How to Check Transmission Fluid Car On or Off

How to Check Transmission Fluid

Checking your transmission fluid is an important part of maintaining your car. It helps to ensure that your transmission is working properly and that it has the correct amount of fluid. There are two ways to check your transmission fluid⁚ with the car on or off.

Car On or Off?

It is generally recommended to check your transmission fluid with the car running, as this will give you the most accurate reading. However, you can also check the fluid with the car off, but you will need to take some extra steps to get an accurate reading.

Checking the fluid with the car on⁚

Start the car and let it idle for a few minutes.
Shift the transmission through all of the gears, pausing for a few seconds in each gear.
Park the car in neutral and leave the engine running.
Pull out the dipstick and wipe it clean with a rag.
Reinsert the dipstick into the transmission and pull it out again.
Check the fluid level on the dipstick. The fluid should be between the “full” and “add” marks on the dipstick.

Checking the fluid with the car off⁚

Park the car on a level surface and engage the parking brake.
Turn off the engine and wait a few minutes for the transmission fluid to settle.
Pull out the dipstick and wipe it clean with a rag.
Reinsert the dipstick into the transmission and pull it out again.
Check the fluid level on the dipstick. The fluid should be between the “full” and “add” marks on the dipstick.

If the fluid level is low, you will need to add more fluid. Be sure to use the type of fluid that is recommended for your car. You can find this information in your car’s owner’s manual.

Checking the Level

Once you have determined whether to check the transmission fluid with the car on or off, you can follow these steps to check the level⁚

With the car on⁚

Start the car and let it idle for a few minutes.
Shift the transmission through all of the gears, pausing for a few seconds in each gear.
Park the car in neutral and leave the engine running.
Pull out the dipstick and wipe it clean with a rag.
Reinsert the dipstick into the transmission and pull it out again.
Check the fluid level on the dipstick. The fluid should be between the “full” and “add” marks on the dipstick.

With the car off⁚

Park the car on a level surface and engage the parking brake.
Turn off the engine and wait a few minutes for the transmission fluid to settle.
Pull out the dipstick and wipe it clean with a rag.
Reinsert the dipstick into the transmission and pull it out again.
Check the fluid level on the dipstick. The fluid should be between the “full” and “add” marks on the dipstick.

If the fluid level is low, you will need to add more fluid. Be sure to use the type of fluid that is recommended for your car. You can find this information in your car’s owner’s manual.

On

Checking the transmission fluid with the car on is the preferred method, as it gives you a more accurate reading of the fluid level.

Here are the steps on how to check the transmission fluid with the car on⁚

Start the car and let it idle for a few minutes.
Shift the transmission through all of the gears, pausing for a few seconds in each gear.
Park the car in neutral and leave the engine running.
Pull out the dipstick and wipe it clean with a rag.
Reinsert the dipstick into the transmission and pull it out again.
Check the fluid level on the dipstick. The fluid should be between the “full” and “add” marks on the dipstick.

If the fluid level is low, you will need to add more fluid. Be sure to use the type of fluid that is recommended for your car. You can find this information in your car’s owner’s manual.

Off

Checking the transmission fluid with the car off is a less accurate method, but it can still give you a general idea of the fluid level.

Here are the steps on how to check the transmission fluid with the car off⁚

Park the car on a level surface.
Turn off the engine and wait a few minutes for the fluid to settle.
Pull out the dipstick and wipe it clean with a rag.
Reinsert the dipstick into the transmission and pull it out again.
Check the fluid level on the dipstick. The fluid should be between the “full” and “add” marks on the dipstick.

If the fluid level is low, you will need to add more fluid. Be sure to use the type of fluid that is recommended for your car. You can find this information in your car’s owner’s manual.

It is important to note that checking the transmission fluid with the car off can give you a false reading if the car has been recently driven. This is because the fluid will be hot and expanded, which can make it appear to be at a higher level than it actually is.