 | Chance Transmissions is a family owned business in its third generation, started in 1978 by Neal Chance and Dave Long. T3wenty-seven years later, Chance Transmissions is still a family owned Christian business and its mission is to serve its customers with the utmost honesty, integrity and quality. With 22 employees, the staff works closely with each other to make sure the customer's experience at the shop is a good one. Located at 6325 S. Seneca, you can contact Dave at (316) 529-1883 or Toll Free at (800) 500-8726 |
Automotive Service & Repair
2004-12-01 08:52:00
How do I check my transmission?
: How do I check my car's automatic transmission fluid and how often?
ANSWER: It is not necessary to check the automatic transmission fluid level as often as you should check the engine oil. Checking the ATF every two to four weeks is a good plan for most motorists, and it only takes a couple minutes. Check your car's automatic transmission fluid like you would check the engine oil with the only difference being that the motor has to be running. Remove the dipstick from the transmission under the hood and inspect the fluid level on the end of the dipstick. The dipstick may be labeled TRANS or ATF (for automatic transmission fluid) the color of the fluid is a pink or light red for easy recognition. If the engine dipstick and the transmission dipstick are unmarked, you can tell them apart by looking to see where the dipsticks are located. The transmission dipstick is usually by the firewall on the right side (driver side) of car and has a tube that goes down to the transmission. On a front wheel drive car, like most late models, the transmission is on the left side (passenger side) of car and again on most cars the dipstick is near the firewall and has a tube that goes to the transmission. If you are still in doubt, pull the dipstick out and look to see what color the fluid is. If it is the transmission dipstick, it will be that light red or pink and if it is the engine dipstick it will be brown or gray-black. To check the fluid, start the engine and allow the transmission to warm up to operating temperature, or drive vehicle for five to ten minutes. With engine running, apply the parking brake and check fluid (for some vehicles the transmission needs to be in PARK and on others it needs to be in NEUTRAL) check your owners manual for your application. Remove the dipstick and wipe off with paper towel or rag and reinstall the dipstick. Now remove dipstick and check for fluid on stick. Make sure that the fluid is between the FULL and ADD mark, usually the difference between the FULL and ADD is about one quart. Being over FULL is ok but no more than a quarter of an inch over the FULL mark. If your fluid is at or under the ADD mark, fluid needs to be added. If there is no fluid on the stick be sure to add fluid before driving or damage to transmission is possible and or more provable. If you have a leak in your transmission or see fluid on the ground, check your fluid more often to make sure you do not run your transmission low on fluid. Fix your leak as soon as possible or find a repair facility to have the leak fixed. To operate an automatic transmission safely, the ATF level must be maintained between the ADD and the FULL marks on the dipstick. To add fluid, install a funnel in the tube, install fluid and remove funnel; allow a minute or two for the fluid to run down the tube. If you check the fluid too fast the fluid will still be in the tube and will give a false reading. Install the dipstick fully to its seat and remove. Re-check, if fluid is under the ADD mark, add one quart. If between ADD and FULL mark, add one pint. Remember it is easier to add fluid than to recover it.
