If not taken into account, the fluid level will be incorrect. This is the part that he mentions isn't even in the service procedures (start at 12:20'ish in the video). There is no excuse for this kind of "engineering".Ĭlick to expand.Ah - but wait - you forgot the part about the possibility of a "thermostatic oil cooler bypass valve" needing to be manually opened/closed (and there is no way to manually open/close it!). My point is that it's ridiculously complicated for something that shouldn't be - that's all.
And to top it off, you don't even have a dipstick to make sure the fluid level is correct afterwards. Never mind the crazy price for the fluid itself - or the fact that you have to replace the entire pan to replace the filter. If you do something not just right, you could end up ruining the crazy-complicated transmission that you're trying to keep up on. Even the guy in the video, who obviously knows what he is doing, has a lift, all of the right tools and access to the service procedures, found that even the factory service procedures don't tell you everything - he had to use info he learned from a special class on the subject in order to get the job done right. It's not a question of 'can you do it yourself?' - it's a question of 'can you do it yourself and do it properly?'. I don't even know if I'd trust a trained mechanic at a dealership to do it properly, let alone try to do it myself. This is not a "so simple in hurts" procedure. ZFs engineers recommended for better service life to not go beyond 50K on fluid service intervals, but each manufacturer calls out what they wish for service intervals.Ĭlick to expand.You did watch the video in the OP, right? It was a 3 page procedure just to check the damn fluid level. BMW and Jaguar started using ZF in the early 2000s so there's been years of service history I did a fair amount of reading about the ZF tranny to see what recommendations for service intervals. then dialed back on their maintenance intervals after lawsuits when issues arose the burden was shifted to the customer due to "lack of proper maintenance".years back oil change intervals were stretched out to 10K with some big name manufacturers (with conventional oil) and issues arose with engine sludging or excess wear.The "lifetime" is pitched as lower operating / ownership costs So their A7, A5 tranny are serviced at regular intervals. They backed off the "lifetime" fluid and now are on 40K intervals - and this went back to the prior generation (A5, shared with Chrysler). If you're beyond the 5 years - your powertrain warranty has run out and the costs land on the owner. These transmissions all received regular fluid services.Ĭlick to expand.Mercedes Benz used to have that statement.Īll well and fine until the customer is told their transmission has failed and is either rebuilt or replaced - at considerable cost. Only one car required a clutch (throw out bearing failed).
(Well, one required a replacement transmission due a leaking seal but this was done under warranty.)
For some owners and their cars 100K miles is just getting started.įor example I put 150K+ miles on 4 different cars all equipped with a manual transmission and with no transmission problems. I used to get flyers offering my an extended warranty for my "Dodge" but the Hellcat (and a couple of other models) were excluded from this offer.Īnd IIRC the drive train warranty has 100K mile limit. For my Hellcat I don't believe there was even an extended drive train warranty offered. Click to expand.Given the likely high cost to repair or replace the transmission it very well could the life of the car is defined by how long the transmission lasts.Īnd not every vehicle equipped with one of these good for the life of the car transmissions comes with an extended drive train warranty.