P38A V8 Auto ATF recommendations - Comma AQM?

Hi guys
I am thinking of doing a fluid change in the auto gearbox. It's been about 5 years, so due for a change, and a new filter. Are the gearboxes R380s? it's a 1996.

The owner's manual says DexIID or III.
I am thinking of Comma AQM which is a mineral ATF and claims to be DexIID. I cannot remember for the life of me what I used last time...

I just wanted to check and see what you other peeps use? Any recommendations?

Cheers in advance.
James

Stick with the Dex recommendations 3 is betterer me finks,

No R380 is manual.
You have a ZF4 HP22 or 24. Think that’s the only ones fitted to auto P38s.

J

JamesBB said:

Hi guys
I am thinking of doing a fluid change in the auto gearbox. It's been about 5 years, so due for a change, and a new filter. Are the gearboxes R380s? it's a 1996.

The owner's manual says DexIID or III.
I am thinking of Comma AQM which is a mineral ATF and claims to be DexIID. I cannot remember for the life of me what I used last time...

I just wanted to check and see what you other peeps use? Any recommendations?

Cheers in advance.
James

Click to expand...

The R380 is the manual box the auto`s are zfhp22 or zfhp24 which take atf dexron111 i would go with the dexron unless the other stuff is the exact same spec, you dont want to wreck the box for the sake of a few quid.

To slow in posting

I have been using the German Mannol oil products for a few years now on many vehicles. They have a huge range from mineral, semi- syn and fully synthetic. I used their Dex 111 synthetic for auto boxes with good results or their 75/90 synthetic for standard gearboxes (not R380) and diffs. Also their motor oils.

JamesBB said:

Hi guys
I am thinking of doing a fluid change in the auto gearbox. It's been about 5 years, so due for a change, and a new filter. Are the gearboxes R380s? it's a 1996.

The owner's manual says DexIID or III.
I am thinking of Comma AQM which is a mineral ATF and claims to be DexIID. I cannot remember for the life of me what I used last time...

I just wanted to check and see what you other peeps use? Any recommendations?

Cheers in advance.
James

Click to expand...

Thats perfect, Comma AQM meets the Dexron lll speciation which superseded the Dexron llD spec. it also can be used in power steering when Dexron lll has been specified.
Of course you can use any brand that meets the Dexron spec.

discool said:

Thats perfect, Comma AQM meets the Dexron lll speciation which superseded the Dexron llD spec. it also can be used in power steering when Dexron lll has been specified.
Of course you can use any brand that meets the Dexron spec.

Click to expand...

The Comma data sheet says "Dexron® B; Dexron®II; Dexron®IID". It does not mention DIII.
Maybe better off looking for DIII like the other guys say.....
Cheers

Comma Aq3 says "Dexron® II; Dexron® IID; Dexron® IIE; Dexron® III" and is semi-synth for £28 for 5L.
Could be the one, but still hunting for others, not necessarily the cheapest.

JamesBB said:

The Comma data sheet says "Dexron® B; Dexron®II; Dexron®IID". It does not mention DIII.
Maybe better off looking for DIII like the other guys say.....
Cheers

Click to expand...

D lll is backwards compatible. I expect your owners hand book states D llD as mine does for my disco.

JamesBB said:

Hi guys
I am thinking of doing a fluid change in the auto gearbox. It's been about 5 years, so due for a change, and a new filter. Are the gearboxes R380s? it's a 1996.

The owner's manual says DexIID or III.
I am thinking of Comma AQM which is a mineral ATF and claims to be DexIID. I cannot remember for the life of me what I used last time...

I just wanted to check and see what you other peeps use? Any recommendations?

Cheers in advance.
James

Click to expand...

Try Smith & Allan ATF3 on eBay. 20L drum is pretty cheap.

Thanks guys. Going for the Comma Dex 3, they make reasonable products and are in the UK, plus the Dex 3 seems to be the way to go.

Oh weird. After settling on a DIII, I thought I would double check a few oil selector sites and Halfords says it is not recommended to use AQ3 and recommends AQM as I originally said.
Comma's oil selector says the same.
JGS4x4 sell a service kit with the filter and 10 litres of AQM.
Things are still pointing at the original selection.

