I'm wondering the same about mine. I do remember driving my buddy's 98 M3 and I remember the same noise. Let me know what you find out. I've been considering changing mine also.

 

I have a 330ci (manual) that has just alittle over 100K now. I'm planning to do the change this weekend. I don't see why not to do it, espeicaly since it hasn't been done or you have no records of it done in the pass.

As for the annoying clunk, im not sure what you guys are talking about there. )-:

 

That noise MUST BE some type of bushing, might be called the Guido or Guibo. I'm seriously concerned, it feels loose when u accelerate then decelerate while leave it in gear. When reversing slowly, let of the clutch, you can often hear it.

We really need to clear this subject. I know that it must be some type of bushing. Matter of fact I'm calling the Parts manager Pete at Essex BMW here In Bloomfield, NJ and have him ask the mechanics at the shop. I'll post the asnwer ASAP!!!

 

akbrazil, you are a lucky dog...

 

Yes you should change the fluid. As stated previously, bmw 'lifetime' fluid is not really lifetime.
UNLIKE automatic/steptronic where the transmisson can actully fail becuase of the change, manual wont. In manual, you can change the fluid whenever, how many time youd possibly like with no damage. Manual transmisson dont have hydrolic lifters etc. for they are more 'basic'

BMW manual transmisson come with ATL (automatic transmisson fluid) but you can change it with whatever manual tranny fluid youd like (lots of people have done it and it is okay).

I personnally have REDLINE MTL, it is made for manual trannies that come with ATL. The fluid took about 500km-1000km to actully notice a difference. I noticed the gears engaged smoother and i felt i got more shifter feel (dont know if it is in my head though)....i have a 2000 328i and i still get sometimes an annoying clunk, especially with my windows down.

Look into royalpurple sycromesh, lots of people with bmw use it and love it.

Your car will require about 1.1-1.3 quarts of it so buy two bottles.

In conclusion, change the fluid every 30 000km or so, maybe even every year, it will ultimetly prolong the life of the manual tranny hence it will be easier for the scycros.

ENJOY BUDDY!

 

'
BMW manual transmisson come with ATL (automatic transmisson fluid) but you can change it with whatever manual tranny fluid youd like (lots of people have done it and it is okay).

I would not change it with "whatever m-t fluid you want". It takes a specific GL rated fluid, that's why they have a sticker next to the fill plug. They don't want people putting the wrong fluid in and damaging the tranny. But agree that Redline and RP sythethics are fine.

My old 325e manual had lifetime fluid in the trans i put about 280k on that car b4 the engine blew and never once changed the trans fluid no problems at all.

you had an E30 ETA(325e) that had lifetime fluid? odd..never hear of that before.

Got IT!!!!!!!!!!:excited: Finally:woot:
ok, ok ,ok!!!
Pete says that it's the universal joint in the drive shaft and what happens is as they get older it dry-rotts and cracks causing play in the shaft!! Other parts could also play a role, but not enought to be considered.
There you have it Ladies and Gents.. If anyone elase have some aditional Info please respond to this post.

I would not be happy if it was my U-joint. BMW driveshafts don't have replacable driveshafts. Expect that to be over $700. Now if he's talking about the Flex Disc or Guibo that connects the driveshaft to the tranny, that sounds more like it. I always post this same link when I read these posts. Guess no one posted it yet. *Note the link says you can upgrade to the M3 guibo, but someone said their guibo was different so check if you plan to upgrade.
http://www.rogueengineering.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=GUIBO

 

awesome 323into that is helpfull, so I guess I will look for something syntetic. one more question, since I am not going to do it myself but at a "wait while they do it" shop, should I ask them to change the transmission fluid AND the differential fluid? here in california these shops are called "JiffyLub", and I am not sure they will know how to change the differential fluid, would it be bad to change the transmission fluid only?

 

ive never had a shop change the fluids on my car, but imsure that if they can handle an oil change, they can both the diff and the manual tranny.

changing the diff is pretty much just like changing manual transmission oil - undo the fill bolt, undo the drain bolt, redo the drain bolt, fill it up until it starts spilling out, redo the upper bolt.

and since the diff and the tranmission oils arent related, there would be no harm in changing one without the other, or changing them at different times. i dont see why you wouldnt just do them both though, since they are so simple.

is this the one? Redline D4 ATF Transmission Fluid (http://www.bmw325i.net/rev_redline_tran_fluid.shtml)

that is what i recently put in my manual transmission. its good stuff.

 

is this the one? Redline D4 ATF Transmission Fluid (http://www.bmw325i.net/rev_redline_tran_fluid.shtml)

 

the clunk is what i guess you can call a "characteristic" of a bimmer. my e30 had it, my e36 has it, my moms e46 has it, and my dads e60 has it. i wouldnt be surprised if my sister's e90 will have it in the future.


since youve put on 102,000 miles, yes it would be wise to swap out your tranny fluid with some fresh fluid. i would recommend redline D4 ATF.

 

You can do the fluid change yourself, Its easy. All you need is basic tools a drip pan and some time to do it. Dont trust those shops ie., Jyffylube, etc.,etc.,,they have no clue. Most of the time they employ people with some skills and no knowledge on the subject. Redline is the way to go in my opinion. You have the right website to purchase from, just do it.

