Very interesting video of a couple of ZF techs with a presentation on why tranny fluid needs to be changed. Their recommendation is 100,000 KM (60K miles).

Figure when the manufacturer of the product says it, it might actually be true.

Yes, they're doing a trade show pitch to car industry pros, but they get the point across -- and it's a good explanation of the change process.

 

Great video! I plan to have my tranny pan, filter and oil changed this spring, at about 35,000 miles. Just want to be cautious.

 

8 years is one of their recommendations so your late:-)

 

Wow if only getting the fluid temp were that easy!

 

And I envied their refill system, remembering burning the crap out of my hands trying to insert the plug past a hot exhaust pipe as fluid dripped out on my shoes....

Oh, well....once or twice over in the lifetime of ownership is worth it.

I think some of the above vid is about ZF realizing they were paying a reputational price over the false marketing statements of manufacturers about "lifetime" fluid, and dealers refusing to service higher mileage transmissions. I recall BMW dealers didn't work on them at all, preferring to ship them back to ZF's rebuilding plants -- and charge $3-4K for a ZF-remanufactured unit. Or, if they could get away with it, sell a ZF-reman at the same price as a new one. BTW, I contacted ZF when BMW installed a reman unit under warranty on one of my cars, about what ZF did in a reman. They said they replaced every seal and actuator in the unit, and machine tested every one. Seemed very serious about reman being the same as new when it left their plant.

 

The trick is to wrap a wet towel or heat resistant leather glove around the exhaust pipe. It only takes about 1-2 mins for the transmission to reach 40degC so the exhaust pipe does not get that hot. I use a pressurise garden sprayer with a plastic hose to refill the transmission. This allows you to shut the fluid once it starts to drip out of the fill hole.