Essential Maintenance BMW 5 Series (E60 / E61) DPF Clean, Transmission & Diff Fluid and Fuel Filter

This week it’s all about preventative maintenance, you know keeping the
car in good health and servicing items before they become a problem so
in this video I’m going to clean the DPF then change the transmission fluid, the
differential fluid, engine oil and fuel filter.
To find out more about the Carly app:
-BMW: bit.ly/2Bv4VCj
- All car brands are supported find yours here: bit.ly/2qQZ8oX
Use the code "BLACK25" for a 25% discount on the adapter and 25% discount on the app.

[@jonbaptistaJB]

Man, for me who’s about to buy an e61 525d, your chanel is a game changer! Thank you!

[@usurper762]

Did you buy your wagon? I bought an E61 550i and I too have found this channel very helpful.

[@kristoferens3116]

Nothing more satisfying than maintaining your car yourself... I have an E61 525DA from 2005 (PFL). Removed the EGR (and cooler), removed the darn swirl flaps, removed the DPF and deleted (software) the regeneration cylce completely. Had it tuned to 200 HP and changed the torque curve. Car has over 439.000 km on the clock and still running like a beast... The M57N engine to me is quite bullet proof. Also went to ZF in Dortmund back in the day for my first gear box oil change, where the engineer that designed these gear boxes (Herr Carl Jörg Sagert) gave me some interesting pointers (for example: use the manual gear changing when pulling my boat or other heavy trailers). Now I am also doing that oil change myself (like all the rest on the car). And also a big fan of the Carly app!

[@Tom_Mills]

Brilliant production as always

[@tobiaslarsen2700]

Really enjoying the vids and learning a lot from it. Keep up the good work

[@Landshark928]

Great vids you make! Very practical and I like your relaxed tone, keep up the good work!

[@RoadandRacetv]

Big thanks mate!

[@Chicharro11]

You should use the Original Oil from ZF. A transmission is something you should treat like a baby. Once I've heard in youtube that these car doesn't like cheap! But I've done a lot of cheap stuff myself as well :) good video

[@mic400uk]

Nice video. Awesome cars for the money and preventative maintenance is your friend, I don't quite have your resourcefulness but you've covered so many issues here already, nice family wagon 👌

[@bjornvmatern5654]

Thank you for producing your video for us 5-Series owners. Very Useful and inspiring. I am ready to change oil and filter now. A plus is when you show the carton so I can order the right filter. Good thinking.

[@mikulas13]

so yeah, I had the transmission oil changed 3 weeks ago with some basic service. 3 days later the DPF announced itself and it won't shut up! Great videos man, pretty much what I'm doing with mine 530d E61.

[@TheBigboySid]

U have no idea how useful these videos are for us ♥️

[@RoadandRacetv]

Thanks Sid

[@schluesselbundrd]

Great video as always! Haven't seen this way of cleaning the DPF before, only knew the (not so cheap) cleaning with a combination of heat and some chemical stuff... I am excited about how that works, the amount of ash what you cleaned out was really a lot, so it should make a difference

[@Zixzi104]

Always very professionally produced! 👍

[@alexs6962]

Great video as always 👍 be sure to check your lower control arm bushings, if these are worn then you can warp your new rotors/discs.

[@jonny_s14]

Cool video. Considering buying one of these. Little tip, slacken and drain oil filter first so the old oil will run into the sump, then open drain plug.

[@Ainiukas]

Hi, great e61 repair series, just don’t forgot to check you batery cable under the car, because it’s number one of e60/1 main problem, and if you see any oxidation go to your local bmw dealer and the bmw must change the cable for free, mine e60 cable changed just few months ago, Cheers✌️

[@pomelodrive21]

Excellent video mate, looking forward to some more interesting contents,🥳🥳🥳🥳🎊😅😅🤩🤩

[@Sierra747]

Great video. Seeing how well hidden that dpf is I’d have cut the guts out of it as they don’t remove under trays on mot’s they’d never spot it.

[@kellypaws]

That’s a very tidy looking motor now. Definitely coming together. The underside looks in extremely decent condition. Particularly compared to the Datsun.

