Transmission fluid is a crucial element for every vehicle and for maintaining your transmission system.  If you had no transmission fluid, your system could get stuck causing you to hear those awful noises you dread while driving down the road.

If you’re not familiar with the importance of transmission fluid, let me give you a quick lesson.  The fluid serves as a lubricant so that all the moving parts of the transmission function smoothly.  It’s a channel of transferring your engine’s power to the transmission system properly as well as contributing to less heat generation from the transmission components.

Most mechanics recommend checking your transmission fluid once a month and having it changed every 30,000-60,000 miles.  Preventative maintenance is always important to keep your car in its best running condition, so here are a few simple steps to help you get started.

Step 1:  Locate the dipstick for your transmission.  It’s usually near the back of the engine and the handle is either a t shape or a ring handle, usually similar to that of your oil dipstick handle.

Step 2:  Start your engine to check the fluid level.

Step 3:  Carefully, grasp the dipstick handle and pull straight up until the end of the stick clears the housing tube.  Wipe the stick off with a rag, and push it all the back down into the tube.

Step 4:  Pull the stick all the way out again and hold it so you can see the end of the stick and the film of fluid that clings to it.

Step 5:  Look for the level indicators stamped or drilled into the dipstick.  You’ll see two sets of indicators; one set is for checking the fluid when the engine is cold and the other set is for checking the fluid when the engine is hot.  Each set of indicators is marked with a “full” line and an “add” line.

Step 6:  Determine whether your transmission fluid is at the proper level by finding the spot on the dipstick where the film of fluid ends.  If the film ends near the “full” mark or somewhere near the halfway point between “full” and “add,” your transmission has an sufficient fluid level. 

Step 7:  Return the dipstick to the holding tube and push it all the way back down into the tube. Fully seat the dipstick in the holding tube.

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