As the title says, I finally was able to change the Fluid (Gear oil) in our '15 X5 3.5l xDrive, without removing the transmission cross member, so I thought I'd post what I did to help others if they decide to tackle DYI maintenance task.
1. In my case, I put the X5 on car ramps in the front & rear. (I used stepped boards for the rear to try to get the car as level as possible since I don't have a lift)
2. From underneath the car, I was able to insert a 14mm Hex that I attached to my 14mm ratchet wrench. I put a layer of clear tape on the hex to make it a light press fit in the wrench so it wouldn't fall out.
3. There is enough room to get the wrench w/hex between the cross member & transfer case & then get the Hex into the Fill plug hex socket. (see pic)
4. Loosen & remove the filler plug.
5. I inserted a small "J" tube that I had for sucking out rear differential fluid in my other "no drain plug" BMW's and used a homemade vacuum pump that uses compressed air to suck out all the fluid. (See pic)
6. I removed approx 17 oz (500 ml) of oil fluid (see picture attached) which was pretty brown in color.
7. I then used a small hand pump with clear tubbing to fill the case until fluid came out of the fill hole.
8. Re-install the fill plug & clean the area with brake cleaner. This way I can verify if I have a leak in the future instead of seeing the fill overflow fluid stain. If you clean it well after finishing, you will be able to see if it's leaking later after driving for a while.
9. I used the BMW specified fluid DFT 1 which is a SAE 75W Transfer Case Fluid.
Let me know if you have any questions & I hope this helps others. BTW, the X5 has 74k miles on it when I finally got around to it. After the COVID-19 quarantine time, I'll have my local BMW tech do the transfer case clutch reset.
1. In my case, I put the X5 on car ramps in the front & rear. (I used stepped boards for the rear to try to get the car as level as possible since I don't have a lift)
2. From underneath the car, I was able to insert a 14mm Hex that I attached to my 14mm ratchet wrench. I put a layer of clear tape on the hex to make it a light press fit in the wrench so it wouldn't fall out.
3. There is enough room to get the wrench w/hex between the cross member & transfer case & then get the Hex into the Fill plug hex socket. (see pic)
4. Loosen & remove the filler plug.
5. I inserted a small "J" tube that I had for sucking out rear differential fluid in my other "no drain plug" BMW's and used a homemade vacuum pump that uses compressed air to suck out all the fluid. (See pic)
6. I removed approx 17 oz (500 ml) of oil fluid (see picture attached) which was pretty brown in color.
7. I then used a small hand pump with clear tubbing to fill the case until fluid came out of the fill hole.
8. Re-install the fill plug & clean the area with brake cleaner. This way I can verify if I have a leak in the future instead of seeing the fill overflow fluid stain. If you clean it well after finishing, you will be able to see if it's leaking later after driving for a while.
9. I used the BMW specified fluid DFT 1 which is a SAE 75W Transfer Case Fluid.
Let me know if you have any questions & I hope this helps others. BTW, the X5 has 74k miles on it when I finally got around to it. After the COVID-19 quarantine time, I'll have my local BMW tech do the transfer case clutch reset.
