Redline 75w85 for BMW

[edyvw]

Thanks, when I acquire the car I will. I looked at plenty of other bimmer forums, trust me. I read all about X3's, how the deisel 4cyl's eat T-cases for breakfast lunch and dinner, even read back about E90 transfer cases. A success story is someone using this fluid and not having transfer case clutch issues, which plenty of xdrive cars have prematurely.

The goal is increased reliability and longevity through proper fluid maintenance without paying for a pointless "certification".

I owned 3 xDrive’s and none had TC issues and I track my E90. I do change TC fluid in E90 every 20-25k bcs. track. Other that that, 60k. My E61 525d xDrive racked up 485k km before sold.
Change it every 50-60k, use good tires, rotate them every 5-7.5k and you will be fine.
Don’t get me wrong, I use Redline in my manual gearbox in E90, in differentials, but TC? DTF-1.

 

[PoorMans180SX]

I owned 3 xDrive’s and none had TC issues and I track my E90. I do change TC fluid in E90 every 20-25k bcs. track. Other that that, 60k. My E61 525d xDrive racked up 485k km before sold.
Change it every 50-60k, use good tires, rotate them every 5-7.5k and you will be fine.
Don’t get me wrong, I use Redline in my manual gearbox in E90, in differentials, but TC? DTF-1.

That's good to hear, I'm glad they can be reliable when properly maintained. I respect your opinion on the t-case fluid, but I'll probably experiment regardless. If for some reason it gives me issues, I'll swap the t-case and use DTF-1. Like I said, I plan on keeping my next car for a long period of time.

And yes, now that I've done all the reading, I think I'm going to avoid the N20/N26 entirely.

 

[edyvw]

That's good to hear, I'm glad they can be reliable when properly maintained. I respect your opinion on the t-case fluid, but I'll probably experiment regardless. If for some reason it gives me issues, I'll swap the t-case and use DTF-1. Like I said, I plan on keeping my next car for a long period of time.

And yes, now that I've done all the reading, I think I'm going to avoid the N20/N26 entirely.

Yep, avoid it. When I got E90 in 2019 with 84k, I could find F30 328 for same $$$$. I would pay more attention on exactly what F30 you are getting. Go M sport or track package bcs. regular F30 is more of a Lexus than BMW. There is a lot in F30 to wish for driving wise.
Also, do you really need xDrive? If I didn’t ski twice a week, I would go RWD.

 

[PoorMans180SX]

Yep, avoid it. When I got E90 in 2019 with 84k, I could find F30 328 for same $$$$. I would pay more attention on exactly what F30 you are getting. Go M sport or track package bcs. regular F30 is more of a Lexus than BMW. There is a lot in F30 to wish for driving wise.
Also, do you really need xDrive? If I didn’t ski twice a week, I would go RWD.

Well, I was mainly looking at the F30/N20 cars for their economy and ease of finding a low-mileage example. Now that they're out of the running I'm looking at E90's and F30's. If I can find a clean, lower-mileage E90 xdrive, that will do just fine for me at this point.
I live in Michigan, where we get a ton of lake-effect snow, and my roads are often not cleared for long periods of time. An e90 would also greatly simplify the installation of an LSD rear diff as well.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

I’ve been running Delo 75w90 for many years in my old BMW. It’s cheap enough where changing often doesn’t make you think too hard about it. I used Redline MTL in the gearbox

 

[MolaKule]

Hyundai uses MT-LV 70w75 GL-4 in their trans/diff "one cavity" oil for their 7 speed DCTs. 1/4 of Hyundai's have this trans.

OK, but there are spider gears or similar gearing in the "transaxle's" differential portion of this transaxle, not the highly loaded spiral bevel gears found in the differential unit of rear-wheel drive vehicles.

Types of Gears | KHK Gear Manufacturer

There are many types of gears. This page explains the various types of gears, including spur gears, bevel gears, worm gears and helical gears.

khkgears.net

Types of Gears- Complete Explanation - Mechanical Booster

In this article you will learn about the different types of gears that is used for the power transmission system in detail with images.

www.mechanicalbooster.com

Different gear train systems have different forces reacting on their teeth and bearings, depending on the design, so different fluids with different GL-X ratings and different DI packages have to be applied.

