My aunt recently got an all-wheel-drive Saturn Vue with the 3.5L Honda engine. I went through the owners manual and it said the transmission dipstick is a black loop in the rear part of the engine compartment. I searched and searched there one day and couldn't find it! The manual didn't say anything about it being a sealed, filled for life trans, it actually recommends a fluid change at 25,000 miles for severe service. Has anyone actually found it? Also I found it odd that in the instructions for checking the fluid level, it said to get the car up to operating temperature, but then shut the engine off and then check. Every other auto trans I've ever seen has to be checked with the engine running.
Where is the trans dipstick on a 3.5L Saturn Vue?
- Thread starter Tom300M
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Here's the procedure from the 2005 Vue owner's manual. Note that this trans takes the Honda ATF Z1 fluid, NOT Dexron III. You can get this at Honda or Saturn dealers (there IS a GM part number for ATF Z1). You also check it with the engine OFF. It's also recommended to check with the fluid at normal operating temperature. You should wait 30 minutes if you've been driving long distances and/or in heavy traffic, towing or driving in high temperatures.
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
- Park your vehicle on a level place.
- Warm the engine to normal operating temperature until the electric radiator fan turns on at least once.
- With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever in PARK (P).
- With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever through each gear range, pausing for about three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift lever in PARK (P).
Then, turn off the engine and follow these steps:
- The transaxle fluid dipstick handle is the black loop near the rear of the engine compartment, toward the center.
- Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or paper towel.
- Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and then pull it back out again.
- Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower level. The fluid level must be between the upper mark and the lower mark.
- If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the dipstick back in all the way.
Prepare your vehicle as follows:
- Park your vehicle on a level place.
- Warm the engine to normal operating temperature until the electric radiator fan turns on at least once.
- With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever in PARK (P).
- With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever through each gear range, pausing for about three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift lever in PARK (P).
Then, turn off the engine and follow these steps:
- The transaxle fluid dipstick handle is the black loop near the rear of the engine compartment, toward the center.
- Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or paper towel.
- Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and then pull it back out again.
- Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower level. The fluid level must be between the upper mark and the lower mark.
- If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the dipstick back in all the way.
Thanks Matt, but I've gone through the manual more than once. Its just that I can't find the black looped dipstick described in it. I really searched and I never had such a problem find one on other cars where I had to owner's manual to refer to. This Vue has got me stumped.
From what I can tell looking at the service manual, it's near the oil fill cap. You'll probably have to look down low, as it doesn't look like it sticks up very far. They show the tube kind-of wrapping around the front of the starter motor, then stopping.
Ah that's near the front of the engine compartment, not the rear. I guess the owner's manual must be wrong, at least for the 3.5L engine. I'll hopefully be checking it later today, thanks!
I know on some GM trannys they do NOT have the dipstick - just a little cap that goes over the hole.
It's a PITA to check the fluid than. Should be a little red cap in that general area...
Just for an FYI...
It's a PITA to check the fluid than. Should be a little red cap in that general area...
Just for an FYI...
This is a Honda trans, not a GM trans. Their dipsticks are typically very short and non-descript, i.e. not color coded.
Matt,
ToyotaNSaturn recently did an ATF change on his 04 VUE with the Honda V6...he posted his experience in the ATF UOA section as he also did a UOA of the factory fill.
You may want to contact him.
Michael
ToyotaNSaturn recently did an ATF change on his 04 VUE with the Honda V6...he posted his experience in the ATF UOA section as he also did a UOA of the factory fill.
You may want to contact him.
Michael
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