Safety check before I try to add trans fluid

barb1414 · 05-26-2009, 12:40 PM

History: My daughter has a 2000 Isuzu Rodeo: automatic; 2 wheel drive; 6 cyl; 92000 miles. No maintenance has ever been done with the transmission including level checks. She started having problems with the car shifting and drove it for another three days before it completely stopped getting into gear. It sounded as if it were reving up when trying shift and hesitated before getting into any gear. Also it will not respond to just trying to step through the gears using the gear shift. She is unsure about any dummy lights coming on.

I can see that the vehicle has been leaking trans fluid. My fear is that the transmission is shot but I want to try to add some trans fluid in hopes that the main problem is low fluid. I have located the fill plug and the auto supply store down the way has a simple pump and the correct fluid. I have read in this forum that I need to idle the engine for 10 minutes; put the car in neutral with the emergency brake on then open the fill plug and pump fluid in until it trickles out.

Questions: 1. since I will have the emergency brake on and I know the brake works I am thinking that I should not be afraid to get under the car when it is running in neutral? It is in my garage so on a flat surface. 2. what tool do I need to open the fill plug? 3. If by some miracle the transmission works with fluid added, would you suggest then that I go buy the transmission filter and change it and as much fluid as possible?

As you can probably tell I have never done any work on a car.

Ramblin Fever · 05-26-2009, 07:01 PM

No need to feel intimidated by the never having worked on a car, in general.

This design of a tranny can make anyone feel intimidated.

Yes, you have the right idea. Park the truck on a flat surface, and starting with a COLD engine/transmission; i.e. after having sat for at least 5-7hrs, start it up and let it idle about 2-4min. Slowly manually shift it through the gears, allowing 7-10 seconds in each gear before putting it back in park.

You can check the ATF level with the truck in neutral OR park, on this particular transmission. I've always done mine in park, never had an issue after 13yrs.

Make sure you already have everything down on the floor with you, as you do not want that tranny getting too hot before you pull the fill plug. I want to say it's a 19mm wrench, can't remember off the top of my head. Very slowly pull this plug out, you'll get some residue fluid with it, but be sure to pull the plug all the way out.

If fluid trickles, you're good; but I doubt you're going to get any, so be ready to add fluid. Just start pumping away, some will come back out at you, so be ready and make sure you're not wearing any good clothes.

I always put cardboard down on my floor, along with some old towels.

Chances are, yes, this tranny might be toast. As aside from the fact they absolutely HATE being ran low on fluid, the fluid in and of itself is usually far past being spent at 90k miles.

Keep us posted. When you retorque that bolt, do not overtighten it. The pan is aluminum, you will easily strip/warp the pan.

barb1414 · 05-29-2009, 08:08 PM

Encouraged by the post from Ramblin Fever I did add transmission fluid to my car and I now have a working vehicle again! I am so happy I did not have a burnt up transmission. Ramblin Fever had great advice to have cardboard, towel and old clothes on because I sure made a mess when I was pumping the fluid into the fill plug. Thanks for the help!

Ramblin Fever · 05-30-2009, 12:52 AM

Good deal!

Did any fluid come back out at you before you added any? And what color was it?

If it's brown or burnt smelling, you're going to want to do a complete drain/refill along with probably changing the filter.

Keep me posted!

Cat Fuzz · 05-30-2009, 01:54 AM

If you think adding fluid to a later Rodeo is bad, you should try a late Ford Exploder. It is quite a stupid process that requires special tools.

Ramblin Fever · 05-30-2009, 10:18 AM

I've also heard had I bought an '05 Tacoma versus the '04 that I bought, we would have a nightmare on our hands too.

What's your Explorer require?

See, your Rodeo is an auto right?? What kind of fluid are you putting in yours?

Getting ready to change mine again, however can't find the Castrol Import stuff I have been using.

Cat Fuzz · 05-30-2009, 11:26 AM

I don't own an Exploder. Rodeo is a superior machine. I have worked on Exploders though. It was an '02. There is a plug in the bottom of the pan. You have to hook up a scan tool, start the engine and monitor the fluid temp. When it reaches a certain temp, you remove the drain plug and if some fluid trickles out and then stops, you're good. If none comes out, you need to add by putting a special tube through the hole and pump it in until it starts to trickle out.

I haven't changed the fluid in my Rodeo yet. Only had it a couple months.

Ramblin Fever · 05-30-2009, 11:55 AM

That's actually VERY similar to the Rodeo's with the auto tranny. We are supposed to use a special tool to monitor temp, but I don't.

barb1414 · 05-31-2009, 09:36 PM

I used the store brand of automatic transmission fluid from the O'Reilly Auto Parts store that can be used in transmissions needing Dexron-III. When I opened the fill plug prior to adding the fluid, no old fluid came out. However the film of fluid around the inside of the fill plug was brown.

Ramblin Fever · 06-01-2009, 01:58 AM

It needs to be changed then...but you only want to do a little at a time, i.e a drain/refill which drops roughly 3-4qts. You do NOT want to get a tranny flush; but I wouldn't do nothing either....you're currently on borrowed time if that fluid's brown.

Keep us posted.

pharm_rodeo · 06-01-2009, 11:10 PM

I'd hate to see what's sitting at the bottom of that pan.

FL 3.2L · 06-04-2009, 10:55 PM

Yeah. That pan needs to be dropped and the filter and gasket changed. If you were able to fill it up, you can do the rest! Glad to see you guys are still around helping folks out!

Ramblin Fever · 06-05-2009, 08:24 AM

Fletch...where've you been hiding out? Don't see you post too often anymore.

FL 3.2L · 06-06-2009, 12:22 AM

Lotta family type stuff happening. All is good, though, and I'm back to checking the forums a little more. The Rodeo has 188K and is back in the driveway for the summer break. Did the oil change last week and a tranny fluid swap is coming due, I think. Runs like a champ!

Ramblin Fever · 06-06-2009, 10:21 AM

Good deal.

Just did a fluid swap on mine; atf after 10k miles was still very red, but didn't smell as fresh as the new stuff going in. Thinking about doing another drain/fill end of June; truck will only see 200 new miles by then, if that; but the truck ended up in a few mud pits and thick snow areas this winter, tranny did have to work hard....so I'd like to get more clean fluid back in there.

Think I'll forgo the tranny filter till next year though, only put 5k miles on it this year.

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