Checking/refilling trans fluid on BMW 318i

lookoutas, Nov 4, 6:27am
Can't find anywhere to do this.
Assumption is that it needs to be plugged up and refilled.
Is that correct?

Blew a bloody hose, and there should be FA left.

saxman99, Nov 4, 7:14am
Depending on model/year etc. The trans has a filler plug on the side about halfway up, fill until it overflows and put the plug back in.

franko171, Nov 4, 7:16am
have a look on the pan about half way up

tamarillo, Nov 4, 7:33am
If it was running after hose blew it needs fluid in torque converter too now.
Different things on different models, Google your model and there will be a video showing procedure.

lookoutas, Nov 4, 7:37am
Forgot to mention - it's auto, and 2002

One or two Cup cellies too much! And didn't win the sweep!
Which sort've accounts for having a look underneath before I "walked" home, but couldn't see a plug of any sort.

Now I've lost me bloody phone!
Feel raped.

lookoutas, Nov 4, 7:42am
It's still driving OK, so there must be enough in it to suffice - but Jeez, it sure oiled up the road for a 100 yards, and made the underbelly shiny. Only noticed it when I pulled up, so backtracked to determine how long it'd been off.

Trying to sort a Google out tonight might be a bit daunting:-)

lookoutas, Nov 4, 8:15am
Just had a look - there's a hex drive plug on the left front, about an inch above the pan. Could this be it?

Was really looking for my phone. Panicking more like it!
Was in the draw where I'd emptied my pockets when I got home.

lookoutas, Nov 4, 8:49am
You know what "draw" I meant.

Just done the RTFM, and it sez these are non maintenance boxes that don't require changes!
Do they have a special trans oil?

intrade, Nov 4, 8:54am
maybe ring bruce at advanced automatic trasnmission in whangarei.
He nows everything and will even give you the torque specs for tithening inside the box if there is anything.
if its non servicable like the vw lifetime fluids then you probably need a scanntool to mesure trans fluid and special fillers whom knows .

lookoutas, Nov 5, 4:37am
Search don't compute a phone number for them fulla's.
Does the second handle of Bruce start with the thing used to shoot an arrow, and the second syllable as the start of Monty Pythons Circus?

Just dumped some ordinary trans oil in so I can move it around. The plug on the side is identical to the drain plug, so I gather it's the right barstard.
If the oil ain't good enough, then it will serve as a good flush.

intrade, Nov 5, 5:54am

lookoutas, Nov 5, 7:07am
Thanks - I didn't go Yellow.

elect70, Nov 6, 3:28am
My manual says drain it from -plug at rear . refill from the hex plug half way up pan , start car let idle in n & check & top up level if required until it runs out level with bottom of the hole .

lookoutas, Nov 6, 4:35am
Yeah, thanks elect. Reckon I found mine as described above.
Didn't do the run and top-up deal, but will have a check on the weekend after a few short runs.
Bugga me. Parts guy from Coombes & Johnson (or stone) was doing a Xmas run today, he said the Dextron lll that I put in was perfect.

I've been waiting for someone to chip me over tinkering with a Bema. Well, the deal was too good on my behalf, and I was such a good fulla for relieving someone else of a problem.

skin1235, Nov 6, 4:40am
one of the problems was a weak hose but no-one knew about that, what were the other problems - not that bemers ever have other problems, so the list should be short

lookoutas, Nov 19, 1:18am
That's for me to know, and no-one else.

But I will tell ya.
An uninsured person who speak clap Engrish, bought it off a student who was returning home, in September.
Now this is my interpretation of what happened, and I reckon it's right.
This car has a Sept WOF issued by VTNZ in Auckland, but the rear bushes on the front lower A arms are shot. So bad that when I hit a fire hydrant cover, it made an attempt to steer me off the road. Now, put this clappy driver in this car and they stick the left hand wheel into a pot-hole on the edge of the tarseal, just about means they are destined to take on some unscheduled off-roading.
Broke the bottom of the front bumper, ripped all the front plastic undertrays & guard liners off, dislodged the trans cooler out of the radiator, so that dumped all the water, scratched right down the LH side and the front of the bonnet on the bushes they cleaned out, and I extracted a crap load of peat, grass and shrubbery from underneath.
Lucky for me, this happened on the road between the mountain and Nat Park. I've bought a roll-over from the same boggy peat area, and it's so soft, that damage to a vehicle that goes in there is only ever light.

The hose blowing off was due to either weakness and forgetfulness of the person who didn't tighten it up properly.