# Trans fluid

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/trans-fluid/40428>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** 323, bmw\
**Created:** [December 7, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/trans-fluid/40428 "2009-12-07T01:04:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ftucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cc9497/32.png) [@ftucker](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ftucker)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/trans-fluid/40428/1 "2009-12-07T01:04:54Z")

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I cannot find any info in the owner’s manual of my 2000 BMW regarding the trans fluid-i.e. how to check it, when to change it, etc. Only oil and brake fluids are mentioned. I have just passed 100,000 miles. Does the fluid in this vehicle never get changed?

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**Author:** ![Bladecutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@Bladecutter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bladecutter)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/trans-fluid/40428/2 "2009-12-07T01:42:13Z")

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Your car does not have a dipstick for the automatic transmission (I am assuming you mean an automatic transmission).

Your owners manual should tell you that the fluid is a lifetime fluid, and does not ever need to be changed. At the most, you can take your car to a BMW Dealer, and have them check the fluid level using a tool they have in their shop, and replacing a permanent plug that they would need to remove to do so.

BC.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ftucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cc9497/32.png) [@ftucker](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ftucker)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/trans-fluid/40428/3 "2009-12-07T01:50:19Z")

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thank you for the info.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2009, 12:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/trans-fluid/40428/4 "2009-12-07T12:12:40Z")

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I would have had the transmission fluid changed by now. Yea, likely your car has the so called lifetime fluid, but that just means it is now designed to last a long time and then fail. A fluid change about about 50,000 would likely extend the useful life of the transmission.

I suspect most manufacturers have given up getting owners to do maintenance and are trying to design their cars for minimal maintenance. The trouble is that means shorter life.

```
I don't know nearly what "transman" knows about these cars, especially model specific information. Hopefully he will stop by and offer some advice. If he does, believe it!
```