6L45E/CL45E Transmission Filter & Pan Gasket Kit BMW

If your BMW 128i, 328i, 328xi, M3 or X3 with the six-speed automatic has gotten lazy engaging Drive, shifts firmer than it used to, or is weeping fluid along the pan rail, this is the service part to start with. It is the internal filter and the oil pan gasket for the GM 6L45E, the transmission BMW installs as the GA6L45R (also seen listed as CL45E). It replaces BMW numbers 24117593565, 24117572618, 24117572617 and 24117581604, so the strainer and the seal go in together during one pan-off job.

What the filter does in a 6L45E

The 6L45 is the smallest member of GM's 6L family, and like its bigger brothers it has no external valve body you can reach from outside. The pump is a variable-displacement vane pump driven by the converter hub, and everything it moves passes through this filter first. The filter's long plastic neck plugs into the pump suction bore with a lip seal; if that seal is torn, rolled or left in the case from the old filter, the pump pulls air along with fluid. Aerated or restricted oil means low line pressure, and the controller in the transmission will raise commanded pressure to compensate until it runs out of range. The pan gasket matters just as much on these cars, because a slow leak lowers the level in a unit that has no dipstick, and the owner rarely finds out until it starts slipping.

Symptoms of a restricted filter or low fluid

• Delay of a second or more when you select Drive or Reverse, worse cold or after a long drive
• Whine or moan from the transmission that rises with engine speed
• Firm or flaring shifts as the unit fights for pressure
• Fluid wet along the pan flange or drips under the car after it sits
• Limp mode with a pressure or ratio code once the level drops far enough

How to confirm before you buy

Start with the fluid level, set by the fill plug with the engine running and the fluid in the correct temperature window. A filter change will not fix a solenoid stuck in exhaust or a worn valve bore, so if the car already has codes, read our 6L45 limp mode guide first. Sonnax notes that line pressure that stays flat around 60 to 68 psi points to the line pressure solenoid, and pressure under 30 psi at idle can come from a missing pump boost valve pin, neither of which a filter will cure. When you drop the pan, look at what is on the magnets and in the filter: fine gray paste is normal wear, while bronze flakes or chunks of friction material mean the unit needs more than a service.

Fitment

This kit is listed for the BMW cars that use the GA6L45R automatic: 128i 2008-2013 (3.0L), 328i 2007-2013 (3.0L), 328i xDrive 2009-2013, 328xi 2007-2008, M3 2008-2013 (4.0L), X3 3.0si 2007-2008 and X3 xDrive30i 2009-2010. Many of these chassis were also built with a manual gearbox or with a ZF automatic, so confirm the transmission tag or your build data says GA6L45R before you order. Compare the new filter neck and the gasket bolt pattern with the old parts before the pan goes up. If you are unsure, send us your year and VIN and we will check it. Everything else we carry for this unit is on the 6L45 parts page.

Install notes

Support the car level, drain the pan, then lower it carefully because it still holds fluid. Pull the old filter straight down and make sure its neck seal came out with it; a second seal stacked in the bore is a classic cause of a no-move after a service. Lube the new seal with fresh ATF and push the filter fully home. Clean the magnets and the pan flange, set the new gasket dry, and snug the bolts in a crossing pattern to the torque in your service data without crushing the gasket. Refill with the ATF your car's fluid label calls for, a DEXRON-VI type fluid in this family, and set the level at the fill plug at operating temperature. Our 6L50 fluid type and capacity guide explains why this family is filled to a level rather than a quart count. If the pan showed metal or the car still whines after the service, the next stop is the 6L45 pump; if the frictions are already gone, the 6L45 overhaul kit brings a new filter and all seals for a full rebuild.

Will this fit my BMW 328i?

It fits 2007-2013 328i, 328xi and 328i xDrive cars that have the six-speed GA6L45R automatic. Some E9x cars were built with a manual or a different automatic, so confirm the transmission before ordering, or send us your VIN.

Is the BMW GA6L45R the same as the GM 6L45E?

Yes. BMW's GA6L45R is the GM-built 6L45 six-speed, which is why the filter is shared across those cars. BMW calibrates its own controller, so the parts fit but software and fluid level procedure follow BMW data.

What fluid should I use after the filter change?

Use the ATF listed on your car's fluid label or in BMW service data for this transmission, which is a DEXRON-VI type fluid in the 6L45 family. Set the level at the fill plug with the engine running and the fluid at the specified temperature.

My car will not move after I changed the filter. What happened?

The most common cause is the old filter neck seal staying in the pump bore so the new filter cannot seat, or the level being set cold and low. Pull the pan, check for a doubled seal, and recheck the level hot.

How often should the filter be changed?

BMW calls the fluid long-life, but specialist shops commonly service it around 50,000 miles, and sooner if the car tows, sits in heavy traffic or the fluid looks dark or smells burnt.

• 6L45 Limp Mode: Causes and How to Diagnose It
• 6L50 Fluid Type, Capacity and Service Interval
• ATF Color and Smell: What Your Transmission Fluid Is Telling You
• Transmission Overheating: Causes, Symptoms, and How to Prevent It