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My sister brought her 89-245 over to be serviced.
She doesn't like checking/doing things herself. Eg. To check the oil, she'll go to the back, lift the gate, remove a plastic bag, cover her hand with it, search for a Kleenex tissue, and then proceed to check the oil. (Quite annoying to watch her.) Has an air pump at home but comes over to have the tires checked and filled. Etc.
Anyhow, with the engine running, I checked the ATF. Dipstick was dry. Added 1.3 liters (about 2 pints) and ran out of ATF. Dipstick still dry. (I've told her a few times to check the ATF levels as the transmission has a slow leak and even put a full bottle in the back sometime ago. Bottle was unopened.) Obviously checking the ATF level is too bothersome for her.
So, does anyone know if the following easier procedure outlined in the 700/900 FAQ works?:
"On the dipstick, above the plastic part that has the two temperature-specific scales, there is a little rectangular notch on the metal portion. Assuming the fluid level is correct, and the car is stone cold and you haven't started the engine yet, if you withdraw the dipstick and wipe it off and then reinsert it, then upon withdrawing it for this second time the fluid level should be on that notch."
Thanks
Trev29
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb, M46 trans, 3:31 dif, in Brampton, Ont.
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I'll admit, it can be a little aggravating checking the transmission fluid level on a 240 (940 too).
I check mine after a hard drive to really warm up the fluid.
With the engine running (parking brake applied) I run the transmission through the gears and put it in park.
I then check the fluid level (engine still running).
It's strange, sometimes on the first fluid level check the dip stick will come out completely dry and if I immediately re-insert it and check it, the fluid level will be showing on the dip stick.
That is a strange occurence, happens to me every time, so I always check the level a couple of times.
Can any of you Auto transmission guys explain that?
steve
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The seal at the top of the dipstick keeps air trapped in the tube. Fluid can't enter the tube till the dipstick is raised and then lowered. -- At least that's my take on the situation. -- Dave
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Hi Steve,
I gave myself a HEART attack thinking it was out of the transmission fluid. If I recall, the dipstick comes dry at 160F. It's interesting to check the level every other minute while the trans reaches 190F.
I would suggest getting a laser thermometer. It's $21 at HFT. Please get a coupon.
As always, thank you.
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Hi Trev29,
Would that help? At the right temperature, She can go out and check the dipstick.
In either case, You are lucky to have your sister. It sounds like she trust you. You haven't met my brother. Average, he kills one Honda lawn mower per year. Please don't ask me how he does it.
As always, thank you.
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"Would that help?"
No. She'd still come over for me to do the top up.
Eg. I told her to buy more ATF and add another 500ml. She showed up with the bottle and asked me to put it in because she couldn't get the funnel to fit in the dipstick hole.
My driveway is on an incline so I can't do the level check. As she makes use of parking lots, I've suggested she uses the cold check method after the car has sat for a few hours.
Initially when she brought the car over for winter tire install and brake check etc., She mentioned that the car was slow on accelerating from a stop. I asked if she had checked the ATF level as instructed. Obviously she hadn't.
"You are lucky to have your sister. It sounds like she trust you."
Umm, wouldn't that mean instead that she's lucky to have me as her brother?
Family - the people who'll get your stuff when you die.
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb, M46 trans, 3:31 dif, in Brampton, Ont.
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"On the dipstick, above the plastic part that has the two temperature-specific scales, there is a little rectangular notch on the metal portion. Assuming the fluid level is correct, and the car is stone cold and you haven't started the engine yet, if you withdraw the dipstick and wipe it off and then reinsert it, then upon withdrawing it for this second time the fluid level should be on that notch."
Hi Trev29,
I have tried this method a several times in the past. I didn't get a good result. It looks like the level reading is good when I remove the dip stick for the first time not the second time.
Using a laser thermometer gets a better reading.
As always, thank you.
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How does one use a laser thermometer to check the ATF level?
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Paul NW Indiana '89 744 Turbo 180K/ '90 745 turbo 145K
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Hi spasske,
With a cheap HT laser thermometer, I can shoot from my hip without ever running out a bullet. How did I do Art? :-)
Seriously, this is how I do it. I drive around until the car reaches the desirable temperature. BTW, it's tough to find an empty flat spot in Brooklyn.
