The 727 Torque flight in my first Grand Wagoneer ran fine until one day it started slipping badly. On my BIL's advice to drop pan and change filter and replace whatever fluid needed to fill. The pan had about 3/16 " of clutch dust sitting in the pan. Cleaned it, put a new filter and gasket on and filled it up. Worked great after all. In my BMWs, I do filter/drain. Whenever I think of it. The automatics I drove for 35 yrs were fine. I burned one up from a line leak. The other was a torn seal on converter that used 2 qts to drive it 20 miles to the shop. I rigged a cooler in series with the radiator cooler on the Jeeps. The Getrag 4 spds in my BMWs, aren't the ultimate driving machines, but they are long lived with minimal attention. They all let me know when to check the stick. The first shift from low to 2 would feel just like slipping the clutch on a manual. Sure enough. When I checked it hot, it was a pint low. The newer ATs, I don't see the need for for all the speeds. Or the electronic control.An 86 528e got 34 mpg on a road trip. It was controlled by a cable to the throttle body. If I were commuting still, it would be an AT. How efficient do they have to be? How much more friction is involved in all those speeds?
