Thoughts on Servicing My 2012 DCT

[Happy Jose]

Thoughts on Servicing My 2012 DCT

Pentosin recommends doing an R&R of the transmission fluid anywhere between 40 and 50 thousand miles. I agree this is a necessary service, so I'm considering who should do it and what should be done.

I talking with the SA at my BMW dealer, the one with the fancy coffee and fresh baked cookies, he quoted me a price of $1,526 + tax. So you might ask what does this involve? This is for replacing the filter in the pan, the side or suction filter, around 7 qts of Pentosin FFL-4 DCT fluid, a new pan with gasket, and labor.

That's a chunk of change, so I'm going to investigate some other options. To follow along with the discussion, you need to refer to the following links:

https://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E82-13..._Transmission/

https://www.fcpeuro.com/BMW-parts/13...&b=9&d=3584&v=

ECS offers three service kits. The least expensive one contains the two filters, pan & side, 5 qts of Pentosin, and the fill & drain plugs. I'm assuming the pan & gasket is reused, but a new gasket is available:

https://www.ebay.com/i/183652000760?chn=ps

Why 5 qts? That's all the oil you'll be able to replace before it dribbles out of the fill hole.

The next expensive kit contains all of the above plus the oil pan with gasket. Finally, the most expensive kit contains only genuine BMW parts, the oil pan screws, and an extra qt of fluid.

Looking at FCP, the service kit contains the side filter, 5 qts of fluid, and the drain & fill plugs.

If you look at the YouTube video, the drain was 6 qts of fluid. All the service kits except the one with genuine BMW parts only have 5 qts of fluid. Thus if you use these kits, you'll be short a qt of fluid. I don't think that would be acceptable.

You have three choices to refill the DCT:

Use a software program called the GT1 diagnostic
Use a software program called ISTA which is discussed in the video
Use a scanner like the Icarsoft BMM V2.0 which I happen to have.

Initially pump in the 5 qts Next hook up the scanner and start the engine. When the transmission temperature reaches or is close to 40C/104F, start adding more oil. Keep an eye on the temperature so you don't exceed 40C. According to the video, you should be able to add another 1.5 qts for a total of 6.5 qts or liters.

Finally, have you ever wondered what was behind the side plate cover or the mechatronic unit cover:

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...t/28607842860/

Why the mechatronic unit with a price tag of $4761! Imagine having to replace this thing because it got gunked up with dirty oil?

I changed the transmission fluid in my 2010 SLK 350. The procedure was very similar to the above. It was replace the pan filter, clean the pan & magnets, operate the engine until the transmission oil reached a certain temperature, and add oil until it dribbled out.

When the weather gets warmer, I'm going to do this service myself. Care to join me?

[gjm120]

Glad to see the outrageous price quote so now I feel better about having diy my GM AT a few weeks ago.

I only got about 6 qts out and back in so I consider that a partial changeout. At just under 50k miles, I felt it was good enough + I changed the filter. May consider a fluid drain and refill in 25k miles or so.

It's not too bad as a diy but it is messy and a little risky. I had so much trepidation about being under a running car that I looked into options after I bought the kit. One was a shop that know what they are doing but they have a policy of no customer supplied parts. The other idea was taking to a good transmission shop that would let the customer be involved as a supervisor. Didn't look hard enough for such a shop but I'm sure they exists somewhere.

From a quick look at the video, there doesn’t seem to be much difference in the procedure for the DCT. The basics are the same – initial fill, get to a specific temperature with the car running and fill.

[Happy Jose]

Originally Posted by gjm120

Glad to see the outrageous price quote so now I feel better about having diy my GM AT a few weeks ago.

I only got about 6 qts out and back in so I consider that a partial changeout. At just under 50k miles, I felt it was good enough + I changed the filter. May consider a fluid drain and refill in 25k miles or so.

..

GM AT? Are you talking about the BMW DCT or something else?

If you did the DCT, did you change the side or suction filter? Anyway, I figure if you got anywhere between 6 and 7 qts in, you are good.

[gjm120]

Originally Posted by Happy Jose

GM AT? Are you talking about the BMW DCT or something else?

If you did the DCT, did you change the side or suction filter? Anyway, I figure if you got anywhere between 6 and 7 qts in, you are good.

No it's the Steptronic made by GM in France.
I think the full capacity is 9.0 -9.5 qts so yes I'm calling it good enough.

I looked at the BMW branded kit for DCT on ECS and it's nearly $700 ! I can see how a dealer would get to the price you were quoted.

[Happy Jose]

6 qts is probably OK. The only way you can put more in is if you drained the torque converter. That's all my Merc can take, because Mercedes eliminated the drain on the TC.

