N00b with a 1997 323i, how can I fill my ATF?

[genka 1]

Hiya,

there seems to be lots of good stuff here, but a couple of others seem to have the same problem as me. I have drained the tranny fluid (but I have NOT pulled out the pan/sump) and now I want to fill it again.

I went through RealOEM, and I'm not sure if my Automatic transmission is a A5S310Z or the A5S300J, but I think the "A5S310Z OIL PAN" might just be mine:

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=...hg=24&fg=15

Now I have read on forums about how the drain plug is on the bottom, but on some models there is a Fill plug/hole further up, above the gasket. The instructions for filling via that hole are out there and they seem straight forward enough. But my pan does not have that filler hole. Just another hole on the bottom, that takes 10mm hex drive [see attached pic]. When I pull it out, tranny fluid comes out and I'm not sure how much more is in there! And I don't really want to make my problem bigger.

So anyone know how to fill it? One idea on a forum is to loosen off the 16 - 20 bolts, lower the pan a few mm, slip a nylex hose or similar over the lip/into the gap and pump it in. But this will involve replacing the gasket, which I've heard is a real PITA. Comment was "the gasket sticks to the pan tighter than Michael Jackson's eyes on a 10-year-old boy"! LOL.

Any advice fully appreciated...

[skidz 197]

I thought they are a sealed unit, you don't drain them, and you don't refill them...

[thorburn 121]

Sealed unit is a myth.

I'd pull the sump/s(is there one or 2?) change the filter and gasket/s. Fill sump/s and do magic balancing act to lift back into place without spilling atf all over you. Or get one of the oil syringe things and pump it in there

Hopefully someone that has more experience will put their 2 cents in

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2136]

i use a syring (~sp?) on a 1m long piece of fuel line to pump it in. make sure you get a syring that can hold 250ml-500ml or you will be there for hours. i used a 50 ml syring the first time i did it coz thats all i had, didnt do the math to start how many times i had to pump that thing lol

[melowpuf 19]

Poke a hole in the lid of the ATF container and poke a 2-3 meter bit of hose through the hole (make the fit as tight as possible). Poke the hose in till it touches the bottom of the container. Poke another small hole in the top of the container somewhere and pressurise it with an air compressor, magically ATF will come out the end of the hose. Don't apply too much pressure or you and your garage and everything else around it will wear it. Best to do it with an air duster and just pulse the trigger. you only need a little bit of pressure to get the fluid pumping. If you manage to blow the container up you're an idiot and shouldnt be allowed under a car and make sure you post some photos so we can laugh.

While filling be ready to pull the hose out of the ATF fluid to stop the flow. Pretty rangi but its heaps faster than a syringe.

Edited July 17, 2011 by melowpuf

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2136]

I need to by an air compressor lol thats a great idea!

[genka 1]

Poke a hole in the lid of the ATF container and poke a 2-3 meter bit of hose through the hole (make the fit as tight as possible). Poke the hose in till it touches the bottom of the container. Poke another small hole in the top of the container somewhere and pressurise it with an air compressor, magically ATF will come out the end of the hose. Don't apply too much pressure or you and your garage and everything else around it will wear it. Best to do it with an air duster and just pulse the trigger. you only need a little bit of pressure to get the fluid pumping. If you manage to blow the container up you're an idiot and shouldnt be allowed under a car and make sure you post some photos so we can laugh.

While filling be ready to pull the hose out of the ATF fluid to stop the flow. Pretty rangi but its heaps faster than a syringe.

@melowpuf, Yeah thanks, that sounds like a good way to do it. I have already bought the ATF fluid and 1.5 m of 8mm nylex tubing, because I was expecting to try a gravity feed (with a funnel etc). I have hunted around for some sort of hand pump arrangement, but the best I came up with was a squeezy bottle (actually intended for tomato sauce, but I thought I would give it a go).

But my problem is still around "where do I stick the other end of the hose?" [no rude answers please - I can imagine the rest...] Is that other hole suitable for refilling? [see original photo, with the 10 mm Allen key in it]

PS in answer to the question from @bbs, there is only one tank. I had been reading other posts about the two tank system and how to remove them, scrape off the gasket, give them a good clean down (incl magnetic filter etc etc). And I was hoping to avoid all that, given that BMW talk about the ATF being virtually maintenance free.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2136]

is there a big 17mm bolt near the rear of the trans like this photo? this is your filler hole labeled F

http://s707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/et...nt=DSC00004.jpg

Edited July 17, 2011 by _Ethrty-Andy_

[melowpuf 19]

is there a big 17mm bolt near the rear of the trans like this photo? this is your filler hole labeled F

http://s707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/et...nt=DSC00004.jpg

Watch out, "F" can take the whole thread and fill level tube with it which will require it to be welded back on or a new sump. Both will require the sump to come off.. Jatco's are awesome pieces of sh*t.

[leithcm 0]

I went through RealOEM, and I'm not sure if my Automatic transmission is a A5S310Z or the A5S300J, but I think the "A5S310Z OIL PAN" might just be mine:

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=...hg=24&fg=15

If your car is ex Japan it will almost certainly have the A5S300J - J = JATCO - as made by the Japanese Automatic Transmission Company. The square profile and flat base of your photo tends to confirm that as well.

Good luck in filling it, you need to google how to do it. You will find that you will need to run the car on a hoist so oil is pumped through all parts of the transmission, and it has to be topped up as you go. I seem to recall reading something about the oil temperature has to be just right as well, but I could be wrong on this count. Taking the sump right off and cleaning the strainer is often done at the same time as changing the ATF. There are some jobs that are best left to the experts, and I fear this may be just one of those......

[genka 1]

Watch out, "F" can take the whole thread and fill level tube with it which will require it to be welded back on or a new sump. Both will require the sump to come off.. Jatco's are awesome pieces of sh*t.

Well as per the picture above, my sump is not *quite* like the one in your pic. But the second hole on mine (the one with the 10 mm hex) looks remarkably like your Plug F.

So as an update, I took that plug out. I was a bit unsure about it at first as some ATF came out when I first took it out, so I screwed it back in straight away for fear of losing even more fluid. But it turned out to be just a few drops left from after I had drained it via the other plug D. Anyways I tried my Plan A, which was to fill the Tomato Sauce bottle (with nozzle), then jam the nylex tube on the nozzle [see pic]

Then push the tube up into Plug F, making sure it has some 'curl' on it, so it loops over. Then invert the bottle and squeeze. A couple of times you need to gently pull the nylex off the nozzle to allow some air back into the bottle. It only took about 1.5 litres so I might need to run it through the gears then top it up some more.

Edited July 17, 2011 by Genka