out. Use the stock stuff from a BMW dealer or lots of folks use RedLine products. Either Red Line MTL 75-90 or D4 ATF in the tranny and Red Line 75-90 Gear Oil in the diff.
As a side note, I know a lot if folks who have tried Royal Purple SyncroMax and Swepco in their E46 gearboxes with very good results. I recently purchased a couple of quarts of RP SyncroMax to try in my 325iT and will report back when I find the time to change it for the factory fill. Matt
Whoops hit submit too fast... Manual transmission fluid capacity: 325i - 1.1 quarts 330i - 1.3 quarts Torque of fill and drain plugs 37 ft-lbs Differential capacity: All 325i and 330i - .95 quarts Torque of fill and drain plugs 52 ft-lbs (with new crush washers) None of the above applies to the E46 M3 Matt
+2 for Redline products the MTL works well and helps in cold weather shifting. I have it my 330i ZF 5 speed. I also recommend it for the rear diff. (75-90 Gear Oil) I even put this in the 530i rear diff.
I am about to swap out both Trani and Diff fluids on my 325c1, so this came up at the right time. I am planning on using either Redline or Royal Purple both are excellent products. I thing i came across was to use ATF for the manual gearbox. I read it at BMW325i.net, it seems to have worked well for him. I want to know of any thoughts on this.
You will only need an Allen wrench for the rear differential fluid change and it is a 14mm. The transmission uses an external hex (like that of a normal bolt) that is 17mm. This means you can use a socket with a breaker bar or boxed end wrench. The fill plugs seem to be super torqued at the factory so be prepared to use considerable force on them if they have never been opened. The biggest tip of all is to open the fill plugs first just to make sure you can get fluid back into the trans or diff once drained. Matt
the differential takes a 14 mm hex socket. Don't forget to buy the crush washer, they are cheap i usually buy a few at once and keep them in the tool box.
what kind of fluid do you guy suggest. I'm looking to run some DEs and wanted to change my gear box fluid before hand.
Redline (MTL or D4 ATF) and Royal Purple (Syncromax) are the two most commonly used replacement brands. I know some well respected Independent Tech's are starting to use Swepco as well. Matt
electronic transmission control module indicator came on electronic transmission control module indicator came on after draining and servicing both engine oil and transmission oil pan, cleaned the tranny pan and the magnet real good bcoz there's a lot of gunk and it looks like mud. i also replace the spark plugs both air and oil filter, the engine service soon light is been on for a few days so i had it reset from one of the shop then it came back on, so i did the all servicing my self, after i filled the engine oil and replace the oil filter i tried to fill up the ATF can with ATF fluid but noticed it only took a little i didnt even used the whole qt. and i drained a lot of fluid out of the tranny pan, is there anybody that knows how to completely fill the tranny back up? and also any suggestion why the indicator came on? i will greatly appreciate the help. i just had my e46 (m3 02) a couple weeks ago from a friend and it's my first time working on this type of car. any suggestion will be greatly appreciated. ray
