tranny flush

[bpde328i]

Just bought a 2000 BMW 328i,with automatic,and am considering a tranny fliush. Vehicle has 150K,and shifts fine, but can see from posts here that I may want to be pre-emptive. I am in Middletown,DE zip 19709. Anyone knowledgeable of an experienced servce facility that can do the job the right way? Thanks!

[HBWT]

You might be able to save about $50 or so by going with an Indy but would it be worth it? Also, if this is the first time the fluid will be changed in this car's life there's a possibility that the change could do more harm than good. No way to tell but to go ahead and do it while keeping fingers tightly crossed.

[01MPWR]

I would suggest you do it yourself. If nothing else, for the peace of mind knowing it was done correctly with the correct fluid. I just did a flush on my wife's 02 330i. A very straight forward job.

-The- most important thing to know is that you will not be able to drain all the fluid due to the remainder up in the torque converter. This means you -do not- want to mix fluids.

The second most important thing is that with the high mileage, the new fluid will act like a detergent and do a lot of cleaning. After a couple weeks of driving, I would most definitely do a -2nd- fluid and filter change. The new fluid may have cleansed a lot of crud which is now on the new filter, possibly even restricting the flow through the filter. The filter and gasket kit is only about $30 dollars, but the fluid is quite expensive. You really want to do two changes anyway, to get the new fluid ratio up over 90%.

If you do not want to go through the hassle of two fluid and filter changes, then I would -not-touch it at all. I would leave well enough alone, and just drive it. But I can guarantee you, the fluid has lost many of its properties and is simply worn out. It all depends on how long you intend to keep the car.

Different trannys were used in these cars. First thing you must do is take a peek at the label on the tranny and get the model number and the -color- of the label. That will tell you what fluid you need to use.

But with -2- fluid and filter changes, you should be good to go for many years, or at least another 50,000 miles! Good Luck!

[bpde328i]

Thanks for the info here. I have an appointment to have the pan dropped, magnets and pan cleaned, and fluid refilled. I.G. Burton BMW in DE will do it. Will get an assessment on fluid condition, then may follow-up with a second fluid change sometime soon.