Thread: Auto trans Fluid level check?

Do you check the auto trans fluid level with it in Park or Neutral and while it is running?
Is it possible to over fill the transmission?
Tried to check the fluid level last night as spotted a small leak (I think from the oil cooler connection) and the transmission was warm, ran it through all of the gears first and checked it with the vehicle in Neutral. When I removed the plug the fluid was free flowing (lost about 100ml while trying to get the plug back in) The vehicle was level also.
Vehicle is 02 DII TD5

Originally Posted by crash

Sorry for the clarification: so from a cold startup put it into drive and reverse - moving just a little, then put into neutral?
Rave states to have it in park while performing a refill.

no need to apologise for asking questions that are likely to ensure correct conformance with the required standard at minimum overhead.

I Dont normally let the vehicle move, I let it take up the driveline slop as I put it into reverse, give it 10 seconds in neutral then slide it down to 1 before returning it to either N or P

Mechanically from the boxes perspective neutral or Park doesnt matter.

you should have a 2mm bead of oil coming out of the filler, everyone has an interpretation of how and where to measure this so heres mine.

as the oil flows out if your looking from the right hand side of the vehicle it will flow roughly in a ? shaped path I measure the thickness of the oil at the first point at which the oil is flowing vertically down and I do it by eye, I havent been made aware of anyone whose tried to get in there with the verniers yet. (this is done with the vehicle level)

To fill the box I drive up onto a set of wheel ramps a driveway or jack and chock the front axle so its about 8 inches to a foot up.(from empty, and if no other work has been done that requires a different fill method) I put the first bunch of liters into the sump till the oil runs out, I then loosely cap the filler and start the engine, I let it run for between 30 seconds and a minute.

I then fill the auto sump again and repeat the process untill the sump will take no more... (at this point it is now technically over full and just how you want it) level the vehicle, start it cycle the selector and the pull the filler plug. apply your preferred method of selecting the correct oil level and then fit and tighten the filler plug,