BMW says ATF lasts a lifetime but I still changed it on my Mini Cooper

The car was 7.5 years old & had done 34,000 km. The old automatic transmission fluid had thickened & darkened with age.

BHPian shankar.balan recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

One of the first things I did after buying my Mini Cooper (pre-owned) was to change the ATF. Because the car was 7.5 years old and had run nearly 34,000 km.

BMW India will not support all this. They keep banging on about a Lifetime Fluid. This is absolute balderdash. There is nothing in this world like a lifetime fluid except perhaps one’s blood. And that also alters with age. More so in harsh operating and climatic conditions like we have in India.

BMW will sell us the ATF but not the transmission filter and magnets because they just don't sell ‘child parts’. So I bought the JWS3309 ATF at BMW India at a high price compared to its price anywhere else in the world.

And I bought the transmission filter and magnets etc via MiniMania in the US, imported it in, paid the freight and duty and put it to use.

You can see for yourself how the fluid had thickened and darkened with age and the sludge build-up in the transmission fluid filter is visible. Contrast this with how it all looks when fresh and new.

It's a fiddly job. But it is worth it. So I did it. And the car is happier for it, I am sure. I know I am happier having done it.

Here's what BHPian Quadrant55 had to say about the matter:

This is true of all car manufacturers but on the contrary, most transmission manufacturers actually suggest changing ATF fluid at periodic intervals like 8 years or 1,00,000 km etc.

Screenshot of ZF's maintenance recommendations

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.