Jun 9, 2021
As a car owner, you know that engine oil is essential to lubricate the different components of your car and protect it against wear and tear, as well as that you want to ensure your transmission is well lubricated by transmission fluid.
Maintaining the proper transmission fluid levels in your car is extremely important to keeping the transmission shifting correctly, and to keep your car running as smooth as the first day you bought it
So how do you check your transmission fluid?
First thing first, you want to check the owner's manual - do you drive an automatic or manual? Manual transmissions typically don’t have a dipstick because they are factory filled, with the fluid only having to be changed in the event of an emergency repair.
Following on from step one, if you have an automatic transmission you need to look for the fluid dipstick which is typically red. The owner's manual will help you locate this if it’s not labelled. Rear wheel drive cars will typically have the dipstick on the passenger side, whereas front wheel drive cars typically have the dipstick on the driver’s side. If your car doesn’t have a dipstick, you will need to take it to a local dealership or mechanic to have this checked by an electronic device.
Similar to an oil change, you want to remove the dipstick and wipe it clean, reinsert it and pull it back out. You will then know whether or not it’s necessary to top up. Your owners manual will state what fluid you need to top it up with.
Automatic transmission fluid is used in vehicles with automatic transmissions and is typically red or green in colour. You need to check this because damage can occur when the fluid level is low.
To check the transmission with the dipstick, the procedure is the same as the above. However, many newer vehicles no longer have automatic transmission dipsticks and instead use automarkers.
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