Having a tough time gettig the correct amount of fluid for my truck. Here is my process so far. Sorry its long. I had the tranny flushed at 30k miles. I am now at 35k. I have pulled the stick out to see and smell the fluid a few times a month since, but after reading the workshop manuals in the tech folder for the past month, i realize i may have too much fluid in it . Dumb me Dont know why it hadn't hit me the 20 other times i have checked the fluid. When measured cold, the fluid would be at the top of the indicator past the hot hashmarks. I have been experiencing some sketchy shifting with my tunes that require more line pressure and read in the workshop manuals that too much fluid will affect line pressure. So, the truck sat level at work for 10hrs yesterday and i dropped 2 qts of fluid to get it to the top of the cold hashmarks. Everything good. Started it up drove about 30 miles then got home to see my results while hot. Did the P-R-N-D-3-2-1 and back then left the truck running to check the fluid. Tranny temp was 168*. Not a drop of fluid on the dipstick! Added a quart to get it to the top of the hot hashes. Checked it 3 times. Good. After work today. Been sitting 10 hrs. Checked it cold before starting the truck and its almost at the top of the hot hashes. Someone help me please before i go nuts!

 

Do you have the factory tans pan on it. Also youshould be checking it with the engien running on a level surface trans at operating temp. I believe that you will get a false reading if the trans is cold. However it shouldnt be above the Hot marks if its cold. Thats kindda wierd. If you check it with the engine running is the level where it should be or is it way above the hot marks. I will check mine in the am. It will have sat for almost 18 hours. I have a MagTech trans pan so I hold more but the stick has always been dead on.

I will let you know how it is both hot and cold.

Sarge

 

Yeah, its the factory pan. No matter what the situation was when i would check it before i have been doing all this draining and adding, it would always be way past the hot hashmarks on the stick. That is running or not

 

Ignore the cold reading. It's meaningless. ALWAYS check the trans hot, idling in park. The cold mark on the dipstick was a stupid idea that should never have made it to production.

 

When the truck is turned off you have x amount of fluid that drains back into the pan and will give you a high reading wether cold or hot. Always have trans up to temp. for expansion and engine running so that the residual fluid has not drained back into the pan.

 

These guys already stated it but I'll pile on... Definitely check it while up to operating temp and engine running.

As Mark stated, the 'cold' level hash mark was a bad idea. Had ya doing this didn't it?!?! Hang in there!

 

Thanks a ton fellas.

 

another thing to consider is the dipstick itself.
Remember when the PSD came out in '94.5? it came from Ford with the wrong dipstick. It was several quarts off.
If what the guys here have said doesn't cure you issue and still leaves you scratching your head, double check the proper length of the dipstick, it could be of a defective length.

 

Mine was over the cold mark when cold, after it ran and got up to operating tems it was right where it should be so as stated ignore the cold level and check it hot, idling in park.

Sarge

 

I've got two 6.0's, '03 and an '06, and when I drained my pan and replaced both filters (internal and external), it took exactly 7 Qts. of fluid (I did not do a flush, just drain). You might want to drain your pan and put in 7 Qts. of new fluid, run truck to operating temp. and see where your level is on stick with engine on and on level ground. I also overfilled my '03 the 1st time and had shifting problems. Remember to use Mercon SP! Good luck.