Transmission Oil Change DIY

[Racinfan83]

I took the plunge and did this yesterday. Not too bad of a job. Here's how...
I jacked the car up from the side using first the jack point on the left front. I got the car up enough to get jack stands under the frame in front of rear wheel and ahead of the front jack point - make sure your stands are in the same notch so the car will be level when you set it down. Went to other side and jacked the same way - once again you want the stands to be level so the car sits level on them.
Open the hood (carefully so you don't hit your garage door or ceiling). There are two plugs on the ZF transmission - one on the passenger side and one on the bottom. They both take a 17mm hex like this: http://www.zr1.net/forum/showpost.php?p=74280&postcount=6
I had to go to Sears Hardware and get one - $10.49. You will also need about a 3' section of tubing to use to fill with. The fill hole is about 7/8", I found that garden hose fit perfect. I then got under the car with that, the hex wrench, drain pan, and an open end 17mm wrench. Take the fill plug loose first - (in case it doesn't come out for some reason at least you still have the oil in the tranny) I then took the drain plug out holding the hex wrench with one hand and using the longer 17mm wrench to turn it. While it was draining - I took that time to feed the end of the hose up behind the engine so it came out next to the firewall, then removed fill plug and inserted hose about an inch and a half into tranny. Thanks to ZFdoc for that idea! Replaced drain plug. Now up top - I put a funnel into the hose end and put 2.2 liters of Castrol TWS 10W60 in. (Make SURE it is TWS! I got my 3 ltrs from a local BMW dealer for $14.50 a ltr - cheaper then I found it online) You will want to have the plug cleaned and ready to put in before you pull the fill hose, just to minimize the amount of oil that may run out. Tighten the fill plug, remove the hose, and you are done! Amazing how much quieter and easier shifting it is now..>:dancing:)

[tf95ZR1]

Great step-by-step.
Since my car is lowered, the drain plug is
ground down. I use a pump from the fill
hole, then fill as you mention.
Maybe another thought to consider when
you lower your car.

[Schrade]

No snappics; no oil change.























just kiddin' there, RF; thanks for posting! :mrgreen:

[Racinfan83]

I thought about takin some pics of it - but I didn't. Pretty self explanatory once you get to doin it...LOL :cheers:

[Schrade]

No problem there RF...

Slowing the job down, and takin' snappics is good for lots of reasons...

Good for your own reference.
Good for re-sale.
Good for others' how-to.
Good ESPECIALLY for slowing it down, and thinking through whatever the task is - you 'see' stuff differently, see where stuff is, how it works, etc...

Thinking tasks through is good for problem analysis (although in this tranny-juice change task, it IS a pretty straightforward job) ;)

[emmvette]

How did your tranny fluid look? Was it pretty clean or black? I just changed mine and it was actually fairly clean.

[Racinfan83]

It was brown. About halfway between the normal oil color and "black". It drained out pretty quickly considering I did the job cold - so I assume it had thinned out quite a bit. My car has 18k miles on it - don't know if it had ever been changed before or not. The tranny is quieter now and definitely shifts better :dancing

[tf95ZR1]

How did your tranny fluid look? Was it pretty clean or black? I just changed mine and it was actually fairly clean.

You can also "smell" the fluid. It can smell "burnt (burned?)"

[ZRXMAX]

I also use the hose and funnel method because its much easier to do as compared to pumping it in by hand.

The only thing different I do is top it off with Lucas synthetic oil stabilizer.

Saves me from having to buy another quart of the BWM ( break my wallet ) stuff. :)

Slightly off subject here comparing refined oil prices... even the new Penzoil synthetic made from natural gas is only $7.79 a quart. Perhaps that is an entry price scheduled for market testing and a bigger mark up later.

All the rating info on the bottle says. Exceeds the requirements of the following industry specifications. API SN and all previous catagories; ILSAC GF-5 Exceeds Chrysler M5 6395 & GM 6094M & GM 4718M

[2ZR1S]

I also use the hose with funnel for trans and rear. Works well on the rear oil also, just go over the passenger side wheel. I got a funnel with clear 3/4" hose from parts store.
:cheers:

[Paul Workman]

I took the plunge and did this yesterday. Not too bad of a job. Here's how...
I jacked the car up from the side using first the jack point on the left front. I got the car up enough to get jack stands under the frame in front of rear wheel and ahead of the front jack point - make sure your stands are in the same notch so the car will be level when you set it down. Went to other side and jacked the same way - once again you want the stands to be level so the car sits level on them.
Open the hood (carefully so you don't hit your garage door or ceiling). There are two plugs on the ZF transmission - one on the passenger side and one on the bottom. They both take a 17mm hex like this: http://www.zr1.net/forum/showpost.php?p=74280&postcount=6
I had to go to Sears Hardware and get one - $10.49. You will also need about a 3' section of tubing to use to fill with. The fill hole is about 7/8", I found that garden hose fit perfect. I then got under the car with that, the hex wrench, drain pan, and an open end 17mm wrench. Take the fill plug loose first - (in case it doesn't come out for some reason at least you still have the oil in the tranny) I then took the drain plug out holding the hex wrench with one hand and using the longer 17mm wrench to turn it. While it was draining - I took that time to feed the end of the hose up behind the engine so it came out next to the firewall, then removed fill plug and inserted hose about an inch and a half into tranny. Thanks to ZFdoc for that idea! Replaced drain plug. Now up top - I put a funnel into the hose end and put 2.2 liters of Castrol TWS 10W60 in. (Make SURE it is TWS! I got my 3 ltrs from a local BMW dealer for $14.50 a ltr - cheaper then I found it online) You will want to have the plug cleaned and ready to put in before you pull the fill hose, just to minimize the amount of oil that may run out. Tighten the fill plug, remove the hose, and you are done! Amazing how much quieter and easier shifting it is now..>:dancing:)

Yeah, I may have to give gravity a shot. I bought a manual transfer pump (think of a foot long x 2" diameter syringe with a tube on the "needle" end). The seal on the piston leaks so bad my hands to elbows are an oily mess, trying to suck the TWS out of the liter bottles and squirt it into the trans while lying on my back. A real PIA!!

Marc has a procedure for installing a small drain plug on the differential; something I'm sure needs to be done on mine. Always something else to do!:dancing

[Racinfan83]

Paul it was SO easy to do with the hose and funnel - and no mess at all. I have one of those pump deals you mention and I won't use it unless it's an emergency. I don't like the smell of gear lube - and especially when it's all over me..:p

[MuRCieLaGo]

Just filled transmission fluid that way - not a single drop felt on the floor.

http://i841.photobucket.com/albums/zz332/TiGarsRotatif/13055364_10157145669660221_1160372340586368766_n.j pg
http://i841.photobucket.com/albums/zz332/TiGarsRotatif/11247721_10157145669725221_6640210788297018069_n.j pg

How do you know how much oil is in the transmission? I removed the drain plug for 6 hours (car was cold) and I managed to remove 1.7L. I put back 2.0L. Should I remove 300ml now?