[@steffydog]

Awesome as always, fab job

[@OVB_NL]

Very helpful and informative video with nice calm narration - thanks for putting together a great piece of content. If there was 1 thing that would make it even better (for me at least) is that it would be helpful to say what socket/torx sizes you use as you bolt/unbolt things as well as the torque settings you're applying...it saves anyone following your video as a guide to look this up separately. I came across your channel today (via the brake/tyre/wheel replacement video) and have subscribed!

[@RoadandRacetv]

Thanks for the feedback Oliver

[@jonsmith8582]

Good work as always

[@Hp92p]

Great vid, just a caution that for the transmission pan change you need the zf 6hp19 for 525d, as the 6hp26 pan is for the 530d and 535d. The new pan used in this vid is incorrect as it is for the 6hp26 gearbox which is flat inside. The 6hp19 525d pan has an large indent near the drain plug as seen at 08.05

[@85blueberry]

Cool series of this e61! Please check your steel breaklines on the chassis connectors next to your fuelfilter. I discoverd this the hard way after breaking a 200km/h to 30 with a red pop-up warning of my breaks 😅 Cheers👏

[@abu-sulaimanel-bushnaq8052]

Legend. Very nice video!

[@andljoy]

I wish there was a place like that near liverpool where i could get my car on a lift and service it properly.

[@93455Driver]

Definitely saved lots of $ avoiding the stealership service center.

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

Dealerships will always charge on the upper end of the scale because they have more overhead costs and staff that need to be paid. All those sales, engineers, receptionists and other staff dont work for free. So while its easy to dismiss them and say they are ripping you off. There are lots of people working behind the scenes that rely on your patronage to put food on the table. Of course you can always go and have your car checked and serviced elsewhere for a fair bit cheaper. There are loads of private and local businesses to choose from if you want to save some coin. Though their level of work compared to a dealership can be up and down but you'll eventually find a place with a good mechanic who will look after your car needs for a good price.

[@93455Driver]

RoseOfHizaki You are exactly right, indeed I found an ex dealer master mechanic who started his own German auto shop, got ASE and Bosch approvals, all the diagnostics etc. needed for looking after German cars. One problem in the US are the state franchise dealership laws which are protectionist, anti-competitive, and IMHO a sign that something is wrong with the current status quo.

[@grahamc4418]

My E60 is on 184k never had the transmission oil changed, or DPF changed / clean. I might just have been lucky but ZF make great boxes!!

[@davidgibson4840]

My swirl flaps were in a state, got rid of them in the nick of time at 120k they were brittle and flakey, change all the intake seals and clean egr at the same time, couple of hours work

[@theil6]

Thanks for the video, I will be doing all of this on my 550i

[@RoadandRacetv]

Good work!

[@ObbardProductions]

Make sure you blank the swirl flaps off, they are renound for braking and falling into the engine, and also replace the crankcase breather filter, there not down as part of the service schedule but will fuck up your turbo if its blocked up.

[@02dag32]

You should have changed the small rubber gaskets underneath the mecatronic unit while at it

[@jdcookiemonster]

Nice vid, I never noticed that the diff doesn’t have a drain plug. How odd.. I’ll be tackling that soon hopefully.

[@chrisj8844]

👍 changed the crankcase breather pipe on mine (also called cam/rocker pipe). It’s the small flexibility pipe on the front left of the engine(uk). It was leaking slightly as had a slight oily residue. None fault, so upgraded to BMW’s modified part which I got from EBay for £19.99. MPG went up from 38.1 to 41.5 (urban) My car is a 520d 2010 E61

[@RoadandRacetv]

Thanks for the tip. Will check mine.

[@chrisj8844]

If needed, Here’s the link to the upgraded part rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F202307868160

[@coyoluo]

I've got a 520 touring, similar to your but a different engine, it's recently developed a rattle in the engine and someone told me it could be the tension-er gone, it might also need a chain change. Was just thinking may be can bring it to you and you can use it to film more lessons while fixing it.

