Checking the transmission fluid of your car is a routine and essential activity that helps preserve its useful life. The transmission oil is responsible for lubricating and protecting as well as ensuring the optimal functioning of all the parts that make up the transmission. You should periodically check the transmission fluid to keep your transmission running smoothly. In this guide, we share some tips for checking transmission fluid without a dipstick.
Read on and find out more about it.
Ways to Check Transmission Fluid Without Dipstick
Checking the transmission fluid of your car is a routine and essential activity that helps preserve its useful life. The transmission oil is responsible for lubricating and protecting as well as ensuring the optimal functioning of all the parts that make up the transmission.
Here are some steps you must follow to know how to check the transmission oil without a dipstick.
Check if Your Car has a Dipstick or Not
You can check the transmission fluid level without the dipstick
First of all, try to locate a dipstick in your car. You can look for a T-shaped handle on the engine’s left side. The dipstick comes with an orange or yellow handle that is visible. You can also refer to the owner’s manual for further assistance. If your car has one then follow this guide to read oil dipstick. If not, then follow the next step to know how to check transmission fluid level without dipstick.
Check if Your Car has a Sealed Transmission
All cars come with an owner’s manual; hence you can take advantage of it. Read the manual to check if your vehicle has a sealed car transmission system or not. Proceed further if your vehicle has a sealed transmission.
Find Inspection Plug and Fill Plug
There are different types of transmission systems available in the market. If your car has a sealed transmission, it contains a fill plug and inspection plug instead of a dipstick. The inspection plug in your vehicle is where all the excess fluid flows out of the transmission, while the fill plug is where you add transmission fluid. You can find the inspection plug at the side of a transmission and the fill plug is located at the top. However, you can also refer to the owner’s manual to be sure.
Check the Transmission Fluid Temperature
Once you find out the location of the inspection and fill the plug, warm up the transmission fluid to proceed further. The transmission fluid must be at the correct temperature – not too cold and not too hot – to get the accurate fluid check results. The temperature of the liquid should be between 185 and 194 degrees with an idle time of 600 to 800 rpm.
You can also use an onboard diagnostic scanner to check the real-time temperature of the transmission fluid. Since the ideal transmission fluid varies from one vehicle to another, this is why it is better to check the owner’s manual.
Park your car on a Smooth Surface and Keep Idle
Park your car on a smooth surface and let it idle for checking your transmission fluid without a dipstick. A smooth surface can help you in getting an accurate level of fluid transmission.
Supply a Large amount of Air to Fill the Plug
You can follow these steps to supply air to the fill plug:
- Clean the fenders and make them free from all the bolts and clips.
- Try to locate the transmission fill plug and remove it.
- Now find a fill hole and mount a transmission fill adapter into it.
- Connect the filling adapter to the vacuum regulator.
- Also, adjust the regulator and the liquid extraction tank to supply the air at 100 psi.
Open Inspection Plug
Now wear protective gloves to open the inspection plug on your sealed transmission. Also, keep a drain pan under your car to collect the excess transmission fluid.
Check Your Transmission Fluid
Once you open the inspection plug, here is what will happen next:
- Transmission fluid flows out: If the transmission fluid flows out after opening the inspection plug then there is an excess amount of fluid present in it. In that case, you should let it flow. When it stops flowing that means the transmission fluid has reached the correct level.
- Transmission fluid doesn’t flow: If you don’t find fluid flowing from the transmission that means there is no or too little fluid present in it. Add more fluid slowly until it flows out of the inspection plug.
- Black transmission fluid comes out: If you see black fluid coming out of the inspection plug, that means the fluid has gone bad and you need to know how often to change transmission fluid. Avoid delaying car oil changes to prevent serious damage to your vehicle.
Experts advise changing the fluid of automatic car transmission fluid between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, while you can change the fluid of manual transmission between every 30,000 to 60,000 miles. Also, follow this guide if you notice a problem with car transmission.
Not only your vehicle engine but also the transmission needs sufficient lubricant to function properly. This minimises wear and tear and optimises efficiency. You must also regularly check the transmission fluid and its level to keep your vehicle in good condition. This also makes it easy for you to see if it is necessary to change your transmission oil ahead of time.
With this, we conclude our guide on checking transmission fluid without dipsticks. Also, don’t forget to check the condition of the transmission, if you are planning to buy a used car in the UAE.
To learn more about car care and maintenance, stay tuned to the UAE’s leading auto blog.
Related Posts
