How much for a transmission oil change?

thescouselander

Normally I do my own servicing in this case I will need to go to a garage because I haven't got the equipment to raise the car off the ground at both ends so it is level.

How much should I expect to pay a garage to get the transmission oil changed? The car is a BMW E46 with a manual transmission.

hewhoisnotintheknow

buy some breeze blocks

put it in gear pull the hand break on

jack one end up block the car

jack the other end up, block the car

Keith

How can you do your own maintenance and not own a pair of axle stands?

jeannieblue

Half an hours labour plus cost of oil.

Not alot really - unless you go to a stealership.

goldspanners

Keith wrote: »

How can you do your own maintenance and not own a pair of axle stands?

i dont use them either, i prefer blocks of heavy wood. i hate axle stands.

Conor_3

I wouldn't worry about getting the car level. I've never bothered doing it when working on my own cars, I've just always jacked up the side where the filler plug is on so it's higher than it would normally be and therefore you slightly overfill as opposed to underfill. BUT if you're completely draining and refilling, you should be able to find what the capacity is and ensure you put that or nearly that amount in.

vikingaero

On some cars you can only drain out a certain percentage of the transmission oil and then you refill it with new oil. But this does mean that some old oil mixes with new - which is better than nothing.

Some dealers and autobox specialists will pump out 98% of the oil with a vacuum pump and then put in new oil - my autobox mechanic quotes me £80 + VAT for this job.

hewhoisnotintheknow

usually you just fill it lots then lower it, excess comes out the higher filler

thescouselander

Keith wrote: »

How can you do your own maintenance and not own a pair of axle stands?

I do have a pair of axle stands but I need to raise both ends of the car so I would need 2 pairs.

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

Make sure you undo the fill plug before the drain plug.

For obvious reasons.

Conor_3

thescouselander wrote: »

I do have a pair of axle stands but I need to raise both ends of the car so I would need 2 pairs.

Just raise the side the filler plug is on.