M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS

DISCUSSION => Engine + Driveline => Topic started by: 318idol on March 31, 2007, 10:28:41 PM

Title: Tranny Fluid: ATF or Gear Oil?
Post by: 318idol on March 31, 2007, 10:28:41 PM

This may be a dumb question, but there are mixed messages in Bentley manuals and my owners manual regarding manual transmission fluid:

The Bentley e30 manual (which doesn't cover the M42 318 cars) says manual trannys use a SAE 80 Gear Oil.  The Bentley e36 manual says that the e36 318 demands Dexron II ATF.  My 318 owners manual says use SAE 80 gear oil.

So, which it is?  Are they the same stuff?  Did BMW change its mind?  All I know is that gear oil is completely different than ATF, one thick and tacky, the other to thin and runny.  Besides, putting ATF into a manual transmission is counter intuitive.  

Gary

Title: Tranny Fluid: ATF or Gear Oil?
Post by: bar73k on April 01, 2007, 06:57:48 AM

if your gearbox uses ATF then it will have an orange sticker on it near the filller hole saying ATF.

another way of telling is if the filler plug and drain plug need an allankey to be removed then the gearbox uses manual gearbox oil.

If the filler plug and the drain plug stick out and require a socket like eg. 19mm then the gearbox runs on ATF.

Title: Tranny Fluid: ATF or Gear Oil?
Post by: fabe on April 01, 2007, 10:22:13 AM

I was once asked this question by an E36 owner and I was at a lost. He did mention there's a sticker on the manual gearbox displaying ATF oil.

Title: Tranny Fluid: ATF or Gear Oil?
Post by: b318isp on April 02, 2007, 07:17:23 AM

BMW recommend ATF (from TIS CD). If you find it hard to get 1st when it is cold, then this is a good route to go.

Title: Tranny Fluid: ATF or Gear Oil?
Post by: D. Clay on April 02, 2007, 03:42:11 PM

My only complaint on ATF is that it seems to make the transmission noisier. Especially idling in neutral with the clutch out - seems like you can hear the main shaft front bearing rattling.