Recently one of our regular customers here at ModAuto brought in his heavily modified E90 BMW 335i to have the transmission fluid changed out with a fresh batch of Motul Automatic Transmission Fluid.
While BMW doesn’t have any specific recommendations for when or why the ATF should be changed because BMW considers the ATF a “lifetime” fluid, but given BMW’s history of being wrong about how often fluids need to be changed in the past, some BMW enthusiasts feel like it’s good peace of mind and preventive maintenance, especially if you’re running a beefier-than-stock 335i with an automatic. Since this particular E90 makes significantly more power than your average N54, the transmission of this particular car experiences more stress than your stodgy neighbor’s 335i.
We offer fluid changes of virtually every type for your BMW here at ModBargains – our install shop ModAuto is more than prepared to do all factory Scheduled Maintenance Services with the quality fluids and professionalism you won’t find in many other shops. We’re able to offer Motul Oil Changes for E46 BMW M3, Motul Oil Changes & New Spark Plugs for E9X BMW M3‘s or even New Brakes and Oil Changes on a E63 BMW M6 with its S85 V10, nothing is really outside of our comfort zone – and we’ve written previously about how the 15,000 mi oil change interval was utterly disastrous, so changing the oil at the right intervals is critical.
The fluid leaving the trans did look a bit dark, but was still clear and performing normal at the time of the change. Of course, since it’s transmission fluid, and going to be in there a long time, the quality of oil you use is paramount, which is why we went with Motul. You might be wondering, if it’s a lifetime fluid, why are we changing it – or bothering at all. Our reasoning is pretty simple – over tens of thousands of miles, the ATF experiences tons of friction and heat, which could diminish the lubricating effectiveness of the transmission fluid, causing wear and tear on the internals. A clean transmission shifts faster, runs more smoothly and gets better mileage – so while there’s no crazy “race car” benefits to running Motul ATF, it’s just simple preventive maintenance.
Fully compliant with the BMW specifications for automatic transmission fluid, the Motul ATF will help ensure that our transmission stays shifting smoothly and greater service life because we’ve taken care of it. The owner tells us the car feels a little bit smoother though in the interest of honesty, we didn’t really notice any appreciable difference.
To schedule your automatic transmission fluid change or any other maintenance service, give the Mod Experts a call at 714-582-3330 to make an appointment, or CLICK HERE to Schedule an appointment today. Have questions? Don’t hesitate to ask – call us or use the live chat feature on the ModBargains.com to get expert advice on your next mod and more.
Thanks for joining us, see you next time!
Story & Photos Nick Gregson