That's about the hardest thing I've ever had to identify in a photo. Even worse than someone showing a picture of a random, blurry rock and asking if someone can identify it.

It looks like it may have "scraped" the dipstick tube as you were sliding it back in for a reading. I typically check dipsticks 2-3 times to get a consensus and don't count ones with weird streaks or blobs that seem erroneous. You want to check trans fluid when the car is fully warmed up from driving (because you want to shift through gears and heat up the trans/fluid), then park the car on flat ground but leave the engine running and check the level. It should be close to but not above the hot line. If that's what you did here, either way, it looks like the fluid is a little low.

 

That's about the hardest thing I've ever had to identify in a photo. Even worse than someone showing a picture of a random, blurry rock and asking if someone can identify it.

lol, believe me, the dip stick went in and out no less than 15 times and I took almost 20 photos, aiming the flashlight at different angles to reflect the slick, but those two were the best "work". I took reading before leaving work (it was dark color below cold mark with some slick around cold), then took reading again after 20 min. driving on freeway but with engine off. Photos were from after driving.

 

I’d read it as halfway between the cold and hot ranges.

Are you checking with the fluid at operating temperature? The fluid should be at 180F or almost burn your fingertips hot, like after driving, not idling or creeping in traffic, for 20min for a good hot reading. Confirm the level at operating temp after filling; from then you can check it cold if that’s easier for you.

You should use a lint free cloth to wipe the dipstick, not a paper towel which can leave fibers.

Sixto
‘04 LE FWD 202K miles

 

You should use a lint free cloth to wipe the dipstick, not a paper towel which can leave fibers.

I have never had a new paper towel leave any fibers, but I DO find them handy to determine fluid levels.

Remove the stick and wipe it, as usual, then put it back in and pull it out. This time, lay it on the paper towel. The fluid will leave a mark on the towel that is usually rather easy to see.

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I have to turn the dipstick over and look at the other side to see the level. For some reason the gauge side smears while the blank side shows a sharp cutoff.

 

After determining that the level is correct as per the owners manual , I find that when the engine is cold( Florida cold!) that the level is just about at the "E" on the word TYPE that is imprinted on the dipstick. YMMV

 

unfortunately mine doesnt' have that word imprinted, only "COLD" and "HOT"

 

This is what my stick looks like in my 06. As you can see the "Type" T-IV is above the Hot marking. Yours is not like this?

 

sorry, had a brain far this morning, only looked between COLD and HOT and missed what is after HOT. Mine does have TYPE imprinted what is weird is that level was way below COLD last night before I drove home, got freaked out and poured in what was left in the ATF bottle I kept in the trunk (maybe 4 or 5 oz.), tonight I checked again before driving home, level was a little above COLD.

I think I'll just do my 2nd D and F this weekend for peace of mind. In my first D and F, I reused the crush washer and been having a very slow drip leak (few drops every now and then).

 

I find it takes about 4 qts for a D and F. Follow the manual for checking the fluid as this will be the most accurate way to assure the correct level. BillG and sixto mentioned the correct procedure as well.

 

If you’re crafty, drill pinholes in the dipstick corresponding with the cold and hot range notches. That might be an easier way to confirm fluid level. Pinholes are less likely to fill from smearing.

Sixto
‘04 LE FWD 202K miles

 

I usually have my engine up at operating temperature, turn it off pull out the dipstick, wipe it off and wait 5 minutes.
This allows any fluid in the tube, any significant amount of fluid, to slide back down into the transmission. That way when you're residual fluid that may be in the tube stuck to it.
I then start the engine and run it through the gears put it in park and then insert the dipstick nd pull it out for the reading.
I do the same thing with oil. Pull out the dipstick wipe it off and wait 5 minutes before reinserting it.

 

I'm afraid you are reading ATF dip stick incorrectly.
When transmission is cold, ATF level should be between 2 notches near the COLD label on the stick. When transmission is hot (after driving), ATF level should be between 2 notches near the HOT label. And you need to read ATF level with engine running.

Here is how I check ATF level after drain & fill.

1. Park the van on flat surface.
2. Start engine and let it idle. (ATF pump should be running)
3. While stepping on the brake pedal firmly, change gear slowly to P => R => N => D (to the lowest gear) => N => R => P. Then release brake pedal.
4. Open the hood, remove ATF dip stick and wipe off excess oil.
5. Insert dip stick all the way (until metal piece latches top of dip stick), then pull it out to read ATF level. (Engine still running).
I do cold D & F without driving, so I should read ATF near "COLD" label on the stick.

Checking ATF after driving is same procedure, but engine is hot (and running) so please be careful. In this case, ATF level should be near "HOT" label.

 

Since I didn't check ATF level lately, I did that 2 days ago after writing my comment above. Then I found that I was low on ATF...
Last D&F was more than 3 years & 24k miles ago, and I forgot to check since then...😓
So I added some ATF through dip stick tube. I did re-check ATF level right after doing that, but added ATF smeared tube and cannot read level correctly (like initial image from 2004Owner).
So I waited next day to check again.

[COLD level before adding ATF]

Here is the result on the next day. At start up, ATF level was just below lower notch near the "COLD" label.
Then I drove ~20 minutes and re-checked after warming up. This time, it was just above upper notch near the "HOT" label (engine still running).

[COLD & HOT level after adding some ATF]

 

I have the same issue, to the point of insanity! I didn't know to 'measure out' what I drained when I first did a spill and fill years ago, and to this day I am not really sure where the "HOT" level falls on this stick. Obv all is well, as that first drain was 100K miles ago, with repeats every year, but still -- if the damn stick is there, I want to read it!! I am thinking about lightly scoring the stick w a file or emery paper in the hope it will provide a sharper view. I wish Toyota had gone w holes here, but I am not about to drill my own.

I once had a job climbing fuel storage tanks and taking level readings from access ports on top; we had a metal tape on a spool similar to a fly rod, with the same kind of crank handle. I let out the line and the plumb would hit bottom (sometimes 40 feet or more from where I was at the top) to give me a 'rough idea' measurement. I would then crank the tape back up and use a special 'cut paste', applying it about a foot either side of the 'rough' measurement. The fun part was then lowering the plumb to about the general area again, this time very slowly, really feeling for it bottoming out and stopping. Onretrieving the tape, the 'cut line' on the paste was very easy to see, and also remained in place with thin fuels like AvJet.

My point is: it shouldn't be easier to get an accurate measure from a multi-thousand-barrel fuel tank 50 feet high at 2 AM and 10 degrees then a 2002 minivan in my driveway LOL!! OK, old guy rant over.