[TiredGeek]

Has anyone got a recommendation for a decent place for a gearbox oil change around the Leeds / Yorkshire area?
Tried Google and it brings up a place that has all the right stuff on the website but it's also over £600 and I think that's a little pricey.
Don't get me wrong, I'll pay for the job done right but as I've no experience of them and don't know anyone who's been to them it's a risk.
My local indi is not an option, bad attitude and more expensive than main dealer, and I have heard mixed reviews about them anyway.
Doing it myself is also out as I don't trust myself with something so critical when I don't have facilities to get under the car properly.

[danb1979]

Should be around the c£400 mark

If you want bit of a road trip (you'll need your passport ); can highly recommend Grant and his lads here in Preston at Automatic Transmissions, Preston

Otherwise look on the ZF website and see if they recommend anyone local to you

[bishbosh]

Martin Lowe Auto Transmissions in Barnsley did mine several years ago. Can't remember the cost exactly, think it was around £380.

[gac]

This link should get you local places within 100km of Leeds who are ZF partners. If you search the ZF Aftermarket portal, don't make the same mistake I made - do not select the ZF brand as this removes basically all the matches except their HQ in Nottingham (who definitely don't do servicing on passenger cars as I called them just in case).

I've had a price of £700 inc vat from PK Automotive (ZF ProTech) in Lincoln. Waiting for prices from Sheffield Gearboxes (ZF ProTech) and ADC in Stockport (who aren't ZF partners but after danb1979 pointed them out to me they clearly do a LOT of tricky BMW jobs so I feel like they'd be trustworthy to do it right...)

Williams Performance (Northumberland) list it at £390 - but they say they use Millers fluid rather than genuine ZF which might explain the cheaper price. Their page for that is also word-for-word identical to a BMW specialist in Reading apart from the mention of Millers, which makes me think someone just wanted to add a workshop page saying they do gearbox servicing and needed some content with minimal effort...which doesn't give me confidence that they'd do it right.

[Stainy]

If you're anywhere near Keighley, Doherty Brooks Car Clinic did one for my mate last month. Their labour rates are good. I stupidly started to ask them about the procedure to test their knowledge and they're well aware of all the gear changes/top ups/temperatures needed - I was put suitably in my place (in a friendly way - I know them quite well). The genuine ZF kit was used; which I think is over £300 itself

[gac]

Originally Posted by Stainy

I stupidly started to ask them about the procedure to test their knowledge and they're well aware of all the gear changes/top ups/temperatures needed - I was put suitably in my place (in a friendly way - I know them quite well). The genuine ZF kit was used; which I think is over £300 itself

I like garages like this - the ones who "get" why you're asking and don't take it personally

Service kits can be had with OEM fluid for ~£250 seemingly (a little less as it's on sale, and can be even less with aftermarket oil), my concern is more about the expertise of doing it, and I'm OK with paying a little for someone who does know/follow the procedure since it's clearly a complex piece of kit. Do you remember what they charged your friend for the work?

[gac]

Sheffield Gearboxes just replied to my email and quoted "around 485 inc vat", so about £200 less than the other ZF ProTech place in Lincoln. I haven't had mine done yet so I can't recommend them, but there's clearly some choices out there with quite a spread of prices...

[Stainy]

Originally Posted by gac

Do you remember what they charged your friend for the work?

He had other work done at the same time, but the labour for the gearbox was only about an hour (maybe one and a half), cos I rang them early in the procedure to get a rough finish time and the gearbox was done and dusted.
They would be more than happy with you providing your own kit too. Give em a call. I bet they'd even do it while you wait, but they're a busy garage, so it might be a week or three for a slot

[Clanger]

I used Senior Performance at Batley for my gearbox and diff service, really nice guy and knows what he’s doing and his workshop is pristine.
I got a Black Friday deal at £360, but think his normal prices are very competitive.

[fortythirtyfive]

Senior Performance or Bram Racing in Castleford.

I use Bram for everything now that I don't wanna do myself, hunter alignment, dyno sessions, suspension, uprated anti-roll bar installs, diagnostics. Last time I was in Brad asked if I had done mine as they had begun offering it for customers; however I had already done mine myself. They're extremely fairly priced on labour and really sound lads, they know exactly what they are doing and I wouldn't go elsewhere really.

I haven't been to Senior myself but I only ever see praise for them, Brad at Bram also suggested them when I considered having my dif building out to an LSD. Also my oil pan gasket is leaking at the back just like they always go, I believe this is Arran's bread and butter these days as he's always getting the same job in.. so I'll probably be booking this one in at Senior for the job doing, I believe he actually sends the alignment jobs over to Bram ironically.

