CHECKING THE AUTO TRANSMISSION FLUID….HELP!!!

[manny]

How hard can this be….I’ve read the previous posts, read Haynes and read the Owners manual. I’m a man’s man, I don’t read instructions but I’m embarrassed to say I’ve been defeated by something as simple as a ‘dipstick’. I know by the end of this post ‘dipstick’ will probably be my new user name.
So, the other day I changed the trans fluid. About 2L came out and I re filled with 2 litres of new. I started the car and warmed it up on the drive (I didn’t take it out for a run as the manual suggested) but I got it up to the first mark on the temp gauge and she was ticking over nicely. I then ran through the gears, spending 20 seconds in each gear. I placed her in ‘park’ left the engine running and quickly got out to check the dipstick level. Not a jot was to be seen. I pushed the car back it the garage as I’d ran out of fluid and off I went to buy more. A few days later I repeated the process. Warmed her up on the drive, ran through the gears and added more fluid. After another 1 litre, this was the level of the dipstick…..just above the lower ‘Cold’ level.


I put the car into the garage feeling confused and defeated. I checked the level this morning, when the car was totally cold and the level was this…..just above the lower ‘hot’ level.
.

I again warmed the car up and ran through the gears. I even timed each change, spending exactly 20 seconds in each gear. I left the car running, jumped out and dipped the oil…..back to the first reading…. Just above the low cold limit …NOOOOOO. So, when the car is cold the dipstick shows a hot level and when the car is warm and through the gears, it shows a cold level. I’m worried that if I keep adding fluid to get the correct ‘hot’level, when the car is cold the level will be totally off the scale. HELP PLEASE. Should I just ignore the cold dips.

[matt of the vivas]

So the level is always taken with the engine running (so the pump in the gearbox is working) and the box in P, having run through all the gears first then back to P. This makes sure the torque converter is full.
If you just pull the stick out without it being running - you will get a high reading as the torque converter will have drained back into the sump. So ignore this and only take readings as above.
You should have 4 marks on the stick.
From to bottom they are:
Cold Low
Cold High
Hot Low
Hot High
"Cold" and "Hot" have nothing to do with engine temperature - it's gearbox temperature. You will only achieve "Hot" after about 25 miles driving....
So if you are doing a drain and refill as you have done, aim for Cold High (the second mark up) when you check as above. Then after a decent run, check again and top up if need be to Hot High.
These aren't the most fluid tight boxes.... A little leakage especially after it's sat overnight isn't anything to worry too much over, just keep it topped up.
And only use the correct fluid - NOT DEXRON.
Matt.

[manny]

Many thanks for that. As soon as the fog clears in Sheffield, I’ll take her on a longer run and test again

[manny]

Three changes in and I’m to this colour!!! I reckon there’s a few more yet. What do the experts think please.

[Matt Cotton]

Hi Manny.

An interesting thread this one, as I too have found checking the oil level on my Sprint auto a bit variable. Matt's advice here is very useful.

As for colour, it should be red and I don't think you would expect it to change from this colour between services - I may be wrong. The oil I drained out of my gearbox when I acquired my car was lovely and clean despite no record of being changed for a long time.

Best Wishes
Matt.