Shocking info ZF Fluids...

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gixxer

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It is very weird as Europe and Germany are supposed to have rules against this, but I don't know the minutia or reasoning behind it, I just know stat sheets don't lie, but manufacturers do from time to time

Maybe the factory fill and recommendations are different in euro spec BMW vs North American. Its a rule there and not here so as long as the vehicle lasts the warranty they don't care.
 
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tfeni52355

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I am feeling better about my choice of Redline D6 now. Been running it for about two months and all seems good. Nice smooth shifts and a much nicer "first shift" when cold leaving the driveway.
 

Gero

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I am feeling better about my choice of Redline D6 now. Been running it for about two months and all seems good. Nice smooth shifts and a much nicer "first shift" when cold leaving the driveway.

Good to hear it fixes that first shift when cold. We've been told many times its a normal characteristic of the 8hp70. I'm still under warranty so I don't want to change the factory stuff yet but as soon as it's over, new fluid 100%. I'm leaning more towards D6 now. I have redline in the front and rear diff and soon to be the transmission.
 

PoMansRam

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I've been using "suitable for use" ATF since about 2008. It's always been Maxlife ATF. Not because I think it's some totally awesome product, but because it's readily available, very affordable and happened to be suitable for the application I needed per it's bottle and any online product data sheet.

I've been having 'friendly discussions' with folks on online forums about this specific topic since that time. I think people want to believe fluids for standard automotive clutch pack step-shift auto transmissions are more magical than they actually are. Sure the friction modifiers and the viscosity of ATF has changed over the years, but generally speaking, that's about it.

There's no way the corporation that owns Maxlife ATF is going to SAY in plain black and white on it's bottles and literature that their product is suitable for use in an application if in fact it isn't. No entity is going to open themselves up to that kind of legal and financial risk this way, ever.
 
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Burla

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I've been using "suitable for use" ATF since about 2008. It's always been Maxlife ATF. Not because I think it's some totally awesome product, but because it's readily available, very affordable and happened to be suitable for the application I needed per it's bottle and any online product data sheet.

I've been having 'friendly discussions' with folks on online forums about this specific topic since that time. I think people want to believe fluids for standard automotive clutch pack step-shift auto transmissions are more magical than they actually are. Sure the friction modifiers and the viscosity of ATF has changed over the years, but generally speaking, that's about it.

There's no way the corporation that owns Maxlife ATF is going to SAY in plain black and white on it's bottles and literature that their product is suitable for use in an application if in fact it isn't. No entity is going to open themselves up to that kind of legal and financial risk this way, ever.

Now you have some ammo for those discussions, those zf fluids are not true pao, if they were you would see low pour points. Same exact pour point as maxlife, identical. Plus maxlife has very very respectful viscosity index at 163, look that up. zf is over hyped over charged mediocre fluid.
 

MRFREEZE57

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I am feeling better about my choice of Redline D6 now. Been running it for about two months and all seems good. Nice smooth shifts and a much nicer "first shift" when cold leaving the driveway.

good to hear. have a case of D6 in my garage waiting to change the fluid. did you just do one drain and fill or planning to do a second? I am planning on doing the initial drain and fill and maybe 500miles later do another to flush most of the old stuff out.
 
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Burla

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Ravenol zf8

Also pour point -42c. They just don't tell you the pao content, I would wager it is near zero when you look at the manu's that have a commitment to pao base oils and see their pour points. They mention group 3 first and foremost.

RAVENOL ATF 8HP Fluid is a fully synthetic ATF produced on the basis of Hydrocrack base oils and PAO with a special additivation and inhibition which guarantees a perfect function of the automatic transmission. RAVENOL ATF 8HP Fluid is particularly designed for the 6 and 8 speed ZF automatic transmissions.

you see the pour point of their real pao based oil, -57f.
 

MRFREEZE57

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Yeah, that is the safest method imo, they just don't make it so you can drain converters safely and flush machines are ****.

that is one reason I would love to have a manual tranny but don't think they can be had any more in the 1500 class, one has to go to a heavy duty to find one.
 

reek

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that is one reason I would love to have a manual tranny but don't think they can be had any more in the 1500 class, one has to go to a heavy duty to find one.

nope, that is now gone too.
 

Dannyn_01

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Good to know we can use something other than the ZF stuff. About a $240 difference.

*EDIT*
Now this makes me wonder about the BW44-44 Mopar Fluid. AmsOil stuff would be $30 cheaper than Mopar Fluid..... food for thought
 
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Burla

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Good to know we can use something other than the ZF stuff. About a $240 difference.

*EDIT*
Now this makes me wonder about the BW44-44 Mopar Fluid. AmsOil stuff would be $30 cheaper than Mopar Fluid..... food for thought

@Hemi395 used amsoil and reldine in that application and I believe he said it shifts better. I don't know what redline or amsoil he used, maybe he'll chime in.
 

TC

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I used blue cap fuel efficient Amsoil fluid when changing pan/filter at 75K miles. My truck seems to shift better. 6,000 miles and smooth as can be.
 

MRFREEZE57

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Good to know we can use something other than the ZF stuff. About a $240 difference.

*EDIT*
Now this makes me wonder about the BW44-44 Mopar Fluid. AmsOil stuff would be $30 cheaper than Mopar Fluid..... food for thought

I used redline C+ in my 44-44, less than half the cost of the mopar fluid and have not noticed any problems with it.
 

Hemi395

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Good to know we can use something other than the ZF stuff. About a $240 difference.

*EDIT*
Now this makes me wonder about the BW44-44 Mopar Fluid. AmsOil stuff would be $30 cheaper than Mopar Fluid..... food for thought

As @Burla said I've ran Redline C+ and Amsoil MVATF in my 44-44 and have had 0 problems. In fact, either of those fluids made the shifting from 4High to 4Low smoother than the Mopar unicorn tears.
 

Gero

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Any bw44-45 alternative? I believe its the tc with the 4auto.
 

chrisbh17

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Do any of the aftermarket fluids for transmission and or xfer case match the color of oem?

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