 

:werd: if you choose to do it yourself keep in mind that the fill and drain plug are torque'd down nice and tight and you're goin' to need plenty of leverage to get them off.

 

My old 325e manual had lifetime fluid in the trans i put about 280k on that car b4 the engine blew and never once changed the trans fluid no problems at all.That being said my 2003 325 manual had lifetime fluid and i just changed@70k to RedLine MTL (the fluid that came out looked brand new)it made no diff.on the feel of the shift or anything(cold or hot) i just feel better keeping "Fresh" fluids in this car (lifetime fluids just doesnt even sound right when you think about it)

 

Since it's an easy DIY change it. It's unbelievable it has been in there for 100k miles, you'll absolutely feel a difference.

 

I change the tranny lube once a year using Redline MTL and NOT D4ATF. MTL lubes the gears better than D4ATF. The only drawback is that I have to shift a little more slowly until the tranny has warmed up - usually after a couple of miles. I change the diff lube once a year, also. I use Redline 75W-90 for non-LSD diffs.:clap:

 

Thank you everybody, I will change it, but I will use the original Texaco ETL 7045E on the transmission and the Red Line Synthetic for the Differential Fluid. That's what www.bavauto.com suggests.

Thanks for your help!

 

Got IT!!!!!!!!!!:excited: Finally:woot:


ok, ok ,ok!!!

Pete says that it's the universal joint in the drive shaft and what happens is as they get older it dry-rotts and cracks causing play in the shaft!! Other parts could also play a role, but not enought to be considered.


There you have it Ladies and Gents.. If anyone elase have some aditional Info please respond to this post.

 

my clunk was subframe failure.. check the car driver side near the rear diff.

 

ATF change FTW....as far as the thud...check for subframe damage..

 

You Dont Say!!!!!

 

Yes, it should have been done ages ago, but better late than never.

 

the reason for this is
people have suggested that unless the car has under 30km and you change the automatic fluid AT 30km intervals, you should*** be fine. This is becuase manymannny people have changed their auto fluid at higher milage (over 30km) and their trannies have failed - beleive it or not but has happeaned alot - no one has really explained why, kind of a mystery.

i think it might be that the "dirt and fluid" sits on the lifters etc. and actully "holds" the trans together. Removing the dirt could cuase failure?? (for example, sea foam in your engine)

Another reason could be the atx fluid actully "settles and bondes" to the tranny. removing it coudl cuase tranny failure...

 

Can you change manny and differential fluids with an oil extractor? Won't hurt anything right?

 

i have this problem of shifting for a long time but mine is so strange that it happens only when the weather is cold. So its like this;

When i bought the car in the summer, everything was fine but when the cold came, i try to start the car and try to push into the gear but wont go to any of the gears but strangely it goes when the car is not running. So when the car starts, slots of the gear(dont know the exact names) doesnt let the shifter to go in. So i wait the car to warm up for sometime and force the gear into the 1st than 2nd and warm up the gearbox by doing viceversa.

I know what is the exact problem is but it will cost me alot because the whole tranny has to come out and it will only cost because of the work hours fee, so i will try my chance by taking it to my service and let them change the tranny fluid on friday.

I have a 71K on my car and its manual.

So i let you know but i think it will take time to effect because let the new fluid effect the tranny will take 500km or less imo.

 

Csb

 

thanks for the feedback.

I guess the proof is in the pudding.
Anybody know what the stats for a fluid change on +35k miles look like? 1 out of 100 successful?

My 2001 330i auto/steptronic just hit 60k. I've been getting a "whirring" noise when i switch from 1st to second gear. Nothing too alarming, but very annoying. I was hoping that changing the fluid could be my first effort at getting rid of this noise.


Would it be good idea to try and to flush the transmission Fluid seems cheap enough compared to ruining it... *thoughts*?

Oh, about the choice in auto vs manual. LA traffic sucks. Steptronic seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

i just made my local service to change my manual trannys fluid. Now its way softer and smooth but from 1st to 2nd gear, there is still crunk noise. But i think i should wait and drive abit to let the tranny to eat the new fluid.

 

I have this "clunk" on my manual 325Ci. But mine sounds like it's coming from the differential area. Is the noise coming from the front or rear of the car? I've read places that say BMW considers that clunk noise normal because of driveshaft shock absorbtion or something. Others say if could be diff. mounts that are loose. All I know is that mine clunks and is leaking, hurray :tsk:

 

I change my tranny fluid annually with Redline MTL. Why MTL? I asked Mike Miller, Roundel Mag and Bimmer Mag tech guru. He said MTL protects the gears better than D4ATF. The reason why ZF (they made the manual tranny in my car) uses synthetic ATF is to make the tranny shift easier when the tranny is cold. Seems car makes don't want customers complaining that their trannies are hard to shift when they are cold. Use MTL and shift your tranny gently for the first few miles. Your tranny will thank you at 100k miles! impin:

 

So Whats The Best Oil I Should Use For Manual Transmission And For My Differential???????? ABOUT 2 or 3 months ago I Changed The Transmission Oil With Redline Atf And I Mixed It With Another Bottle Of Redline High Heat (something Like That) My Transmission Shift Really Hard Espcially When Its Cold
I Would Like To Change It Again But I Want To Make Sure I Do It With The Right Oil Please Give Some Advice???

Should I Change It With Redline Mtl? And What Should I Use For Differential????