Replaced Differential fluid today

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Dec 23, 2013
Messages
2,438
Location
socal
Based on the dealer records / receipts from the previous owner, it doesn't appear the diff fluid was ever replaced so I decided to do it today.


Removed the full plug first


Removed the drain plug, oil didn't look bad but there was stuff on the magnet




I filled w supertech 80w90, will run for about 3k miles as a rinse then go with a full syn 75w90.


Took it for a drive and it runs normal and no whining.
 
really no need to flush a differential. It's not like there are any small passages to clean
 
Looks good
thumbsup2.gif


How do you know if you've over/under filled it?
 
Originally Posted By: Lolvoguy
Looks good
thumbsup2.gif


How do you know if you've over/under filled it?


differentials have a drain hole and a fill hole. with the vehicle on a level surface, you fill until fluid starts leaking out the fill hole and then cap it when the stream slows down to a drip
 
Originally Posted By: zeng
What's the used oil viscosity grade and its mileage ? ...... looks serviceable btw.


Used fluid was FF 75w90 (assume GM ac delco) w over 116k miles on it, did not do a uoa on it. It didn't look bad at all.
 
Originally Posted By: MarcS
Originally Posted By: Lolvoguy
Looks good
thumbsup2.gif


How do you know if you've over/under filled it?


differentials have a drain hole and a fill hole. with the vehicle on a level surface, you fill until fluid starts leaking out the fill hole and then cap it when the stream slows down to a drip


I wish mine had a drain plug. Stupid BMW.
 
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
Originally Posted By: MarcS
Originally Posted By: Lolvoguy
Looks good
thumbsup2.gif


How do you know if you've over/under filled it?


differentials have a drain hole and a fill hole. with the vehicle on a level surface, you fill until fluid starts leaking out the fill hole and then cap it when the stream slows down to a drip


I wish mine had a drain plug. Stupid BMW.


what a pain. do they want you to pump it out with a special dealer-only tool? that would be typical for the germans
 
I thought about getting the Ford Racing aluminum pan (with drain plug and fill plug instead of a pan w/o anything) for my 2000 Mustang, but decided against it because I used synthetic 75W-140 and that should last another 100K miles. I had to pump mine in too. FWIW my fluid looked about like yours with a little more shavings on the plug. I wiped a lot of crud off the pan and paper toweled the inside of the diff best I could, so the flush isn't a bad idea since you can't get to the innards of yours.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: MarcS


what a pain. do they want you to pump it out with a special dealer-only tool? that would be typical for the germans


BMW considers the fluid "lifetime", so they never change it. Had to suck it out using my brake bleeder.
 
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
Originally Posted By: MarcS


what a pain. do they want you to pump it out with a special dealer-only tool? that would be typical for the germans


BMW considers the fluid "lifetime", so they never change it. Had to suck it out using my brake bleeder.


As i just commented upon seeing the condition of my "lifetime" transmission fluid at 65k, me and the automakers are operating on a different definition of "lifetime." Theirs is clearly "just past the point where we don't need to pay for warranty claims"
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top