Periodic transmission service is necessary since the fluid breaks down and stops cleaning and protecting the hundreds of moving parts. Aamco, a transmission repair company has almost 900 independently owned, franchise locations around the country. Of course auto dealers in CT have certified technicians on staff to work on transmissions and there are hundreds of small, local repair shops in addition to the 7 CT dealerships that make up the Executive Auto Group. But the size of this one company and other popular transmission repair facilities is an indication of the money spent on transmission repair or replacement. With that in mind, you’ll find it worthwhile to occasionally check the level of your transmission fluid to avoid more costly repairs down the road.
If the fluid in your automatic transmission is low, the transmission may slip or engage slowly. If the level is too high, may become mixed with air, again causing shifting problems, slippage and noise. Leaving these symptoms unattended will result in damage to your transmission and can be avoided with normal preventative maintenance.
Generally, automatic transmission designs provide a dipstick to measure the correct transmission fluid level, but some vehicle manufacturers seal automatic transmissions where you simply cannot check the automatic transmission fluid level (ATF). Your owners manual will specify if that applies to your vehicle and also help you to determine:
- Whether your engine should be on or off and
- What position the gear selector should be in
On most vehicles, the engine must be fully warmed up and running while others call for the engine to be warm, but turned off. In either case, you should almost always start by warming the fluid by idling or driving the vehicle.
So what are the steps to checking your automatic transmission fluid?
Open the hood and locate the ATF dipstick at the back of the engine, on the opposite side of the belts. The top of the dipstick may be labeled. If you don’t have your manual handy, check the dipstick as manufacturer sometimes print specifics near the bottom, on the dipstick itself.
Locate the dipstick and remove it, wipe it clean, look for comments, examine the level marks and then insert it again.
Put the dipstick back in the hole. Make sure you push it all the way back in. 
Pull out the dipstick again, this time to check the fluid level. All ATF dipsticks have lines indicating full and low levels.
- Under normal driving conditions, a transmission should not use any fluid so a low level usually indicates a leak.
- If the fluid is bubbly or foamy, the transmission may be overfilled with ATF.
ATF is added through the dipstick hole. It’s critically important that you add the correct type of fluid, once again found in your owners manual. Remove the dipstick and place a long funnel, available at any CT dealer, in the dipstick hole. Slowly add the correct transmission fluid through the funnel a little at a time, checking the level on the dipstick to avoid overfilling and to make sure your fluid is at the correct level as noted on the dipstick.
Push the dipstick back into the hole and close the hood.
We recommend you service your transmission according to mileage recommendations in your owners manual, or every two years, whichever comes first. A transmission service includes replacing the filter, draining and replacing the ATF, and installing a new transmission-pan gasket. This service is not part of a regular tune-up; you must specifically ask for it.
The Executive Auto Group has a vehicle repair center near you. If you notice hard shifting, chattering and slippage of your transmission, or if you have any other concern about your transmission, contact the experts at Liberty Mazda or Liberty Honda in the Hartford area, Executive Honda, Executive KIA, Executive Dodge JEEP RAM or The Executive Auto Center Used Car Center in Walling ford and Acura by Executive, Executive JEEP or Executive Nissan in North Haven.
{ 1 trackback }