[zolck510]

According to this service manual, transmission fluid level is to be checked when the fluid temperature is between 70 to 80C which is around 160-175F. It takes almost 30 minutes of driving for my transmission fluid to reach that temperature according to my OBD reader's logs. Do you all actually warm it up that much before checking the level with the HOT range on the dipstick? The engine reaches operating temp (~180F) in no time, maybe 5 minutes. It looks like some are suggesting just a 10 minute warm up which for my van it will only bring the trans fluid temp up to like 110F, which I think will put it in the "neither COLD nor HOT" range.

 

[floridanative]

Yep. Fill it to cold after doing the drain and fill. Do final check after it’s good and hot ~175F, erring on the side of low fill. Check level after next couple hot runs to top off and make sure level has stabilized.

-Mike

 

[zolck510]

Forgot to add -- whenever I add transmission fluid, the fluid runs down the neck and any subsequent dipstick reading becomes kind of useless. The dipstick touches the neck wall and when I pull it out, it has fluid pretty much along its entire length. It makes it basically impossible for me to confidently check trans fluid level after I add any amount. Any suggestions on how to deal with this?

 

[sixto]

I only check it hot since the van makes lots trips long enough to get fluid to temp. Continue to check it cold, whatever cold means, then calibrate against hot when you have the chance. If you have to add fluid between transmission service, you might have a leak.

I suppose you can use a syringe with 30” plastic tube to add fluid with minimal coating of the dipstick tube.

Sixto
‘04 LE FWD 206K miles