fluid only shows on one side of dipstick?

[The motor guy]

Ok so I can pull the dipstick out and wipe it off and stick it back in and the oil only shows on the backside of the dipstick and is dry on the other. My buddy said it's because the oil gets wiped off by the dipstick tube. Makes sense I suppose since it's hard to get back in. Anyone have any thoughts? I seem to get the most accurate reading the first time I pull it out and check it. I always check with the engine running in neutral. Supposed to check with it at 180 degrees but that's hard since the temp only gets up to about 130-140 due to it always being around 50-60 degrees outside.

 

[Kuato]

I hope this is the transmission you are checking with the engine running....and of course you are since this is the trans section.

But yes, often only get fluid on one side when checking trans fluid.

 

[Donald]

I suspect the oil tube also. Why isn't your engine getting up to the specified temp? With a working thermostat it should always get up to the specified temp unless its something like -50F and the engine is loosing heat faster than it generates it. Thats not the case in Houston.

Although you gauge and/or sender could be inaccurate. A good OBDII reader can read the temp.

 

[The motor guy]

Originally Posted By: Donald
I suspect the oil tube also. Why isn't your engine getting up to the specified temp? With a working thermostat it should always get up to the specified temp unless its something like -50F and the engine is loosing heat faster than it generates it. Thats not the case in Houston.

Although you gauge and/or sender could be inaccurate. A good OBDII reader can read the temp.


The transmission is supposed to be at 180 degrees for it to be at the full mark. It's hard to get an accurate reading on a cold tranny. The engine always gets up to temperature and the trans too. It runs about 70-80 degrees above ambient temp like it should. So it it's 50 degrees out it's only going to show like 120. I have gauges so I know.

 

[Coprolite]

My transmission gets warmer than that when I commute. It takes much longer, but a long run into the city allows it to get up to "full" temperature.

Are you checking this after a long drive or just warmed up in the driveway?

 

[rw19]

Sometimes that happens to me when I am on a incline or decline. OP check it on a totally flat surface.
And make sure the tranny is HOT

 

[meep]

I don't buy it.

The tube is round and the stick is not. it's not going to give a perfect wipe like the theory suggests.

try immediately turning the engine off, counting to 10, then checking it. that's not enough time for the TC to leak down.

I'd counter that there may not be enuf fluid.

 

[Petersubaru]

Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
Ok so I can pull the dipstick out and wipe it off and stick it back in and the oil only shows on the backside of the dipstick and is dry on the other. My buddy said it's because the oil gets wiped off by the dipstick tube. Makes sense I suppose since it's hard to get back in. Anyone have any thoughts? I seem to get the most accurate reading the first time I pull it out and check it. I always check with the engine running in neutral. Supposed to check with it at 180 degrees but that's hard since the temp only gets up to about 130-140 due to it always being around 50-60 degrees outside.
…this happens on my subaru..I just add 1/8th of a qt or a little extra fluid and then both sides are covered..get the oil up to max temps before checking..

 

[The motor guy]

I actually think I have too much fluid at the moment. I find it hard to believe it could be low since it clearly shows on one side. Besides I'm sure all I have to do is flip it over and it would show on the marked side.

 

[WishIhadatruck]

I also don't understand how a round tube can wipe a flat dip stick completely dry, unless it isn't flat, even then it would just smear it. If the dipstick was completely submerged to the correct level of fluid, both sides would be wet. I've always gone by the lowest dry spot on the dip stick, whether engine oil or transmission oil, not to the highest wet spot.

 

[meep]

Agree. think the dipstick is picking up splashing or runoff from the tube on the wet side, and giving a more accurate reading on the dry.

that's why I'd check it with the engine off, immediately after turning off and before it has any time to drain the TC

 

[The motor guy]

It shows about half an inch onto the dipstick on the flat side with no markings. I guess i'll add more and see if it shows on the marked side.

 

[The motor guy]

ok I checked it again today and I noticed that the first time I pull the dipstick out of the tube the fluid is covering both sides of the dipstick and it's about 1/4th the way up past the cold mark. The transmission was only around 110 degrees since I only drove it to Mcdonalds. Now whenever I wiped it off and pulled it out again to check it it showed about 1/4th up the dipstick past the cold mark on the flat side and barely at the tip of the stick on the marked side. Which method is a more accurate reading? The first or second time I checked it?

 

[Doog]

What does your owners manual state? I always check trans fluid with the vehicles engine running and at full operating temp on a level surface. Then when I am certain I am right on the full mark when hot I come back and make a "cold" mark on the dipstick after the vehicle has sat overnight on a level surface. Then I can check it hot or cold.

 

[The motor guy]

I think the fluid was low that's why it wasn't showing on the stick. I guess it just gets fluid from the inside of the dipstick tube that gives a false reading. I added about a pint and it looks like it's showing on the marked side now. Of course I didn't give it a chance to all drain down so hopefully that wasn't a false reading.

 

[The motor guy]

This thing is driving me nuts. I added about another quart to it and it seems like oil is smeared here and there on the side with markings and a nice perfect layer on the smooth side about halfway in between. the hot and cold markings this is with the transmission at about 110-120 degrees. It's about as hot as I could get it with the outside temps. that's about 70 degrees over the ambient temp. I don't see how it would pickup a nice smooth layer of fluid on the backside of the stick. The side with markings was the side with random fluid blotches way up the dipstick which is leading me to believe that's the side scraping the tube. Anyone else have thoughts? I don't want to end up with this thing way overfilled and have it blowing fluid out somehow from adding too much.

 

[The motor guy]

I'm thinking about draining the fluid this weekend into a clean container and measuring how much comes out of the pan and just reusing the fluid. I had a 1/8" npt fitting welded in for my temperature probe that I can also use as a drain plug.