Checking auto trans fluid level

[rowan194]

Is it as simple as checking that there's slight overflow of the sump plug when the vehicle is raised & level? I have a minor leak, so minor that the driveway isn't spotted and I'm not even sure it's actively leaking (maybe just damp) but I do want to be sure. I have some 95LE fluid and a pump to add more if necessary.

I had a quick look underneath and reckon if the muffler wasn't in the way you could do it with the vehicle on the ground... maybe once I'm more used to it...

Great job Ford, for removing the dipstick to let us easily routinely check the fluid level!!!

[rowan194]

Oh yeah, and good on you Ford for not having a sump drain plug... but that's all been said before, many many times by many frustrated car owners.

When I get some more fluid I'm going to try a fluid and filter change, just doing a check & topup for now.

[rowan194]

I'm cursing Ford even more now that I've done it. 30 seconds with a dipstick versus 45-60 minutes of mucking around just to see if a bit of fluid drips out of a hole!!!

It started coming out pretty much as soon as I pumped some new ATF in there so I guess it was at the correct level, and the leak is super slow or the caked on grease has plugged it up... the faint odd noise I'm hearing isn't just due to a low fluid level. :(

[Beer Baron]

Ford made the box like that because people were putting the wrong fluid in but yes it is a pain.

When dropping the pan to do a filter change clean off the magnet in the pan and if it doesn't have one put one in. Make sure the old filter seal comes out otherwise you will double up on seals and it wont be able to suck fluid up and you wont be going anywhere. Last but not least take note of where the filter clip goes when your taking it off.

[rowan194]

Originally Posted by Beer Baron

Ford made the box like that because people were putting the wrong fluid in but yes it is a pain.

I think that's just an excuse to justify them sealing the unit to make extra bickies when they fail because you're unable to check the level every week. They could have at least made some other sort of dipstick mechanism, like located in the transmission itself, so someone more in the know could check it without needing to jack up the car and unscrew the filler plug... and what's with no drain plug? Are they afraid people are too stupid to figure out the difference between draining the transmission and draining the engine?

But no point complaining about that, I have an AU and that's how it is.

Originally Posted by Beer Baron

When dropping the pan to do a filter change clean off the magnet in the pan and if it doesn't have one put one in. Make sure the old filter seal comes out otherwise you will double up on seals and it wont be able to suck fluid up and you wont be going anywhere. Last but not least take note of where the filter clip goes when your taking it off.

With the seal coming off, do you mean the small round one that's attached to the plastic filter body? I'll be looking very carefully at the way the filter clips on, will take a pic too.

[parker]

You'd think someone in ebay land would be selling pans with plugs fab'd in.