With the thermometer, I have measured these following areas.
a. the black part of the dipstick
b. metal part of the dipstick
c. shoot inside of the dipstick tube.
d. measure the side of the transmission pan; front to back
e. measure the underside of the transmission pan; front to back
f. measure each corner of the transmission pan.
g. just shoot all over the place.
Based on this readings, I have concluded that the bottom center part of the transmission gets the hottest at 190F.
Please correct me if I am wrong. :-) As always, thank you.
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So, you are just using this to determine the level on the dip stick?
--
Paul NW Indiana '89 744 Turbo 180K/ '90 745 turbo 145K
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Hi Paul,
I copied this from the BB FAQ section.
Transmission Service Procedures. Checking the Fluid Level. To check the transmission fluid level:
1. The engine and transmission must be hot (so drive the car for 20 minutes or so)
2. The car must be parked on level ground with the handbrake on.
3. The engine must be on.
4. Start in P, then cycle through all the gears, ending up in P.
5. Then check the fluid level at the yellow dipstick. Reinsert the dipstick with the notches toward the rear to avoid jamming it in the tube.
I skip the procedure #4. You can do it if you like. Now, the fluid must be within a range of operating temperature as indicated on the dipstick. That's why I use a laser thermometer.
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Hi I-5 Librarian,
You need to find a flat spot before the temperature reaches 190F. Let it idle for a few minutes. Pull out the dip & wipe it clean. Then, put back the dipstick into the tube and pull out again. You should be able to read the level.
Ideally, you live close to Walmart where you can drive until it reaches the correct temperature.
As always, thank you.
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...and how does this help check the tranny fluid cold, sitting in the driveway, before starting the engine as user that is less than committed to routine maintenance.
Neat trick and similar to the only method of checking tranny fluid on "sealed for life" automatic transmissions that for lack of a better term have a thermowell in the tranny pan (certain GM 4L60E transmissions for instance).
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Hi Onkel Udo II,
Surely, it doesn't. However, I was kindly answering to Paul's question.
"How does one use a laser thermometer to check the ATF level?"
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I share your view that the procedure is tricky and full of mystery. I remember Ken C. made an in-depth study of it in Rolling.
The second check, I guess, occurs after the seal at the top of the dipstick tube is broken, which allows the fluid to rise some past the air pressure built in the tube ahead of its vent.
When the car is so low on fluid the red stuff never reaches the dipstick, the transmission will let you know by not engaging. Especially if the terrain isn't particularly level.
As regards our individual cares for spending time on maintenance, I preach some tolerance here. I know some of us really love driving these old cars as if they should just take care of themselves. Makes those of us who get our hands dirty feel more useful.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore
Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein
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So was this selected for the occasion or just coincidence?
"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. -Robert A. Heinlein"
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb, M46 trans, 3:31 dif, in Brampton, Ont.
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It popped up and I did not object. There are many in my collection which need to be culled. My dad's kids were all boys. Mine are all girls. Heinlein was a favorite in middle school.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore
"To do is to be." - Descartes
"To be is to do." - Sartre
"Do be do be do." - Sinatra
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"It popped up and I did not object."
Yeah, sometimes life seems to be a series of coincidences. If not objectionable, I go with the flow.
"Mine are all girls."
Well, at least you get to pass on your knowledge here. Thanks, "Pa".
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb, M46 trans, 3:31 dif, in Brampton, Ont.
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Trev29 wrote--"Well, at least you get to pass on your knowledge here. Thanks, "Pa"." I know at least one "girl" (my soon to be 40 year old daughter) who would object to that statement. She crawled around on the ground with me to do a complete brake overhaul, including new all lines, on her first car as a teenager. She held one job that included teaching classes on basic auto maintenance, shopping for a car and offering assistance in finding auto loans to the working poor by the non-profit social services organization for which she worked. Like her dad she has owned many cars - mostly Volvos (imagine that) but including a Barracuda (1968), Audis, VWs and Saabs.
But Trev29's sentiment is well taken regarding "Pa". -- Dave
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