"MushroomNZ" > wrote in message
...
> automatic transmission
>
> no problems , 90K miles
>
> BMW says its for life but . . .

I've not heard of any problems with an automatic transmission in the E36
that are related to the fluid, but the E46s have lots of troubles that look
like fluid could be part of the problem.

I'd encourage you to go ahead and flush the transmission and torque
converter, but do not stress about it. Transmission fluid has changed A LOT
since I was a kid, and it had to be replaced on a pretty regular basis. Not
only has the fluid changed, but the transmission internals have changed too,
and the actual work that it does has changed.

I'm a bit of a sceptic about "lifetime" fluid, but I tend to let the
engineers with mechanical degrees make these kinds of calls. I'd suggest
that at 90k miles, and no problems, you are in good shape. I don't recall
that you said which car you have, and which transmission, but it is
important that you (or whoever does the fluid change) know which fluid is
specified for your application. The wrong fluid can foam-up inside the
transmission, and this will lead to an undesirable result. The wrong fluid
can also have any number of other consequences that might actually be worse
than leaving the fluid you already have alone.