There are two main things about tranny fluid: Show
Checking engine oil is a lot different. It needs to be checked when it's in the oil pan. In order for it to be in the oil pan, it needs to drain after it's been up in the engine. This takes a little bit of time. Engine oil doesn't expand as much as transmission fluid, so can be checked hot or cold. While engine oil is important to how an engine operates, the level isn't as imperative as transmission fluid. Transmissions are very sensitive to line pressure. As you get more transmission fluid into the transmission, the pressures rise. If left unchecked, the fluid will find an escape hatch somewhere and that somewhere is usually a seal. Blowing out the front main seal (or where the torque converter rides) requires a transmission pull to fix. This isn't something you want to do every day. Engines don't have the pressure effect which transmissions do. The pressure is regulated at the pump and mainly needs to have oil flow in order to operate efficiently. Most engine manufacturers are good down to even 5psi of oil pressure. There is also a lot of space in an engine for oil to hide. As oil gets pumped around, it sticks to walls and is all over the place. It needs to drain back into the sump, thus the 5 minutes of drain time. Not everything will drain down, but the vast majority of it will. This isn't how every manufacturer likes to have it read, but leaves things in a pretty good state as far as the level goes. I don't read this as a discrepancy in either case. I look at it as how they are designed/engineered to be checked. Published Sat November 3, 2018 If your vehicle has an automatic transmission—and it probably does—then shifting gears should be a relatively simple, seamless matter. If the engine seems to hesitate or stall before shifting from one gear to the next, that could point to a maintenance issue, and potentially to a mechanical problem.
Locating Your Transmission Fluid DipstickThe first step is to locate the dipstick; this will look basically like your oil dipstick, although color-coded, to help you tell the two apart. The exact location of the dipstick can vary. In rear-wheel-drive vehicles, it is usually toward the rear of the engine. In vehicles with front-wheel drive, the dipstick will usually be found sticking out of the transaxle, and in most cases is toward the front of the engine. Checking Your Transmission Fluid LevelOnce you have located the dipstick, you can now check your fluid level:
Final Tips for Fixing the Transmission FluidNote, if you do add more fluid, there are many different types of transmission fluids out there. For optimal performance, you will want to use the type specified in your owner’s manual. Make sure you double-check this before purchasing the new fluid. If you identify the signs that your fluid needs changing, and if you’ve never done that before, your best bet may be to bring it in. Make an appointment at Meineke today, and ensure that your fluid is changed out before you experience any bigger issues or more serious problems with the vehicle! Do you check transmission fluid with the car off or on?Turn on your car, leaving it in park, and let the engine run for a few minutes to warm up. Transmission fluid expands in heat and in order to receive accurate results, it must be under normal operating conditions. If the fluid is checked when the engine is cold, you may get false results indicating the fluid is low.
Why do you check transmission fluid when the car is running?It is better to check a car's transmission fluid when the engine is running. This is because transmission fluid expands and diminishes when it is cold. If your car's fluid is checked when it is running warm, you can easily tell its amount. But when cold, the fluid may appear low, and this may lead to overfilling.
What is the proper way to check transmission fluid?Check the Level
With the engine warmed up, leave the car idling in park on a level surface. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, replace it slowly, and then pull it back out. Check the fluid level—how high the fluid comes up on the dipstick—against the "full" and "low" or "fill" marks on the dipstick.
Do I leave the car running when adding transmission fluid?Your car's engine should be running when you add fluid to the transmission, but you should have the transmission in park and the handbrake activated for safety. Check the owner's manual for instructions on selecting the correct transmission fluid for your vehicle.
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