Howdy y'all. I recently bought a used 2016 BMW 550i that has a GA8HP70Z transmission, a variant of the popular ZF HP8 tranny used in a lot of vehicles from the Dodge Charger to the Rolls Royce Phantom. BMW apparently considers the ATF a lifetime fill, recommending no service interval for the transmission. That seems ridiculous, as the transmission manufacturer recommends no more than 100,000 km or eight years before changing the fluid and the transmission pan, which is plastic and has an integrated filter. I'll probably service mine at about 50k miles.
Has anyone here done a DIY service of an HP8 transmission? It looks pretty easy, based on the manufacturer's instructions. The hardest part might be determining the transmission oil temp before checking the level. Maybe use an IR temperature gun for that?
I see the Genuine BMW pan/filter assembly is over $300, but ZF-branded ones are more like $100. The ZF Lifeguard fluid is over $20/liter but there are alternatives that meet the ZF specification at a fraction of the price, like Valvoline MaxLife. Anyone have experience with an alternative to the OEM transmission fluid? With a drain n fill taking nine quarts, spending $200+ on ATF seems crazy.
Has anyone here done a DIY service of an HP8 transmission? It looks pretty easy, based on the manufacturer's instructions. The hardest part might be determining the transmission oil temp before checking the level. Maybe use an IR temperature gun for that?
I see the Genuine BMW pan/filter assembly is over $300, but ZF-branded ones are more like $100. The ZF Lifeguard fluid is over $20/liter but there are alternatives that meet the ZF specification at a fraction of the price, like Valvoline MaxLife. Anyone have experience with an alternative to the OEM transmission fluid? With a drain n fill taking nine quarts, spending $200+ on ATF seems crazy.