[gac]

I went to Senior Performance last Wednesday. The guy seemed sound, sounded like he knew what he was talking about with the filling procedure, has a good-sized spotless workshop and turned up for work in a Porsche so must be doing something right.

The website is slightly out of date by a fiver, it cost me £390 and 3 hours in and out. Opens at 9, I drove away at 12, but as I'd driven a bit to get there I imagine there was some period of letting things cool off to get the final fill in the 10 degree temperature window. So I just walked up the road to Starbucks and worked from there for a couple of hours while he did his thing.

Did it actually make a difference to the gearbox? I'm not 100% sure, honestly. I think it feels smoother, but it wasn't bad to start with, and maybe I'm just looking for a justification having spent the money so I'm placeboing myself. But I've got fresh oil in a 95k gearbox so it was more than due and I imagine gearbox repair/replacement costs considerably more if it gets totally neglected so prevention is better than cure and all that.

[TiredGeek]

Bram I used to go to when my Volvo needed 4 wheel alignment, they were the only guys I found that could get it to run straight if you took your hands off the wheel on the motorway. I never even considered them for the gearbox, I'll give them a call.
Senior performance I'd never heard of and Google didn't bring them up when I searched for "zf gearbox oil change Yorkshire". Their website looks reassuring but I'm not so keen on millers oils - I want genuine zf oil in there. I'll drop them a message but as they're on my side of Leeds they're my favourite option so far.

Thanks very much for the suggestions 👍👍

[gac]

Originally Posted by TiredGeek

Bram I used to go to when my Volvo needed 4 wheel alignment, they were the only guys I found that could get it to run straight if you took your hands off the wheel on the motorway. I never even considered them for the gearbox, I'll give them a call.
Senior performance I'd never heard of and Google didn't bring them up when I searched for "zf gearbox oil change Yorkshire". Their website looks reassuring but I'm not so keen on millers oils - I want genuine zf oil in there. I'll drop them a message but as they're on my side of Leeds they're my favourite option so far.

Thanks very much for the suggestions ����

I thought the same about ZF fluids which is why I was looking at ZF Partners - but at the end of the day, it's not a new design of gearbox, Millers are a well-respected oil/fluid company with a solid reputation, and have had plenty of time to develop alternative fluids which have probably been used in thousands of ZF gearboxes across the numerous brands that use them. It seems minimal risk and was well-priced compared to the ZF partners. I'm happier with fresh Millers oil vs 95k-old ZF oil, and I reckon any issues I have are more likely to expose themselves in the short term just through having disturbed the gearbox vs any long term issues because the oil isn't OE.

Or just speak to him about using OE fluid, it's the same procedure either way and he's well-priced so I'm sure he wouldn't gouge you on ordering ZF fluid

[Stainy]

Originally Posted by TiredGeek

I'm not so keen on millers oils - I want genuine zf oil in there.

My logic would be - ZF make gearboxes. Millers make oils - unless you actually think ZF formulate their own and don't just buy it in, I'd trust the oil manufacturer with a good reputation

[TurboWeasel]

The ZF fluid is made by Shell. Vehicle manufacturers don't waste their time developing oils when dozens of companies out there exist already to do precisely that. Vehicle and drivetrain makers just hand them a list of requirements. Who ever fulfils the demands for the cheapest price wins the contract.

[fortythirtyfive]

To my knowledge you can't just buy legitimate ZF oilpans on their own, they're probably just using Millers as it's a preferred quality, I'm sure they'll swap to the ZF branded bottles if you ask though.

You always end up with far too much anyway, no doubt they'll have plenty of spare untouched bottles laying around haha.

Originally Posted by TiredGeek

Bram I used to go to when my Volvo needed 4 wheel alignment, they were the only guys I found that could get it to run straight if you took your hands off the wheel on the motorway. I never even considered them for the gearbox, I'll give them a call.
Senior performance I'd never heard of and Google didn't bring them up when I searched for "zf gearbox oil change Yorkshire". Their website looks reassuring but I'm not so keen on millers oils - I want genuine zf oil in there. I'll drop them a message but as they're on my side of Leeds they're my favourite option so far.

Thanks very much for the suggestions ����

Yeah that's how I came across them, I couldn't find anyone with a Hunter alignment rig that didn't want close to a grand (I don't know how they dreamt those figures up) Brad slowly understood that I do a lot of mods and work myself so we got talking about BMW's and that's when he explained he could help me out with any jobs. They hosted a BMW North meet last year too, I believe he's trying to attract a BMW audience for mechanical mods as there's a decent market for them.