How to Check Your Vehicles Transmission Fluid

Have you been dealing with difficulty shifting gears while driving? Learn about and how to check your vehicle’s transmission fluid!

Transcript:

Have you ever wondered how healthy your transmission is?

Whether manual or, automatic, your transmission requires maintenance to keep your vehicle running optimally.

Hi, I’m Nancy at Kneble’s Auto Service Center.

Before I tell you the importance of transmission fluid and how to check it in your vehicle, like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and check out our YouTube channel.

Transmission fluid has the following purposes:

• It keeps the moving parts lubricated to prevent them from wearing down.
• It keeps parts cool so they don’t get damaged from overheating.
• It keeps seals and gaskets from leaking.
• It keeps friction limited, and it keeps parts coated to prevent oxidizing and corrosion.

Now, to check your fluid, you can do what I do, schedule an appointment with your auto technician and have it checked by a professional.

Or you can do it yourself.

Remember, you are not only checking the fluid level but also the consistency, clarity, and color.

Before going under your vehicle’s hood, refer to your owner’s manual for the location of the transmission fluid dipstick.

It is usually found near the transmission and looks like an oil dipstick.

But don’t be surprised if your vehicle doesn’t have a dipstick.

Some make such as Acura, Cadillac, BMW, Mazda, Toyota, and Volkswagen, well, they don’t use dipstick.

These vehicles require the fluid to be checked from the fill plug on the side of the transmission case.

If that isn’t confusing enough, other makes and models require a scan tool to track the transmission fluid level as there was a fluid level sensor.

And yet other transmissions, the manufacturers use lifetime transmission fluid and don’t require fluid checkpoints.

See what I mean?

It’s a lot of information.

So not such a bad idea to have your auto technician check your fluid.

If that hasn’t scared you often, you want to move forward, here are the steps to follow when checking your transmission fluid with a dipstick.

1. Make sure your vehicle is on a level surface.
2. Put your vehicle in park or neutral, depending on the manufacturer’s recommendation, and keep the engine running.
   • Make sure the engine has been warmed up so that fluid has been circulating.
3. Locate the transmission fluid dipstick, pull it out, and wipe it clean.
4. Now reinsert the dipstick and read the level. The dipstick will have two lines reading either hot and cold or fill and add.
   • Remember, fluid may be hot. Read the dipstick to determine if the fluid is needed.
   • Also, remember you are observing the color and consistency of the fluid.
5. If the color is dark, milky, has air bubbles or sediment, schedule to have your vehicle diagnosed as this is not healthy for the vehicle.
6. Add the proper fluid and level if needed. It is important not to overfill.
7. Recheck the fluid level after shifting into all the gears to circulate the fluid to make sure it’s full.

Remember, know the proper maintenance for your vehicle to promote longevity.

Thank you for watching, and check out a new video every Wednesday at 12:30.

We are located here at 5473 Somers Point Road in Mays Landing for all your car care needs, next to Freddy J’s Bar & Kitchen.

If you need to schedule, you can do it through our website or give us a call (609) 625-3286.

Thank you for watching.