Reading Transmission Dipsticks

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Jul 16, 2009 | 09:06 AM

IzzyR

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Reading Transmission Dipsticks

I'm having a hard time doing this (& I've followed all correct procedures, e.g. engine warm, cycling through gears etc.), as it gives me different readings on different sides of the dipstick. According to one side I've overfilled it, and according to the other side I'm quite low. (Sometimes it's solid on the high side, but sometimes it looks like random splotches.)

I found one website that seems to address it, saying

Quote:

Look at both sides of the dipstick and take the lowest reading where the transmission fluid ends.

This seems to make sense intuitively, and it's more likely that stray fluid could attach itself from some odd place (tube?) than that one side could come up dry from a full transmission.

But we are warned against overfilling, so I was wondering if others can confirm this.

Jul 16, 2009 | 09:29 AM

IzzyR

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I found another site that confirms the above in greater detail.

Jul 16, 2009 | 10:23 AM

Rusty_S

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From: Houston

Your correct. Thats why I hate adding transmission fluid and then checking cause its in the tube and you got transmission fluid running all up and down the stick.

Way I do it is pull the stick and look at both sides. I go by the one with the most defined line. The very well defined line means it was made by liquid and not from the tube.