Gearbox fluid change

[ainarssems]

The fluid is made by Shell, but not marketed by them, only available through Audi, ZF, BMW

I am pretty sure ZF Lifeguard 5 that goes in D2 boxes is LT 71141 made by Esso, not sure about newer ones but I would expect them to be Esso as well

[snapdragon]

Originally Posted by ainarssems

I am pretty sure ZF Lifeguard 5 that goes in D2 boxes is LT 71141 made by Esso, not sure about newer ones but I would expect them to be Esso as well

The ESSO/Exxon is another golden fluid, but not used in any D3 application AFAIK.
It is no longer made, but Exxon/MOBIL market a red all purpose ATF which is supped to replace it and is marked as such.

I don't think these fluids are specified for the D3 auto boxes.

I would stick to ZF or dealer fluid, at least until the D3 is old and on it's last legs.

[47p2]

I've found Lifeguard 6 or Shell M-1375.4 which are supposedly the correct fluids, but will need to do a bit more research before making a purchase

[47p2]

Interesting article on the ZF 6HP gearboxes here

[47p2]

6HP19A parts manual and filling procedure here

[ainarssems]

Good find. They also have pdf's for other models

[47p2]

I called my local ZF specialist and the price of Lifeguardfluid6 is £16.99 + VAT per litre. After further searching I have managed to find Lifeguardfluid6 for £10.50 + VAT per litre so all I have to do now is confirm this is the correct fluid and I will purchase some

[47p2]

Decided to have a look under the A8 today to assess what is involved in the ATF change

I removed the gearbox under-shield and the view was not what I was expecting.

It looks like I will have to drop the crossmember to get the sump off as I doubt very much if there will be enough clearance
Drainage plug is a 17mm Hex
Sump pan is T27 Torx. This is one you need to watch as a lot of Torx sets only come with T25 and if you use a T25 in this application it could damage the heads of the bolts.



Filler plug is 8mm Hex


I drained a tiny amount of ATF out to assess the colour, looks like it is due a change



I've ordered a new filter and sump gasket set and 12 litres of Lifeguard 6.
The plan is to drain the sump and refill with fresh fluid and run it for a few minutes, then drain the sump again, remove the sump and change the filter, replace sump and refill. Depending on how much fluid the sump holds I might do two or three flushes, but I have a feeling I will not have enough fluid for that.

[47p2]

Could someone who has Elsawin please have a look for me and check if the crossmemeber has to be removed?

[sarg]

Are you not going to use some sort of pump for draining and flushing, I thought this was pretty much mandatory to get the job done correctly?