DIY: Changing M-DCT Fluid

Je me rends compte que c'est attendu depuis longtemps, mais le voici!

Important

Laissez votre voiture refroidir pendant une période prolongée (au moins 4 heures en fonction de la température ambiante) avant de commencer le processus. Si la température de transmission est trop élevée, une quantité incorrecte de liquide peut être ajoutée.

Fluide nécessaire

83 22 0 440 214 BMW DCTF-1 (1L)
83 22 2 147 477 BMW DCTF-1 (20L)

Outils spéciaux nécessaires

Pompe à fluide


Thermomètre/pyromètre à contact


Procédure

1. Retirez le couvercle de protection sous la transmission.


2. Vidangez le liquide en retirant le bouchon plastique près du côté passager avant de la transmission. Le fluide peut être extrêmement chaud! Si votre voiture était juste conduite, je suggérerais d'attendre quelques heures avant de vidanger l'huile.




3. Une fois le drain de fluide arrêté, réinstallez la fiche. Couple à la valeur suggérée indiquée sur la fiche.

4. Ouvrez le trou de remplissage (boîte rouge). À l'aide d'une pompe à fluide, ajoutez de l'huile M-DCT dans la transmission. J'ai ajouté environ 3 litres avant que le liquide ne commence à sortir du trou de remplissage.


5. Assurez-vous que le liquide M-DCT à l'intérieur de la transmission est inférieur à 90 degrés. F. Ensuite, fermez le trou de remplissage.

6. Allumez votre moteur. En position P, maintenir 2000 tr/min pendant environ 1 minute.

7. Rouvrir le trou de remplissage et ajouter du liquide supplémentaire (environ 2 litres) jusqu'à ce que le fluide commence à fuir à nouveau. Ce processus doit être terminé alors que la température du fluide de transmission est inférieure à 104 degrés. F.

8. Fermez le trou de remplissage et réinstallez les panneaux enlevés.

Est-ce que votre voiture a conduit mieux une fois que vous avez fait cela?

Merci pour l'info OP. Donc vous avez ajouté un total d'environ 5 litres? Est-ce que le boulon de remplissage est celui avec la peinture blanche marquant l'alignement avec le trans?

I assume you would only recommend doing this for those who are outside the warranty period?

that 20L bottle is expensive!

NICE write up...

leigh wrote

did your car drive any better once you did this?

No perceivable difference.

Porschefile wrote

Thanks for the info OP. So you added a total of roughly 5 quarts? Is the fill bolt the one with white paint marking alignment with the trans?

BMW lists the 'initial fill' at 7.8 liters. But when you do an oil change, not all the fluid drains out, so only about 5 liters/quarts can be added. I've performed this on two cars and had one checked by BMW to verify that the fluid level is correct.

Yes to your second question.

THE TECH wrote

I assume you would only recommend doing this for those who are outside the warranty period?

The oil change process is not detectable/traceable.

rzm3 wrote

The oil change process is not detectable/traceable.

So are those your marks on the trans and plug?

Also, doesn't it supposedly void the warranty by doing so whether it's deemed detectable or not?

I recall you had the fluid tested from your car (http://www.m3post.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11491049&postcount=1) and the fluid was found to be in very good condition with 30k miles. With that in mind, why did you change it on the second vehicle? Have you continued to get the fluid tested and if so, have you found a point (i.e., mileage) where the degradation is noticeable?

Anybody know somewhere to buy the stuff cheaply? I seem to remember somewhere selling it for $25-30/liter but can't find it now.

awesome write up! looks easy

rantarM3 wrote

I recall you had the fluid tested from your car (http://www.m3post.com/forums/showpost.php?p=11491049&postcount=1) and the fluid was found to be in very good condition with 30k miles. With that in mind, why did you change it on the second vehicle? Have you continued to get the fluid tested and if so, have you found a point (i.e., mileage) where the degradation is noticeable?

It was a vehicle with higher mileage. Customer was moving abroad where he would have limited access to BMW service/parts.

Porschefile wrote

Anybody know somewhere to buy the stuff cheaply? I seem to remember somewhere selling it for $25-30/liter but can't find it now.

Talk to your dealer. Some offer discounts for car clubs such as BMWCCA and Houston M Club.

This is pretty much the same procedure for changing the transmission fluid (partial change) in an X5, which is rated to 100,000 miles. Why the M3 DCT is "lifetime" while the X5 is 100k is beyond me.

Any suggestions as to when you think the fluid ought to be changed?

Also, could you elaborate a little on how you measured the fluid temprature? Is it as simple as inserting the sensor into the fill-opening?

Thanks for making this thread!

^Yes simply insert the sensor into the fill opening.

Porschefile wrote

Anybody know somewhere to buy the stuff cheaply? I seem to remember somewhere selling it for $25-30/liter but can't find it now.

Cheap DCT Fluid

bigjae1976 wrote

Cheap DCT Fluid

Thanks!

rzm3 wrote

No perceivable difference.



BMW lists the 'initial fill' at 7.8 liters. But when you do an oil change, not all the fluid drains out, so only about 5 liters/quarts can be added. I've performed this on two cars and had one checked by BMW to verify that the fluid level is correct.

Yes to your second question.



The oil change process is not detectable/traceable.

I thought I had read elsewhere that you had to run the DCT pump to drain more fluid and that was only something the dealer could do (but wouldn't since it's "lifetime"). Is this true or not necessary. I guess if the net yield was only 0.5L or less that I would skip, but do you know if that's needed or not?

VictorH wrote

I thought I had read elsewhere that you had to run the DCT pump to drain more fluid and that was only something the dealer could do (but wouldn't since it's "lifetime"). Is this true or not necessary. I guess if the net yield was only 0.5L or less that I would skip, but do you know if that's needed or not?

No I have not heard about this. Perhaps you are referring to the fact that when the engine starts, some of the fluid gets pumped into the cooler and that's why more can be added when that process starts?

Nice DIY. where is the fill hole located exactly?

VictorH wrote

I thought I had read elsewhere that you had to run the DCT pump to drain more fluid and that was only something the dealer could do (but wouldn't since it's "lifetime"). Is this true or not necessary. I guess if the net yield was only 0.5L or less that I would skip, but do you know if that's needed or not?

I do that in my automatic M3 (Mazda3!). I brim the tranny with fluid. Remove the tranny cooler return line and then turn on the car. Shift from P to D a couple of times and then the tranny pumps out the fluid trapped in the cooler line. That will drain 3 extra quarts of ATF. Note that I overfill the tranny because you do NOT want to run the transmission dry.

I would imagine that it would be a massive PIA to do it like that in the DCT. Pumping extra liters into the DCT would be tricky, time, consuming, and (if on jack stands) very tiring. If you get 5L of 7.8L by a simple drain and fill, that's good enough for me.

My Mazda takes 6 qts of ATF, 3 of which is in the cooler and lines. So its worth it and its easy to add extra ATF in the dipstick tube.

0-60Motorsports wrote

Nice DIY. where is the fill hole located exactly?

As OP said above, the fill hole is the bolt with the white paint marking alignment with the trans, shown in the last pic in the original post.

Thank you so much for this. Am planning on doing this during the winter as my car is beat pretty hard:respect: