,## What kind of transmission fluid does your 5 Series take?,,In short:The key is to choose the rightquantity, quality,andtypeof lubricant you will use. There aremanual transmission fluidsandautomatic transmission fluids.,,## Manual transmission fluid,,Manual transmission lubricants can be recognized because of their viscosity (theirSAE number) and because of theAPI GL standardsthey must meet.,,## The viscosity of the manual transmission fluid,,This information is usually found in theowner’s manual. If there is an emergency and you do not know which transmission fluid you should use, you can use a SAE 75W-90 fluid, and your transmission will be safe until you can buy the right one.,Nowadays, there are almost no fluids with only one type of viscosity. Those fluids are calledmonogradeoils. You can find monograde oils that go from SAE 75 to SAE 140.,You will usually findmultigradeoils. Multigrade oils can flow as if they had 2 different viscosities since they can be exposed to both low and high temperatures. Because of this, the oil can flow efficiently in both cold and hot temperatures.,Here are some examples of multigrade oils: SAE 75W-80, SAE 75W-90, SAE 80W-90.,,## API GL standards,,You can usually find this information in theowner’s manual. If there is an emergency and you do not know which kind of oil you need, you can use a GL-4 oil until you can buy the right one.,Manual transmission fluids meet different API GL standards. The ones currently commercialized areAPI GL-4andAPI GL-5(the latter is not so common and does not work as a replacement for GL-4). These standards will indicate the properties of the lubricants and we should take them into account when we choose the oil we will use for a refill.,If the recommended standard for your 5 Series is GL-4, you should use a GL-4 oil; this way the bronze synchronizers of your transmission will not be ruined by the sulfur found in GL-5 oils.,,## Automatic transmission fluid,,Automatic transmission fluids are usually calledATF.They are typicallyred or greento distinguish them from other types of oils.,You must always use the type of oil recommended in the owner’s manual of your 5 Series. If there is an emergency and you do not know which oil you should use, you can use the following list as a guide.,⚠What happens if I do not use the recommended oil for my 5 Series?Over time,the transmission may get damaged.You will not notice it right away, but you will surely see this after a few thousand miles. You may also notice that the car jerks when you change gears or that such gears feel stiff. If you have an automatic transmission, you may start feeling the clutch slipping when you accelerate.Your car’s fuel consumption may also be increased due to using the wrong type of oil.,The ATF oils currently used are:,• Dexron III: It was used until 2005. It was created for GM cars.,• Dexron VI: This product is the enhanced version of the Dexron III oil. It offers high thermal stability, an excellent performance eve
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