Hi Guys
New to the forum and I am in the UK but your forum is a lot more informative than the one in the UK.so hope you can help.

Basic question but how is the oil level checked for the auto gearbox only at the moment when mine is cold it is showing on the dipstick in the hot position.

Is there a procedure for checking only can't understand why mine is showing on the hot mark when the car has been standing overnight and cold.

Thanks
Norman

 

I believe the proper way of checking the tranny fluid is having a warmed up vehicle on a flat surface, running, while in park. At that point it should be on the hot level of the dip stick.

 

While the engine is running? Are you sure about this?..I never get clear instruction on how to check tranny level. I believe you drive around for about 5mins park your car in a flat surface and turn off your car and then check the level. I did that and still having a hard time checking the correct level.

 

What I can't understand being an important thing to check it is not in the handbook how to check it correctly, shows how to check the engine oil but that is fairly basic I would have thought.

 

Check the dip stick.....I could swear the directions are on the cap part. It says while the car is running....

 

Nothing on my dipstick it just says use genuine atf oil

 

Correct,
This is because some engine oil consumption is considered "normal" so customer should monitor it to add oil.

But trans fluid should be sealed and not change level. Only when someone replaces the fluid should it change levels. The person who drained the fluid should be a technician/mechanic so they should have the service manual to know the right amount and procedure to put it back.

Plus, I don't think Toyota wants to give any instructions that would have a "n00b" customer anywhere around an open hood with a running engine(for legal purposes), so they leave it out for the customer's handbook.

 

Just had mines done last week and after drain and fill it was at cold then drove 20 mins to work, checked again and now it's at hot.
Always check with engine running with gears in park!
GL

 

So you mean it should be at hot mark while the engine running in Park on a flat surface to check the level?
What I did was drain and refill with 2 bottles and forget about checking the level

 

Yes, that is correct. On my car gs430 i drained and filled with 1.9qts just perfect.

 

I guarranty if you put in 2 bottles and let the engine running and then check, it would not even half way between hot and cold level. You would need close to 3 bottles to get it close to the Hot level.

I don't know why, but my first drain I measure that it was about 3qrts and then I put in 3qrtz just because what you take out you should put in, but I realize the manual said 1.9, so I pump out some just to meet the spec. So as of now I still don't know exactly how to check the level. I just put in 2 bottles and forget about checking it.

 

Whatever you take out, you put the same amount back in - assuming the correct amount was already there in the first place.

I don't do tranny fluid change much so I might be wrong. First off, do as the previous statement I made. Second, if you do not know how much you took out, get on a level ground and fill to cold indicator. Have engine on and step on the brake and move the gear selector from park all the way down to 1 (in series and slowly). You should also feel the car going back with reverse and forward when on D.

Put on Park. Clean dipstick and check to see if oil is at cold level. (While engine is running).

If you feel it's sufficient at the cold...also when you shifted, with brakes on, you felt the push and pull... you are set to take it for a drive.

Take it around the block (don't mash the accelarator pedal...just drive normal). A few minutes drive come back to the leveled spot. Clean the dipstick and check to see if oil is at the HOT level or close to it.

If everything is good, then that's it. You might want to double check the next day as a precaution.

Now, if it's not at the level you want, if you have to add..remember you are adding the tranny oil at the cold level so it won't be accurate... just don't add too much and take it for a drive again. REMEMBER you don't want to be perfect LOL.

If you have to drain. Drain some and repeat the idea.

Tranny oil hot... it expands... cold, reverse.

 

Because the fluid expands and contracts so much, and also flops around depending on what gear you are in and/or engine on/off, you don't need to worry sooo much about getting an exact level.

As long as you're not doublefilling or forgetting completely to fill, if you're within a quart you will be alright (IMHO).

This goes for oil as well, contrary to the the obsessive compulsives who jack up their rear or angle this way and out, trying to get every last drop out and putting back the precise amount.
There was some discussion how much the LS430 really takes for an oil change, as there is actually a misprint in the customer instruction manual (says 4.9qts versus the real 6qts).
But if you really look at the dipstick documentation, the acceptable range between low and high is 1.6quarts! So even if you only put in 4.9qts you're about 1/3rd up from low and well into the "OK" range by toyota standards. It's not that crucial to be that precise.

 

I always put back in what comes out cause the last 3 times I did it, 2.75 quarts came out when a lot of other people were getting 2....or even 3.

 

very informative thread,as should be draining my oil next week hopefully