# Fluid change in manual transmission

Raise and support vehicle.

Remove fill plug on right side of transmission first (green arrow). Early transmissions require a 17mm Allen key for removal. Later transmissions require a 17mm socket. As a rule of thumb, if an Allen key is required, the transmission came from the factory with gear oil, if a socket is required, the transmission was originally filled with Automatic Transmission Fluid. |
Note: The reason for removing the fill plug first is two fold. Primarily it allows the fluid to flow from the drain plug more freely, with less mess, as air enter the transmission from above the fluid level. The other reason is quite simple. If , for any reason, you cannot remove the fill plug, at least the transmission is still full of oil. Draining the oil, then being unable to open the fill plug, leaves you with an undriveable car.
Remove drain plug (blue arrow above) and catch fluid in a suitable container.
Allow trans to drain until fluid is dripping at less than 1 drip per second, this means that there is nothing more than a coating of oil left in the trans.
Install drain plug, and using a hand pump, fill transmission until fluid runs from the fill hole. Vehicle must be level while filling transmission to get an accurate fluid level.
Install fill plug and tighten to correct torque.
Most BMW manual transmissions hold approximately 3.5 pints of oil. A red label on the right side of the transmission indicates Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) is the standard fluid for this transmission. ATF is used for smoother cold shifting, but engine oil , or gear oil , can be used to quiet a noisy transmission with no detrimental effect. |

### Torques :

Plugs | : | 40 - 60 Nm (29 - 43 ft lbs.)

### Part numbers :

Allen plug | : | 23 11 1 224 606
17mm plug | : | 23 11 1 202 717
17mm plug with magnet | : | 23 11 1 202 718

E30 M3 Repair Manual V2.7. Copyright ©1999-2001 Koala Motorsport & Brett Anderson