its really isn't all that difficult but you need to do it level and warmed up... they use the little pipe like this in the transmission pan as a level indicator... it usually has a plug on the bottom that some think is a drain plug but in actuality, you run the transmission up to operating temperature and then remove the plug and if oil runs out, the level is correct.. look at this pan for an idea what they are doing now.. since I have serviced both my Camaro ( no dipstick ) as well as my Nissan CVT, and they do it the same way.
Checking fluid level in an automatic with no dipstick...
- Thread starter KICK
- Start date
Really stupid idea. Like saying if you can still pee ok your bladder must be fine.
Yep, all those "lifetime fill, maintenance free" are similar. I'll be changing the fluid in 2 of them this spring/summer, my RAM with the ZF 8 speed has about 33K miles on it and I plan on changing that around 60K which is ZFs recommendation (Mopar says "lifetime! never needs changing!" of course)
A dipstick is no joy either. One side maybe a half inch different from the other. You have to drive it and warm it up to some unknown temperature or else the reading may a half inch off too. Why can't it be as simple as an oil dipstick you check with the engine off?
Ford did everything they could to make sure it's impossible for a consumer to check transmission fluid in the 10 speed in a Mustang. The 2" dipstick is on the passenger side of the transmission, tucked up nicely behind the catalytic converter. No plug in the pan.
methods vary depending on manufacturer + following directional are necessary for a correct read. i DONT buy slush box trannies BUT girlfriends older 6 spd tiptronic in her 08 jetta conventional tranny was simple, jack car safely level to get to the 2 piece plug, remove the inner part + a "stand" pipe inner plug is left if it drips your good in not add. its noted a temp + on a moderate Pa day + a short drive to my house it was in spec using my VagCom from ross tech i have in my laptop, not as EZE as a stick but a DIY for many + $$$ at a stealer for sure!!
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
The first AT I ever encountered with this type of setup was the GM 4L30E in our 2002 Isuzu Rodeo. It didn't have a riser pipe, but the "level check plug" was stamped up high in the pan and directly next to the drain plug which was mounted lower.
Fast forward 20yrs and my 2022 Nissan Frontier has a Jatco built Mercedes Benz 9G matic 9spd with a plastic pan and a special key/tool required for the combination level check, drain and fill port. Depending on which way you index the "plug" determines what it does.
Fast forward 20yrs and my 2022 Nissan Frontier has a Jatco built Mercedes Benz 9G matic 9spd with a plastic pan and a special key/tool required for the combination level check, drain and fill port. Depending on which way you index the "plug" determines what it does.
On the ZF 8 speed be careful on some applications that fill plug is right next to the cat converter. I just did my Chrysler 545RFE; not a hard job; sucked out about 1/2 of the fluid in the pan via the dipstick tube with the vacuum pump. I used my scanner to read trans temp to get the hot full accurate. Took 9.5 qts for a pan drop.
No dipstick in my 07 Toy FJ and my 02 C5 Corvette. Both have automatic transmissions. SUCKS! but I have a lift at home that makes a bad situation less bad.
The 2010 vintage 6 speed trannies used in the F-150s are the same way. There is a short metal cylinder sticking up out of the tranmission on the RH side. You unscrew it and there is a short yellow plastic dipstick underneath that you use to check the fluid level. As you say, it's tucked up against the catalytic converter AND you have to have the engine running when you remove the cap and during the whole process or the fluid will overflow. (With the engine running, the fluid pump draws down the fluid level down in the sump, but when the engine stops, the fluid can drain out of the lines and other places and overflow the sump if the cap hasn't been replaced yet.)
Yep, the Ranger is the same way. I suspect I might have a smidge more space over the Mustang, but not much.
I subscribe to the cold check method that FordtechMakuloco uses. With the plug in maybe 1/2 turn, start the car/truck, cycle it through the gears, and hop under there to measure. If it is just under the warm mark when it is cold, it should be just right when its warm. Gives you a few minutes of being able to avoid your normal 3rd degree burns.
With all the electronics in cars today, the trans temp should be a display and there should be a sight plug or something. Last time L checked, the top of the fluid is the top of the fluid, not matter how you examine it.
There are many things on cars I wish they would eliminate in the name of cost cutting rather than eliminating dipsticks. How much could a dipstick possibly cost? Seems to me this must be more about forcing people into dealerships than saving manufacturing costs. And I know they'd really love it if everyone would just forget they even have transmission fluid and let it ride until it dies, after warranty expiration, of course. Greed trumps customer satisfaction again.
I dont think they do it to cut costs so much as to make it seem like it is
1. maintenance free
2. borderline impossible to check at home
3. become a service item a customer will pay for.
I don't know if it is stupid on their part but I know it is asinine on my end.
Allison Transmissions are decades ahead in design with push button shifting and driver comfort fluid checks. Since most cars are moving away from shift cables and more towards electronics, they should pick up cues from Allison.
yeah, my employer had Allison Automatics, the 1st vehicle we had with that Electronic push button selector came out in 1997.. you could check oil level with it, as well as check and clear for transmission codes.. added benefit was it was far more accurate than a dipstick, which at times could get mixed up with the dipsticks from other vehicles..
dnewton3
Staff member
Shift cables are simple and reliable.
Electronic systems are expensive and complicated to diagnose and repair.
And, ironically, most "electronic" shift systems are merely using a stepper motor system to shift via a cable anyway. They aren't making the system anything but more of a pain in the long run. Electronic shift systems look sleek and simple inside the cabin of the vehicle, but they look like a nightmare under the hood.
My point illuminated:
Not a fan of dipstick-less but I get it, most don’t check, some who do introduce foreign material when doing so (which can then lead to problems), and OEM’s are under pressure for “lifetime” fills. What I never understood was the transmission was so sensitive to fill level, a bit extra shouldn’t hurt… it’s not like there is any crank throws here to aerate oil! just make the sump large enough so the fill level is more accomodating.
I did change the ATF in my Tundra twice. No fun but for something I did every 3 or 4 years… it’s a bit like complaining about timing belts I guess. I think my hybrid is going to be easier, as I think it’s just a D&F, much different transaxle.
Last time I checked our CRV, Honda did something right—it’s got a dipstick and you check it, engine off—and Honda did something wrong—dipstick is like under the battery and you can’t see where it is, much less where to put it back.
I did change the ATF in my Tundra twice. No fun but for something I did every 3 or 4 years… it’s a bit like complaining about timing belts I guess. I think my hybrid is going to be easier, as I think it’s just a D&F, much different transaxle.
Last time I checked our CRV, Honda did something right—it’s got a dipstick and you check it, engine off—and Honda did something wrong—dipstick is like under the battery and you can’t see where it is, much less where to put it back.
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