Gear Forces | KHK Gears

Gear Forces is a page to study the forces in various types of gears in details. This is a part of KHK's Gear Technical Reference for machine designers.

khkgears.net

 

[edyvw]

Well, I was mainly looking at the F30/N20 cars for their economy and ease of finding a low-mileage example. Now that they're out of the running I'm looking at E90's and F30's. If I can find a clean, lower-mileage E90 xdrive, that will do just fine for me at this point.
I live in Michigan, where we get a ton of lake-effect snow, and my roads are often not cleared for long periods of time. An e90 would also greatly simplify the installation of an LSD rear diff as well.

If you want toy to play with E90 is better option. But it is becoming hard to find good sample that is cheap. 328 with less than 100k and stick is going for $15-16k now, and that is with no sport package. Also, xDrive means no sport suspension. If you want to beef up suspension you have to invest some $$$$. Going with 10yrs old BMW means complete cooling system overhaul (cheap, but you have to do it) as they run super hot.
328 with N52 is most reliable option and with proper maintenance it can last forever. It is good strong engine for it’s displacement and with easy upgrades can extract 260-270hp on crank.
N55 is of course better option power wise but water pump will have shorter lifespan, and you must immediately replace charge pipe with aftermarket one.
Other than that IMO, get one if you find good sample. They are last BMW’s with hydraulic steering. With small upgrades on suspension you can have really capable daily. I drive my kids to school and track same car. And since I got this one I made almost 40k miles and only had leaky OFHG ($37).

 

[PoorMans180SX]

If you want toy to play with E90 is better option. But it is becoming hard to find good sample that is cheap. 328 with less than 100k and stick is going for $15-16k now, and that is with no sport package. Also, xDrive means no sport suspension. If you want to beef up suspension you have to invest some $$$$. Going with 10yrs old BMW means complete cooling system overhaul (cheap, but you have to do it) as they run super hot.
328 with N52 is most reliable option and with proper maintenance it can last forever. It is good strong engine for it’s displacement and with easy upgrades can extract 260-270hp on crank.
N55 is of course better option power wise but water pump will have shorter lifespan, and you must immediately replace charge pipe with aftermarket one.
Other than that IMO, get one if you find good sample. They are last BMW’s with hydraulic steering. With small upgrades on suspension you can have really capable daily. I drive my kids to school and track same car. And since I got this one I made almost 40k miles and only had leaky OFHG ($37).

Yeah I mainly want something that's a good daily driver but fun to drive, and I don't have to switch out for the winter. Might do a few mods (like LSD, maybe suspension), but I'm going to try and keep it off the track, as I have my 240sx for that haha. Solid advice though, I appreciate it!

 

[BMW Dom]

I like the E90s a lot better than the Fs.

I haven't had any issues with the N20 Nocks on wood.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I owned 3 xDrive’s and none had TC issues and I track my E90. I do change TC fluid in E90 every 20-25k bcs. track. Other that that, 60k. My E61 525d xDrive racked up 485k km before sold.
Change it every 50-60k, use good tires, rotate them every 5-7.5k and you will be fine.
Don’t get me wrong, I use Redline in my manual gearbox in E90, in differentials, but TC? DTF-1.

I didn't realize your E90 was an X-drive. Wow, wow, wow. I've never met someone who tracks their AWD BMW. I always thought the AWD system was a weak link for tracking. Kudos to you.

 

[edyvw]

I didn't realize your E90 was an X-drive. Wow, wow, wow. I've never met someone who tracks their AWD BMW. I always thought the AWD system was a weak link for tracking. Kudos to you.

Well, I would prefer RWD, but I need xDrive bcs. skiing.
But yeah, heavier, there is some understeer. I managed understeer with M3 wishbones in the back and polyurethane bushings. Though it is in the rear, it is ridiculous what effect it has on understeer. Next year will add polyurethane bushings in thrust arms I installed this year, so that should help to turn quicker.
Other than that, I slapped oil cooler from 335, and with that it can stay on track forever.
Now, what effect it has on TC? Not sure. I change fluid frequently and will see. I still have some modifications to make. It is fun .

 

[BMW Dom]

Okay, I'm getting ready to change out front and rear on E90 first with Redline GL-5 75w-90. And I'll probably do the F30 X3 while I'm at it.

Has anything change since I started the thread?

I just want to make sure I'm good on everything before I start ordering, in hopes that the weather will warm up soon.

Thanks everyone

 

[930.engineering]

.
What's a F30 X3?
.

 

[BMW Dom]

.
What's a F30 X3?
.

Whatever , F25

i have been looking at F30s too much lately

 

[jeepman3071]

Yeah I mainly want something that's a good daily driver but fun to drive, and I don't have to switch out for the winter. Might do a few mods (like LSD, maybe suspension), but I'm going to try and keep it off the track, as I have my 240sx for that haha. Solid advice though, I appreciate it!

