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Engine oil in automatic transmission reservoir

  • 19-06-2017 10:00pm
    #1
    irish bloke
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,057 ✭✭✭


    Hello all,

    Accidentally put about half a cup of 0w30 engine oil in my automatic transmission reservoir.:mad:
    The reservoir started to over flow and that's when I realised I had the wrong filler cap open. :o

    Anyhow, I immediately stuffed clean rags into the filler cap and soaked out the excess to where the level should be. The remaining fluid looks red (as it should), but there are traces of oil still left there. Drives fine, but not sure of the consequences of my error.


    Car is 06 BMW 520m sport (M47 engine) with 150 miles on the clock. Pretty sure the auto fluid has never been changed either.

    Can anyone tell me do I have a problem or not?

    Thanks,

    IB


Comments

  • #2
    Foxhole Norman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,875 ✭✭✭Foxhole Norman


    Do you mean into your power steering fluid? BMW's don't have transmission fill tubes in the engine bay. It shouldn't do much harm but I'd pump out the reservoir and refill, it's not an expensive job anyway!


  • #3
    irish bloke
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,057 ✭✭✭irish bloke


    Foxhole Norman wrote: »
    Do you mean into your power steering fluid? BMW's don't have transmission fill tubes in the engine bay. It shouldn't do much harm but I'd pump out the reservoir and refill, it's not an expensive job anyway!

    Yes of course.
    Looked at the cap after I poured it in and it said ATF only, therefore automatically thought it was the box. Sure they both use the same ATF.

    Do you reckon, I should/need to replace fluid?


  • #4
    Foxhole Norman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,875 ✭✭✭Foxhole Norman


    I would anyway as it's cheap and easy enough to do to be honest!


  • #5
    alan0387
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 247 ✭✭alan0387


    irish bloke wrote: »
    Yes of course.
    Looked at the cap after I poured it in and it said ATF only, therefore automatically thought it was the box. Sure they both use the same ATF.

    Do you reckon, I should/need to replace fluid?

    It won't do much harm, you could just use small syringe to suck out the fluid and top it up.

    And no, the gearoil is not regular red atf, it is special lifetime gearoil, has its own BMW designation, usually atf 3 or 4, with its own number and requires a special procedure to check and refill the level.

    (BMW mechanic 10years)


  • #6
    irish bloke
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,057 ✭✭✭irish bloke


    Sound lads,

    I'm reading both oils are fairly compatible although for obvious reasons shouldn't be mixed.

    as I believe I got most out with the rags before running the engine or turning the wheels, I will syringe out the reservoir tomorrow, refill and see how I go from there.

    You wouldn't mind but I've replaced the oil in this specific car at least 4 times.:o


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  • #7
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    alan0387 wrote: »
    It won't do much harm, you could just use small syringe to suck out the fluid and top it up.

    And no, the gearoil is not regular red atf, it is special lifetime gearoil, has its own BMW designation, usually atf 3 or 4, with its own number and requires a special procedure to check and refill the level.

    (BMW mechanic 10years)

    Volvo (and plenty of others) used to give that " filled for life " line too. For the life of the first owners tenure or the warranty period, whichever comes first. Theres no shortage of problematic aisin boxes in volvos as they age because of the original fluid being left in.


  • #8
    alan0387
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 247 ✭✭alan0387


    Guy:Incognito wrote: »
    Volvo (and plenty of others) used to give that " filled for life " line too.
    Theres no shortage of problematic aisin boxes in volvos as they age because of the original fluid being left in.

    Hey preaching to the choir here, never really believed in lifetime oil myself! but in 10 years at BMW I saw plenty of auto boxes give trouble after the customer had a gear oil change in a 3rd party garage.

    If we had a gearbox leak, we would drain and save the old oil to refill the box with, using new oil as a top up only.
    We found that as the gearbox 'aged' or 'conditioned' new oil in a box that had upwards of 70k on it was too thick and caused too much pressure on the seals, causing leaks and mis-shifts.

    Of course many had an oil change and never had a problem but I personally saw enough to warrant extra caution in recommending replacing 'lifetime' gear oil.

    I also would not waste my money doing power steering fluid changes for the same reasons stated above unless it was completely contaminated but that's just my 2 cents!


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