[@mickforster1]

Nice. Looks much easier when you have a ramp. Wish I could get one instead of using trolley jacks, axel stands and getting a sore back.

[@matteightytwo]

Nice to see you supporting a British company by using Kielder tools!

[@danielstewart7841]

Check to make sure your rear window heater, tailgate window and brake light all work I just had to rewire all mine

[@lukabarukcic3153]

What brand of gearbox filter/pan were you using,thank you! Great video!,you should buy next e61 with n52 and series on that,you have very good videos and explaination.

[@sydneyNemesis101]

Great video, how often should you change the diff fluid?

[@ThatBeamerGuy]

Hey loving the videos but have you removed the siwrl flap in the manifold , on this engine the swirl flap come loose and would drop in the engine 😅😅 And i think you should also clean the egr and the manifold as well I have had couple of 5 series currently own a f10 so i have had to deal with these problems

[@dariozupanovic2112]

Man in this automatic gearbox goes 8.5 liters of automatic oil,you have to drain oil from wandler as well there is plug for that.

[@azizhachimi8744]

Great job buddy!Can you please send me the link for the Silverline pump?

[@mattiojajarvi7472]

What kind of ash and soot mass numbers you got from the Dpf AFTER cleaning it? I'm not sure when the car does the regeneration at it's own so I suggest you to request "force regeneration" with Carly every now and then when you know you're going to a longer trip. And there was a comment about resetting the transmission, but I think he meant resetting the adaptation values, what you can also reset with Carly. At least in my own -08 530xd Lci I was able to. However great videos and lots of useful information!

[@chrismarron8892]

Done the gearbox fluid on my old E60 535d was an annoying job. You are making look at the auto trader too often for an E60 run around seeing as 3/4 grand gets an LCI 😎

[@jobsjobbed5125]

More of this!

[@misterdroneboy8999]

Brilliant

[@giomas74]

Great Video! really usefull and inspiring for me, thank you. Just a question: does this car suffer for the timing chain failure problem of the N47 engine?

[@RoadandRacetv]

Thanks! Have you seen the first video in this series? I explain the timing chain problem in that.

[@naimovicartsbrussels]

1) Intake manifold: remove swirl flap 2) exhaust manifold: change it with the rainforced old version thats made specially for e60 (cast iron from e39 and x5 e53) available on ebay 3) change the turbo filter (crankcase oil breather filter) 4) if you have an opening rooftop, change the place of the calculators in the trunk, under the emergency wheel. You can have water problem. 5) Automatic transmission: change the fluide every 90000km 6) if you can, remove FAP and EGR

[@edva3533]

Why change the exhaust manifold to older version? This car being an LCI does have the stronger and better manifold. Also the pre-lci and lci versions are not interchangeable due to different turbo seals. It's a pain in the a** to change anyway so why bother if it's not cracked. What is a turbo filter? If you mean the soft breather filter, yeah it should definitely be changed to a vortex type. Check the orange rubber seal for leaks while you're at it. Trunk is worth checking out even if you don't have a sunroof (water from condensation).

[@naimovicartsbrussels]

@@edva3533 this car have the old model of exhaust manifold because this is the old version m57 motor. Turbo filter is also called crankcase oil breather filter. You have to change it even you dont have filter inside because the spring can break. Water in the trunk: when you make your maintenance service, you have to send some air forced in the evacuation pipe of the sunroof (4: 2 front side 2 rear side). If you do that you can not have water inside your trunk. But changing the place of your calculators is always highly recommended. I Hope i answered to the question. Bye

[@Onizukachan915]

Naïmovic I leave my calculator on my desk at work.

[@duncanreading6468]

I have recently bought a 5 30d se GT hopefully this deals with this engine too?

[@cblandblueyonder]

I've got an '07 manual 530i M-Sport wagon with the infamous N53 engine, with the same wheels as you. Which so far, has given me no trouble over the last 13k (although I had to do the tailgate wiring), although it has a slight thirst for oil, which I suspect is connected with the egr system as there is oil in the breather pipe. However, I will have to change the tyres soon, and was thinking about Michelin PS4's, as I have had these in the past. Lots of grip, they last well. What tyres have you put on yours?

[@jess_o]

Great video, can't wait to see the next!

[@tteitei]

How much transmission fluid did you use altogether? You mentioned 2 litres after installing the pan but not how much you needed to top up after running the engine and cycling the gears?

[@garymcghee4142]

Double check the gearbox oil if the box is a zf6 it should use lifeguard 6 oil or mannol ag55, both are light golden brown, red transmission oil is usually an atf fluid which is incorrect

[@Ionutbuciuc]

pls use the original ZF lifetime 6 oil for the gearbox....i don't know if that comma have the req specs for the gearbox...

[@lexburen5932]

Not needed, as long you use a oil wich is the same specifications as the gearbox manufacturer requires

[@g9icy]

How do you find what the torque spec is for things like this? I would have liked to have seen you drive it after these changes to see if it's made a difference to how the car feels, but great video regardless.

[@Rizzer318ti]

g9icy you can check all torque specs on bmw TIS online. Just search for this key words and you will a website to check every repair instructions.

[@yahoodlums]

Great video. Fantastic production and continuity. Just wondering, with all the parts and servicing costs... is it still a cheap BMW?

[@RoadandRacetv]

Thanks ray. An excellent question. I plan to do a video on all the costs at the end to see!

[@FIFAHERO90]

Great video I have a manual, should I be changing my oil? Can’t find much info online about the manual boxes

[@RoadandRacetv]

Depends on the mileage. Over 60,000 I’d say wouldn’t hurt.

[@Scotford_Maconochie]

I have a 2013 X5 E70 with 91k miles. BMW states that the that transmission fluid is good for the lifetime of the vehicle but as with anything it can never last indefinitely. Really puzzled on what to do plus that ZF transmission fluid is quite expensive!

[@MrConMac]

Hi I recently bought a 2008 525D. I noticed when I started from cold this morning it was slightly juttery. Any idea what I did wrong. Should I have waited for the glow plugs to work

[@NENTECHM57]

Ideally you should have used better quality parts(gearbox oil), zf hp26 is fairly good box compared to earlier ones but you must use decent parts to make them run well for long time. not that expensive . and change your Vacuum lines under the manifold, that will give you egr problems and it will not be egr.

[@JoeyMe]

love it

[@Jeroen74]

Out of curiosity, how would a BMW like this compare against a Volvo S60/S70 diesel of the same vintage which I drive now, reliability- and cost-wise?

[@jamestehuna5915]

Great content thank you

[@RoadandRacetv]

Thanks James

[@RoadandRacetv]

Thanks James

[@RoadandRacetv]

Thanks James

[@RoadandRacetv]

Thanks James

[@jamestehuna5915]

Road and Race no thank you so much I own a diesel bmw e92 320d 2010 coupe you have helped me and help me save a lot of money so again thank you

[@strokemacat]

My e61 touring 520d jerks into 1st when I'm moving away from lights when cold only....10 mins later smooth as. Gearbox oil or something else? Not long purchased with 116 000 mls

[@martinkulik9466]

dpf is lifetime item once it’s regenerating, but ur wasn’t so ur thermostat might be bad, glow plugs and few other things that restricted dpf regen

[@martinkulik9466]

btw u didn’t have to take it out... u could measure backpressuee and then force regen with tools available online

[@williamson606]

How come you only got 2 litres of oil out when they hold 9.7 litres? also no seals were replaced for the mechatronics.

[@user-tj6gv9ws3o]

What engine oil did you use?

[@MrEnn1s]

Can you please tell the cost of transmission oil and differential oil, i went to a bmw garage they asked me 400 euros for trans oil and 40euros for diff oil :/

[@VespaPhil]

Quick question, did you not have to prime the fuel system after letting air in? I’ve heard tales of cars refusing to start without the system being purged of air.

[@RoadandRacetv]

No, didn't have to. Worked fine.

[@focus550]

With the E6X series you turn the ignition on, leave it a minute or 2 and then start it. It has a self purge/auto purge system to prevent trapped air.

[@VespaPhil]

Thanks for the reply. Great video as always. 👍🏼

[@findlay234]

How long did this all take you? I'm about to do all of this and a few more bits to my X5 soon. Thanks.

[@RoadandRacetv]

Transmission and dpf was one day. The rest took another half day.

[@motonorge1172]

can I ask what is doing my bmw e61 2007 slow when its cold, it want hardly back up , want acclerate befor 300mph

[@AshG786]

Subscribed

[@SafariY0]

Did you ever remove the catalytic converter as well ?

[@Sierra747]

Did you prime the filter or bleed the air before starting the engine? I though diesels won’t start if air gets in the system?

[@ThreeGeees]

They have a pump in the tank, couple of cranks and they fire up.

[@martsec9330]

Epic

[@thomasv301]

Hi, thanks for the great video. Changing the transmission oil is better than doing nothing, but it's better to get a tranmission flush and filter change to make sure all the old oild is replaced.

[@eiffelwong3466]

May I know the fuel filter part number? As fuel filter itself is confusing when I google search, 1 of the fuel filter is underneath the passenger seat... what’s the difference between that and the silver?

[@wahcar1]

Try realOEM?

[@davebeat]

200,000 miles and my DPF just went I think I'll try this technique rather than take it out completely.

[@thewizzard3150]

I see he was pumping red fluid into the transmission, but brown was leaking out when full. he has either used clips from other cars, or messed up his gear box.

[@LongP1]

the wizzard lol..... no, it’s meant to be red, the used oil is dark... much like engine oil goes in nice light brown and come out black 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@mrgreen9388]

Can you regenerate dpf in 6th?

[@jameslloydcole8783]

Did your gearbox feel any different after you changed the oil? Mine feels a bit crap on my 335d, might change the oil

[@RoadandRacetv]

Felt the same but it is an auto.

[@Archy516]

Why not use ZF transmission fluid?

[@RMFUNTIK]

because it's a cheap car project..

[@adrianstinga8604]

Is that the DPF or catalytic convertor ?

[@kdjdh6996]

Nice Video How good is the Fuchs oil that you used??

[@RoadandRacetv]

The oil seems fine as far as I can tell!

[@makeinjhonson5046]

quality.

[@gang-gang8325]

How much is the Carly app and adopter

[@levhrvth]

I own a 2007 BMW 320D E91 with the M47 engine fitted with a DPF. Unfortunately my car smokes black when I accelerate hard. I have checked the car for fault codes twice with two different softwares and there is nothing and also the values for the injectors and nothing seems to be a problem. I already cleaned the EGR, deteled the swirl flaps, replaced the turbo, replaced the thermostats and the engine breather but nothing seems to solve the smoke problem. The car works fine, no major issues but it bothers me that the DPF is on the car and it smokes. Any idea on what should I check?

[@DodgeCity111]

Your dpf has been gutted and mapped out

[@levhrvth]

DodgeCity111 I’ve seen the DPF when the mechanic replaced my turbocharger so I’m sure it’s there. It did not have any non-factory welding marks or drilled holes in it.

[@SanderBaks]

Hi! I own the carly app, and I own a E61. Now I'd like to check the transmission temp, like you show in your app screen. Can you point me out where to find it? (or anyone). I can't seem to find it.. Thanks!

[@RoadandRacetv]

It’s in its own Transmission section. Under Features.

[@SanderBaks]

Ah found it! Its under features/transmission. Not under “live data”. Thanks!!

[@kdjdh6996]

How is the fuchs oil??

[@icTeglas]

Do you disconnect the battery while servicing? many thanks

[@RoadandRacetv]

Can’t remember. If I did it would be in the video. Don’t think it was needed.

[@marcinb8932]

My gearbox coolant temp goes up 96’C so I think yours stuck.

[@RoadandRacetv]

Good to know. Thanks.

