When is the best time to check transmission fluid level

Q: Should you check transmission fluid when its hot or cold?

If youre going to be checking the transmission fluid level at home, its a good idea to warm up the car before you do so. If the car is checked while the engine is cold, it might give an inaccurate reading when you use the dipstick. After driving for about 10 minutes, park on an even surface and leave it running.

Checking your car's transmission fluid level

It's no exaggeration to say that automatic transmissions run on oil, more properly called automatic transmission fluid, or ATF.

Table of Contents Show

Checking your car's transmission fluid level
Checking Transmission Fluid Levels
Transmission Repair Service
Ensure Your Transmission Runs Smoothly
Should you check transmission fluid when it's hot or cold?
How long should a car idle before checking transmission fluid?
How do you check transmission fluid when cold?

Unfortunately, in recent years, many manufacturers have started to eliminate the transmission fluid dipstick. Called sealed units, these transmissions require a much more involved process to check fluid levels than in days gone by. The process often involves electronic testing devices, such as a computer scan tool. This puts checking the transmission fluid level beyond the capabilities of the average car owner.

If your car doesn't have a dipstick, you should have your local repair shop or dealership check the transmission fluid level at least a couple times a year, even if you don't notice a problem with the transmission operation. A good time to do this is while you're having the engine oil changed, in the spring and fall.

But if your car does have a transmission dipstick, you should check the transmission fluid level at least once or twice between oil changes. Your car's owners manual should provide a detailed procedure for checking the transmission fluid level in your car.

If you don't have an owner's manual, here's a basic procedure that'll work on just about any car with a transmission dipstick.

WARNING: Checking the transmission fluid level requires working under the hood of your car with the engine running. This can be very dangerous if you aren't sure what you're doing. Watch out for moving components, such as fans, fan belts, pulleys, etc. If you aren't comfortable with this procedure, always take your car to your local service station to have the transmission fluid checked.

Make sure your car is on level ground.
Start the engine.
Bring the engine and transmission to normal operating temperature. The easiest way to do this is to check the fluid level right after driving the car for a while.
Hold your foot on the brake, and work the shifter slowly through the gears. Give the transmission a second or two in each gear range.
Put the shifter all the way back into park.
Set the parking brake.
Carefully open the hood.
Find the transmission dipstick (your owners manual should show you where to look for the transmission dipstick):
Rear wheel drive vehicles - the dipstick will usually be on the passenger's side of the engine compartment, near the back of the engine.
Front wheel drive vehicles - the dipstick will usually be on the driver's side of the vehicle, on either side of the transmission
Remove the dipstick, and wipe it off with a clean rag or paper towel.
Slide the dipstick all the way back down into the transmission fill tube.
Pull the dipstick back out, and check the fluid level against the markings on the end of the dipstick.
Add fluid as necessary.

Always use the fluid recommended by the manufacturer. See the consumer information on fluid types to be sure you're using the right fluid for your car. If the transmission requires more than a quart, or is using fluid regularly, take your car in to have it checked for leaks.

And if you're unsure of the procedure or where to find the transmission dipstick, check with your local ATRA member center: They'll be happy to show you where the dipstick is, and how to check the fluid level.

If you've ever popped the hood of your car, the first thing you may see is the engine. However, there are a myriad of fluids housed in this area, too. To keep your car running smoothly, check the transmission fluid from time to time before you set out on that next Ithaca, Trumansburg, or Watkins Glen adventure.

If transmission fluid levels are low, it can prevent the vehicle from operating safely in Syracuse and Baldwinsville. There are some steps that can be taken to check the fluid levels if your car has a dipstick.

Checking Transmission Fluid Levels

If you're going to be checking the transmission fluid level at home, it's a good idea to warm up the car before you do so. If the car is checked while the engine is cold, it might give an inaccurate reading when you use the dipstick. After driving for about 10 minutes, park on an even surface and leave it running.

Shift through the gears and give the transmission the opportunity to spend a few seconds in each gear range. Then, put the car back into park and set the parking brake.

Open up the hood and locate the transmission dipstick. The owner's manual is a good place to look for instruction if you can't find it. Typically with a rear-wheel-drive car, the dipstick will be closer to the passenger side near the engine. Front-wheel-drive cars will have the dipstick on the driver's side, closer to the transmission.

Take the dipstick out, wipe it down with a clean rag or paper towel, then put it back into the transmission fill tube. Pull the dipstick back out of the tube, and check the fluid level against the markings near the end of the dipstick. Fluid can be added if necessary.

Every vehicle is different, which is something you'll want to keep in mind. Recently, some manufacturers have decided to remove the dipstick and replace it with a sealed-off unit, which requires electronic testing or a computer scan. If you don't want to check transmission fluid levels at home, or your car has one of these sealed units, our service team will be happy to do it for you.

Transmission Repair Service

When adding transmission fluid at home, be sure to use what the manufacturer recommends. This can be found in the owner's manual. If the transmission needs more than a quart of fluid, or it seems like the fluid is being used frequently, our service team should inspect it to see if there may be a leak.

If a transmission is struggling, it may make a thud noise if the gears aren't shifting properly. If the car isn't accelerating or reaching highway speeds easily, that may also be a sign transmission repair is necessary. Learn more about our service offerings by reaching out to our maintenance team today.

Ensure Your Transmission Runs Smoothly

Transmission fluid acts as a lubricant for all of those important parts inside the transmission. When it comes to transmission fluid flushes and other transmission repairs, visit Maguire Dealerships near Ithaca, Trumansburg, and Watkins Glen.

It's our goal to ensure your transmission is running as it should in Syracuse and Baldwinsville. Contact us to schedule a service appointment today.

Should you check transmission fluid when it's hot or cold?

How long should a car idle before checking transmission fluid?

Checking the fluid level With the engine idling, move the gear selector lever at least three times through all positions. Set it in the 'P' (park) position and let the engine idle for two minutes. Clean around the dipstick area to avoid dirt getting into the transmission.

How do you check transmission fluid when cold?

Pull the dipstick out again and check the fluid level. If the engine is cool, it should be at the upper end of the “COLD” mark. If the engine is hot, the level should be at the upper end of the “HOT” mark.