Too Full?

[AJB0009]

2012 Ford Fusion, 2.5L, 6F35 6-Speed Transmission, 135k miles
A week ago or so I did a drain and fill on this again. I think the third time that I've done it. No filter to replace, it's internal (). MC Mercon LV fluid.
My notes from the last changes showed that I filled with 4.5 quarts when done. This time I jacked the back of the car up and got a bit more to drain out.
Ford Tech Makuloco says to make sure that it is full when done.



I warmed it up a bit and filled it to the bottom of the crosshatch area. I drove it a quite a ways and got it hot. In the end, I ended up putting six quarts in.
Yesterday I had a 200 mile drive (3 hours). The end of the drive yesterday afternoon was some gridlock on I-85. It was about 80 outside, A/C running. When I got home, I checked it again and found this:

What does everyone think, is this over full? Should I drain some out? I was actually a bit surprised to see it so full. It shifted fine, no issues noted. What is the risk of overfilling a transmission?

 

[carviewsonic]

If it were overfilled just a little, say to the N on the word NOT, after driving 200 miles in warm weather I wouldn't worry about it. But it looks quite overfilled to me. I would crack the drain plug and let it dribble some out, then check again after your next drive.
I'm not a mechanic, but my understanding is that if overfilled enough, the trans fluid could contact rotating parts, causing air bubbles to be entrained in the fluid.

 

[Graham Piccinini]

The risk of overfilling is that now your gears are submerged in fluid. That causes the fluid to bubble up and foam a bit. Air bubbles don't protect as well as ATF, so soon you may experience erratic shifting, or slipping. I would make sure to check it cold again, on perfectly leveled ground, and if still appears overfilled - use a cheap fluid pump to remove some through dipstick, or drain some out and check/correct ATF level afterwards.

 

[Lubener]

You are probably a pint overfilled. I would use a suction device to get the excess out if it were me. Too much is just as bad as too little.

 

[Whimsey]

We have the 6F35-6 speed in our 2017 Explorer. Total ATF quantity for this transmission is 9 quarts. My drain and fills on ramps has been 4 quarts every time. BUT I do the D&F's "cold". I drive the Explorer onto the ramps and let it sit overnight then change it the next day. After multiple times doing it this way it's always shifted just fine. If the vehicle is level you can open the fill port, if your model year has one, when it's hot and let the excess flow out till it stops. Our 2017 Explorer does not have a transmission dipstick, just the vent neck with the breather on top. That's where I fill the transmission instead of through the fill port on the side of the transmission because I do it "cold" and it's a lot easier .

 

[Greasymechtech]

Use a scan tool for the ATF temp and you will know if you're overfilled

 

[blufeb95]

The risk of overfilling is that now your gears are submerged in fluid. That causes the fluid to bubble up and foam a bit. Air bubbles don't protect as well as ATF, so soon you may experience erratic shifting, or slipping. I would make sure to check it cold again, on perfectly leveled ground, and if still appears overfilled - use a cheap fluid pump to remove some through dipstick, or drain some out and check/correct ATF level afterwards.

It's not that it doesn't "protect" as well necessarily it's more that automatic transmissions rely heavily on hydraulics and when you have air bubbles in hydraulic fluid, air bubbles can compress, and when they do compress you don't get good power transmission and the torque converter may behave erratically and clutches may not get applied correctly.

 

[Graham Piccinini]

It's not that it doesn't "protect" as well necessarily it's more that automatic transmissions rely heavily on hydraulics and when you have air bubbles in hydraulic fluid, air bubbles can compress, and when they do compress you don't get good power transmission and the torque converter may behave erratically and clutches may not get applied correctly.

Yes. When I said "Air bubbles don't protect as well as ATF" I meant a hint of sarcasm in there, just didn't highlight it. But you get what I mean.