I went to another BMW dealer today, and the parts guy gave me a price for the parts of $828 plus tax. There are 14 bolts that hold the pan on @ $5 each or $70.

[Happy Jose]

So Just How Cheap Can I get the Parts to Service My DCT?


Check out this website to follow along with the discussion:

https://www.rmeuropean.com/Make/BMW/...gID=020&page=1

14 pan bolts @ $3.04 = $42.56

Pan with gasket and drain plug = $135.93

7 qts of oil for the DCT = 7@ $10.71 = $74.97

Notice that 6 brands of oil are offered running in price from $10.71 to $35.53

That ends all the parts offered at this site.

Next we go to ECS for the remaining parts:

Side filter made by Vaico = $20.95

Pan filter made by Vaico = $62.95

Drain/Fill Plug from BMW = $18.61

The total bill = $355.97 plus your labor.

What's interesting is to follow the cost of an identical part over the three website. Check out the side filter made by Vaico. It ranges from a low of $20.95 to $71.69 at FCP Euro. You'll find a significant difference on other stuff too.

Some of you are hung up on Genuine BMW & OEM. This is total BS. BMW doesn't make these parts. They use multiple sources for them and plaster their name on it. For example the BMW side filter on FCP Euro costs $84.37 and might likely be a Vaico:

https://independentmotorcars.com/aft...hats-the-deal/

BTW, I have used RMEuropean many times without any issues.

[Happy Jose]

DCT Service Procedure

Now to finish up. You have drained the oil, and now you want to put the fresh oil in. Pump in whatever amount of oil it'll take until it dribbles out the fill whole. Put the fill plug back in.

Hook up your scanner to measure the transmission temperature. Start the car and put it in park. Run the engine for one minute at 2,000 RPMs. It should have settled down to an idle by this time.

Let the engine continue to run. Remove the fill plug and continue filling until the oil runs out. Keep an eye on the temperature. Ideally, you want to overfill it and let the excess finish running out at 40C/104F. Put the fill plug back in & done.

One important note, the pan bolts are torqued to 80 inch pounds or 9 NMs.

[Happy Jose]

I'm bumping this thread to provide you all some info on servicing the DCT.

My Indy is happy to do the complete procedure, and he doesn't see any problems. BTW, one dealer would do it and one wouldn't! The dealer wanted twice the price of the Indy to do the job.

[Tenspeed]

This is a great thread about the DCT.

I had a DCT pan seep just before my CPO ran out on my 2011 E88 at about 31k miles. I took advantage of the service with the $50 copay. It took the dealer (Hendrick BMW Charlotte) a little time to figure out which Tech could/would do the work. Initially they were going to leave the transmission in the car until I asked the tech, as he was taking the car back, about the mechatronic seal which was a known leak point. Then they decided to do an out of the car service.

For my $50 they replaced the mechatronic unit, the mechatronic seal, the pan/gasket/bolts, and the fluid.

Hopefully, at my ~4k miles a year, that will take me to the point I am ready to move it on before another service is required.

[Happy Jose]

Generally, auto transmission including the DCT will only need one service, oil & filters, during the lifetime of the vehicle.

[dtla1]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the transmission needs to be dropped to get access to the side filter correct?

[hunginator]

Originally Posted by dtla1

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the transmission needs to be dropped to get access to the side filter correct?

I'd like to hear the answer to this as well!

[zx10guy]

Originally Posted by dtla1

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the transmission needs to be dropped to get access to the side filter correct?

Yes. I had fluid service done on my DCT a few months ago. The tech told me he had to drop the trans a little to get enough clearance for the filter to be installed. He said he could have just yanked the old filter out with the trans in place as he didn't care if he screwed up the filter getting it out. But installing the new filter would be the issue.

I also opted not to do the full service. Just what he could drain out of the trans along with the side filter.

[hunginator]

Originally Posted by zx10guy

Yes. I had fluid service done on my DCT a few months ago. The tech told me he had to drop the trans a little to get enough clearance for the filter to be installed. He said he could have just yanked the old filter out with the trans in place as he didn't care if he screwed up the filter getting it out. But installing the new filter would be the issue.

I also opted not to do the full service. Just what he could drain out of the trans along with the side filter.

what would the full service entail?

[Happy Jose]

Originally Posted by dtla1

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the transmission needs to be dropped to get access to the side filter correct?

No. The side or suction filter is serviceable without removing the transmission.

[Happy Jose]

Originally Posted by hunginator

what would the full service entail?

Change the pan and side filters, replace drain and fill plugs, and put in approximately 6 qts of Pentosin, recommended. And of course, an inspection to make sure the side plate gasket & mechatronic sleeve aren't leaking.

Notice the DCT is now only offered on the M2!