Auto Tranny Low on Fluid

PoorLuder · #1 02-06-2005, 04:07 PM

Ok, so I went and checked my tranny after driving for a little while and found that nothing was on the dipstick. Not good. So I went and picked up some tranny fluid at Pepboys. My question is about how much fluid I should be putting in if the dipstick came up bone dry. I was also curious if I would feel a difference in the driving if it was overfilled. Would my car start shaking or have some other symptoms? Thanks for your help.

sLADe781 · #2 02-06-2005, 04:44 PM

If it's really that low, you should probably just redo the whole thing. Like just drain the tranny fluid (if there's anything left of it), and just fill it back up. Not exactly sure what the procedure is on an automatic though.... But yeah, gotta be careful with that stuff because my cousin fried his car because he was out of tranny fluid but didn't know so he never added any. By the time my dad took a look at it, the car was barely running anymore. That sucks!

Thourun · #3 02-06-2005, 05:48 PM

Yea you wanna top it off real good. Anyone see those ads where there are a bunch of old people on a roof and they spray them all off and some young people start runing in their place. Its for a tranny flush, apparently when you change it you only get like half the old fluid out lol.

k3smostwanted · #4 02-06-2005, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thourun

Yea you wanna top it off real good. Anyone see those ads where there are a bunch of old people on a roof and they spray them all off and some young people start runing in their place. Its for a tranny flush, apparently when you change it you only get like half the old fluid out lol.

yeah thats the AMCO or whatever commercial...pretty funny. whats even funnier is that at the end they show that guy holding a transmission like it weighs a couple pounds. i dont think so...

anyways, i would just go like a 1/4-1/2 a quart at a time because you do not want to overfill it either. overfilling can lead to automatic transmission failure also. i would go like 1/2 a quart until it starts showing up on the dipstick, then move to 1/4 of a quart until it is at the very top of the full mark. always remember to do this while the car has been completely warm for a few minutes. and make sure the fluid sits for a second before you check it or else you will get really inaccurate readings, becasue it will pick up fluid that hasnt settled yet and it is still on the tube.

PoorLuder · #5 02-06-2005, 06:08 PM

Thanks for all the input. I think my dad got a little carried away and put too much in. I'll put it on the ramps tomorrow and drain some of the fluid back out. By the way, does this car have a convenient drain plug or something that is inconvenient?

k3smostwanted · #6 02-06-2005, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PoorLuder

Thanks for all the input. I think my dad got a little carried away and put too much in. I'll put it on the ramps tomorrow and drain some of the fluid back out. By the way, does this car have a convenient drain plug or something that is inconvenient?

its probably inconvient in the fact that you probably have to drop the pan...

you dont happen to have a syphen pump???

PoorLuder · #7 02-06-2005, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by k3smostwanted

its probably inconvient in the fact that you probably have to drop the pan...

you dont happen to have a syphen pump???

I don't think we do...couldn't be that lucky.

StealthModifier · #8 02-06-2005, 08:43 PM

u did run it through all the gears.. then put it in nuetral and checked the fluid that way right?

Thourun · #9 02-06-2005, 08:56 PM

A siphon is cheep from Ace hardware, saw like 3 different kinds while I was in there today getting some applicaitor pads and thread tape for pipes.

PoorLuder · #10 02-07-2005, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thourun

A siphon is cheep from Ace hardware, saw like 3 different kinds while I was in there today getting some applicaitor pads and thread tape for pipes.

I'll probably go pick one up from Pepboys. Stealth Modifier, I took a little drive around the block and checked it. It seemed like the shifting was kinda rough. Hopefully, that did not hurt the tranny...

StealthModifier · #11 02-07-2005, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PoorLuder

I'll probably go pick one up from Pepboys. Stealth Modifier, I took a little drive around the block and checked it. It seemed like the shifting was kinda rough. Hopefully, that did not hurt the tranny...

when checking it ur actually supposed to have it sitting in one spot.. have ur foot on the brake. let it idle in L for a few soeconds.. and take it up the gears that way. like L then 2 then D then N then R then P then N ... put the E-brake on and let the car idle, then go out an check the transmission fluid that way

PoorLuder · #12 02-07-2005, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StealthModifier

when checking it ur actually supposed to have it sitting in one spot.. have ur foot on the brake. let it idle in L for a few soeconds.. and take it up the gears that way. like L then 2 then D then N then R then P then N ... put the E-brake on and let the car idle, then go out an check the transmission fluid that way

I probably was not as specific as that. I did go through the gears but did not have any order to it. I had always thought that it just had to be warmed up and then checked. I'll just keep siphoning away.

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