I have driven several E90s, own a 2009, and have driven a friend's F30 335i X-Drive back to back. The F30 is faster with more power, and the ZF-8 transmission in the F30 shifts quicker, but that's about it. I prefer my E90 in every single way. The two cars drive almost totally different. The E90 feels more like an older BMW, the handling is crisp, the car is solid. The F30 is quicker, but it feels much larger and numb.

My E90 is RWD. I run General Arctic snow tires 205/55R16 all around (non-studded) and have never had an issue. I even drove it through a blizzard in the mountains of upstate NY and was pushing snow with the front bumper. The balance and traction control works very well in snow. Coming from 4x4 Jeeps, where 2wd was useless in snow I was very surprised how capable it is. I have cable chains in the trunk, knowing that I absolutely test the limits of my vehicles in snow driving. I haven't even taken them out of the bag yet.

 

[auburnf30x]

Tagging in this thread instead of creating a new one…need your thoughts!

I changed the differential fluid front/rear in my F30 (2017 330i xDrive, non-limited slip). Rear went fine, put in the stupid expensive G1 stuff. Front went okay, too, but dammit if my pump line exploded off while refilling and dumped a good bit of that liquid gold G2 stuff on the ground. I didn’t have enough left to fill it up all the way, so I went to my local parts store and just had to do the best I could, which was Royal Purple 75W-90. Said it was full synthetic, GL5 rated with friction modifiers and safe for yellow metals. I probably got about 75% G2 in there and the rest is RP. I do 60k change intervals on the diffs.

I saw a few posts where several have said any brand name GL5 is fine, but it’s worrying me anyway. Is it fine to leave, or should I dump it out and refill with the correct stuff?

Drives fine, for what little that’s worth.

 

[redhorse554]

Has anyone used this in a BMW differential? With the OEM fluid being 100 dollars a quart, I am looking for other options. According to Redline, it is good for: BMW G1-G4.

two other options that havent been mentioned. 1. motul gear 300 75w-90 2. neo synthetics 75w-90 RHD . both extrem performance gear oils
more info at their web-sites.. neither cost anywhere BMW prices. LT.

Has anyone used this in a BMW differential? With the OEM fluid being 100 dollars a quart, I am looking for other options. According to Redline, it is good for: BMW G1-G4.

 

[BMW Dom]

Tagging in this thread instead of creating a new one…need your thoughts!

I changed the differential fluid front/rear in my F30 (2017 330i xDrive, non-limited slip). Rear went fine, put in the stupid expensive G1 stuff. Front went okay, too, but dammit if my pump line exploded off while refilling and dumped a good bit of that liquid gold G2 stuff on the ground. I didn’t have enough left to fill it up all the way, so I went to my local parts store and just had to do the best I could, which was Royal Purple 75W-90. Said it was full synthetic, GL5 rated with friction modifiers and safe for yellow metals. I probably got about 75% G2 in there and the rest is RP. I do 60k change intervals on the diffs.

I saw a few posts where several have said any brand name GL5 is fine, but it’s worrying me anyway. Is it fine to leave, or should I dump it out and refill with the correct stuff?

Drives fine, for what little that’s worth.

It’s fine. They didn’t change the differentia. I did mine Friday, and I made a mess. I used Redline 75w-90 GL-5.

 

[jeepman3071]

Tagging in this thread instead of creating a new one…need your thoughts!

I changed the differential fluid front/rear in my F30 (2017 330i xDrive, non-limited slip). Rear went fine, put in the stupid expensive G1 stuff. Front went okay, too, but dammit if my pump line exploded off while refilling and dumped a good bit of that liquid gold G2 stuff on the ground. I didn’t have enough left to fill it up all the way, so I went to my local parts store and just had to do the best I could, which was Royal Purple 75W-90. Said it was full synthetic, GL5 rated with friction modifiers and safe for yellow metals. I probably got about 75% G2 in there and the rest is RP. I do 60k change intervals on the diffs.

I saw a few posts where several have said any brand name GL5 is fine, but it’s worrying me anyway. Is it fine to leave, or should I dump it out and refill with the correct stuff?

Drives fine, for what little that’s worth.

Yep, should be 100% fine.

 

[auburnf30x]

Yep, should be 100% fine.

It’s fine. They didn’t change the differentia. I did mine Friday, and I made a mess. I used Redline 75w-90 GL-5.

Thanks guys! I hoped so, but this car makes me paranoid.