I will try a couple of other oil selectors and see what happens.

No real sense from the oil selectors.
So Manual asks for DIID or DIII. AQM fits DIID, AQ3 fits DIII but then according to 2 sites its not recommended.
Looking like the AQM then, at least that matches the DIID.

JamesBB said:

No real sense from the oil selectors.
So Manual asks for DIID or DIII. AQM fits DIID, AQ3 fits DIII but then according to 2 sites its not recommended.
Looking like the AQM then, at least that matches the DIID.

Click to expand...

Use Dexron llD spec, a mineral oil as LR states in the owners handbook or Dexron lll spec a semi-synthetic oil which is backwards compatible and will have a longer life before replacement, thats the only two fluids u can use ... it up to you.

I used this.

https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-205914-elf-elfmatic-g3-automatic-transmission-fluid-atf.aspx

Smith & Allan products are good value for money, I used their products for an auto-box fluid change on my old BMW ... exact spec. both original listing & current.
nb. I doubt the fluid in the ZF of my old RRC has ever been changed in the past 33 years, though the car has only covered 60K
I'm leaving well alone though as the 'box works perfectly.

Henry_b said:

I used this.

https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-205914-elf-elfmatic-g3-automatic-transmission-fluid-atf.aspx

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Thats almost twice the price here. We use mannol d3.

norseman said:

Smith & Allan products are good value for money, I used their products for an auto-box fluid change on my old BMW ... exact spec. both original listing & current.
nb. I doubt the fluid in the ZF of my old RRC has ever been changed in the past 33 years, though the car has only covered 60K
I'm leaving well alone though as the 'box works perfectly.

Click to expand...

I can’t remember seeing gearbox fluid change on any of the invoices I received from the LR main dealer doing my 3.5 RR servicing, which was every five or six thousand miles, some times a visit would be twice a year, much the same as power steering fluid change.. nothing to show. Had the RR for 10 years and sold with 100,020 on the clock.
Sadly not a round now.

Much the same with my disco, gearbox fluid was changed for the first time back in 2010 at 38500 miles when it went to an independent who did a full service, only because I didn’t fancy unbolting the exhaust system and so they may as well the rest at the same time.
So their bill shows £11.25 for the dex 3 fluid and filter, pan seal and manifold gaskets total £47.11 then plugs trans and engine oils, air and oil filters plus labour plus vat. Haven’t a clue on the brand of any of the fluids used.
The power steering fluid was changed for the first time at the of 2020 which was a bit messy
Any servicing after the first 5 year main dealer stuff Ive done, all very easy Saturday morning stuff, just 48800 miles on the clock now.

Yes it's a contentious subject with auto-boxes. ZF themselves recommend a change at 50k for some of their 'boxes (like the HP22 used in the RRC) & prior to 150k for the version fitted to the older 5 series BMW (our daily driver)
When I put the question about the Classic's fluid age vs the mileage to Ashcrofts the advice was 'leave well alone whilst it's still operating OK' Made sense to me so I just do an occasional fluid (still a decent colour) level check.

norseman said:

Yes it's a contentious subject with auto-boxes. ZF themselves recommend a change at 50k for some of their 'boxes (like the HP22 used in the RRC) & prior to 150k for the version fitted to the older 5 series BMW (our daily driver)
When I put the question about the Classic's fluid age vs the mileage to Ashcrofts the advice was 'leave well alone whilst it's still operating OK' Made sense to me so I just do an occasional fluid (still a decent colour) level check.

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Hmm yes i'm assuming that leaving it well alone will lead to a problem

Colour isn't necessarily an indication of how the fluid is doing, like everything ATF has a best by date and after over 30yrs i'd say it is due.
Changing the fluid will do nothing to the tranny, the components inside are either in good condition of not, changing the fluid won't change that.

It will however prolong its life.

I'm loving Mannol stuff just now - got various drums and bottles of different liquids and lubricants of theirs. Very reasonobly priced and the quality is pretty damn good.