[@marcinb8932]

Road and Race btw good video it’s pleasant to watch. You are easy to watch and listen thanks

[@jdcookiemonster]

I read recently(since your last vid) that the trans temp should top out at 85deg... I checked mine recently after some urban driving and it was in the 70s.my cooler is failed in open position and I have an extra inline 85deg stat yet have never seen 85deg trans temp

[@martinigamer]

I‘ve changed my transmission water/oil heat exchanger, and if i drive on he Autobahn with the same speed for longer times without shofting it has round about 60 degrees. In city driving it went up to 80/90 but not higher. On the new Transmission oil/water heat exchanger stand that the thermostat will open on 86 Celsius. But as i sad, i‘ve changed it, and i dont get more than 60 degrees by driving on the Autobahn :)

[@bmwsincekid]

Dpf doesn’t need to be removed there should be a connection point at least on f10 its like that

[@ooGQoo]

Is that the correct gear box oil used? Mine take ZF Lifeguard 8 oil which has a very faint green colour to it not bright red 😬

[@MrCourty89]

No he used the wrong oil, should be Lifeguard6 for his, that red ATF he used will likely cause issues down the line, I rebuild these so see the damage caused by it

[@ooGQoo]

MrCourty89 I thought that. I’ve got an 8 speed so ZF LG 8 oil. I’m guessing he’s got the ZF 6 speed being an older E60/61

[@MrCourty89]

@@ooGQoo yh he's got a ZF 6HP28, ZF transmissions are generally more sensitive to incorrect fluids then most other transmissions, the tolerances are higher which is why they have a specific fluid which is very thin, as you said the lifeguard8 is green in colour, the Lifeguard6 is yellow in colour, there are aftermarket brands that some recommend such as Mannol but I choose not to use them. Got got the ZF service recommendations wrong also, ZF service recommendations are 50-72k miles depending on how it's driven or a max of 8 years, that's exactly how it's written in my ZF paperwork for both 6 and 8 speed ZF transmissions, the only thing I changed was I converted from kilometers to miles.

[@lexburen5932]

you can use any brand automatic gearbox oil, as long you stay within the same oil specifications as the gearbox manufacturer recommend/requires

[@viktorstamenov8412]

Fun fact is that the thing that you have cleaned is actually the catalytic converter. The DPF is the box between this and the backbox. Catalityc converter BMW number: 18307796617 DPF Part number: 18307792041 It's interesting to share what did you reset using the special BMW diagnostics and what happened to the DPF error that you were getting? :)

[@renas5371]

Not on a facelift car like this.

[@viktorstamenov8412]

@@renas5371 You're right! On the facelift, the DPF and CAT are inside one box together. My bad...missed the fact that it's a facelift.

[@davidgibson4840]

Remember the pcv valve, not hard to do

[@nikolaswaldecker8920]

how much does it cost ?

[@Onizukachan915]

You can clean the AuC sensor filter and that usually clears the fault. At least I always has for me.

[@RoadandRacetv]

May I ask how you clean it please?

[@Onizukachan915]

Road and Race just take it apart ,remove the filter element and wash it out, or replace it with a section of used scotch-bright scouring pad if it is completely falling apart already. Did it for example on my e46 when I had the same code at 150k miles, now over 200k and never another issue. Here’s a link to a DIY. forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=884216

[@RoadandRacetv]

I think i have the newer AUC as it's a totally sealed unit. I can't see any way of cleaning it.

[@tobiaspersson1725]

Road and Race , did you replace the AUC sensor or what happened to it? If so, was it difficult to get to? Thank you for really nice E61 videos.

[@RoadandRacetv]

@@tobiaspersson1725 Thanks Tobias. Not yet. It's about £70 from BMW which is a lot of money for something that doesn't do much. Can't find a 3rd party one though. Used ones are £25 on ebay but you never know how old they are.

[@isitgoodtodo2834]

dont u need to bleed diesel fuel system after fuel filter replacement?

[@RoadandRacetv]

Nope

[@rotorblade9508]

Bmw says lifetime because the car itself won’t last more than the transmission even if you don’t change the fluid. They want you to get rid of it at that stage and buy a new model. But if you want to keep the car running for longer you do the maintenance and for some models it would be worth it

[@becomematrix]

Lifetime is sort of like 100.000 miles / km. I have to disagree with you on the flex joint. It looks worn at the bolts holes.