[Astone22]

I know bmw says lifetime but when should they be flushed on x drive vehicles ?

[Runner340]

I DIY'd the front and rear differential fluid at 45k miles on my car. The front and rear diffs take different fluids so be mindful of that. Also did the xDrive transfer case the following day and the ZF 8HP transmission fluid and filter at 48k miles myself which is a little more involved but do-able if the car is on jack stands or lift. Plenty of videos and DIY tutorials out there to build your confidence. That BMW lifetime BS is just that. I don't drive the car too hard so your fluid change intervals may vary. Oil changes every 5k miles, brake fluid flush was done when I did the brakes this year. Had the dealer do the coolant flush and pressure check with a discount coupon this year as well. The price they did it for didn't make it worth it for me to do it myself.

[djacinto]

Did the exact same as runner.

52k miles and it wasn't too difficult since I was doing all my maintenance then on stands

[Walker_CW]

Originally Posted by Runner340

I DIY'd the front and rear differential fluid at 45k miles on my car. The front and rear diffs take different fluids so be mindful of that. Also did the xDrive transfer case the following day and the ZF 8HP transmission fluid and filter at 48k miles myself which is a little more involved but do-able if the car is on jack stands or lift. Plenty of videos and DIY tutorials out there to build your confidence. That BMW lifetime BS is just that. I don't drive the car too hard so your fluid change intervals may vary. Oil changes every 5k miles, brake fluid flush was done when I did the brakes this year. Had the dealer do the coolant flush and pressure check with a discount coupon this year as well. The price they did it for didn't make it worth it for me to do it myself.

It's really hard to find the accurate info for an F30 LCI xDrive, as so many posts with info are just about RWD.

The fluids are different, but can you be specific?

Weight for the front and GL4 or GL5?
Weight for the rear and GL4 or GL5?

I need to get this info pinned down to exactly what it should be and put into my maintenance notes.

Thanks!

[Slick_FThirty]

I used 75w-90 GL5 for the front and rear. Lots of forum members have used that so far without problems, including myself.

And I change mine every 30k.

[dmaxdmax]

Originally Posted by Walker_CW

It's really hard to find the accurate info for an F30 LCI xDrive, as so many posts with info are just about RWD.

The fluids are different, but can you be specific?

Weight for the front and GL4 or GL5?
Weight for the rear and GL4 or GL5?

I need to get this info pinned down to exactly what it should be and put into my maintenance notes.

Thanks!

If you go to realoem.com and look for the diffs and transfer case, you'll find the fluids listed and their quantities.

I got all mine from FCP euro--close to $400 for everything. I still have to make the change though...coming up on 100k miles.

[sspade]

Every 60k for me. Done it twice so far on two different F30s.

Word to the wise: a nice big fluid syringe made the job much easier the second time. Made a mess the first time around using the HF manual fluid transfer pump.

[Runner340]

Originally Posted by Walker_CW

It's really hard to find the accurate info for an F30 LCI xDrive, as so many posts with info are just about RWD.

The fluids are different, but can you be specific?

Weight for the front and GL4 or GL5?
Weight for the rear and GL4 or GL5?

I need to get this info pinned down to exactly what it should be and put into my maintenance notes.

Thanks!

I looked on RealOEM for the fluid type recommendation for my specific car and went from there. FCPEuro is a good source too for us OCD maintenance freaks. Can't beat their lifetime warranty on parts/filters and fluids.

[Walker_CW]

Originally Posted by Runner340

I looked on RealOEM for the fluid type recommendation for my specific car and went from there. FCPEuro is a good source too for us OCD maintenance freaks. Can't beat their lifetime warranty on parts/filters and fluids.

RealOEM shows GL5 75W85 for both front and rear. I was going to just get the Redline off amazon as it is easy to obtain, inexpensive, and several others have said they have used it with success. However, there are others that say

a) Can't use GL5 in either the front or rear (can't remember the reason - something to do with oxidation)

b) Have to use OEM fluid, the Redline won't allow the diff to last it's full potential. I plan on keeping this car a long time so this is important to me.

Thanks

[dmaxdmax]

Mine shows Hypoid Axle oil G1 in the rear and G2 in the front diff and DTF1 in transfer case.

[Walker_CW]

Originally Posted by dmaxdmax

Mine shows Hypoid Axle oil G1 in the rear and G2 in the front diff and DTF1 in transfer case.

That is exactly what mine shows as well. G1 and G2 are both GL5, so the question is what is the difference in spec between BMW's hypoid G1 and G2?

EDIT: Correction - G1 is GL4, so I'll just use Redline 75W85 GL4 for that and Redline 75W85 GL5 for the other.

There must be brass or something that can corrode if they are using GL4.