Around where should the tranny fluid be reading on the dip stick when the car is turned off and cold? i try checking it when i drive the car for a while then i put in park and for some reason i cant see where its marking at, but when its left overnight then i check with the car turned off it marks on the grid part of the stick

 

Not sure as it's meant to be checked when hot and in park with motor running. Are you pulling the sick, wiping it off, replacing it and repulling it to see where fluid is?

Tranny fluid expands as it warms (like everything) - so it should he higher on the stick hot than cold. Too much tranny fluid is not good - so if it's in the hatch marks when cold, might be too much in there. Can drain some at the cooling lines running to radiator if need to - easier than pulling the pan (unless you have a drain plug on the pan, which most don't unless they added one).

 

yeah im pulling the stick, i clean it, then i put it back in then pull and i still cant read what its say when its hot and in park, but when its cold i could see what its marking

 

Well the other thing is that when the car is running, it pumps fluid into the torque converter, some of which drains back to the pan when its stopped.

I just checked mine, its about 30 degrees out and the car hasnt been started in about two weeks, it was at the top of the zigzag bend in the stick.

I can understand about it being easier to read when cold, I just noticed it looks thicker and darker in color when its cold. My engine oil is almost impossible to read when its hot.

 

You should be able to read it clearly with it in park and running. If the dipstick is only getting a little damp ADD fluid. It will read higher with the engine off.

 

What kind of fluid???

I have the same problem with royalpurple racing ATF, the purple tint they use is very very light and its super hard to read on the stick.

Im using RedLine next time, nice deep red like stock, all ATF is dyed, there is a reason they do it red

 

alright so when its cold it should be reading higher? i thought it was the other way around.

 

'Most' materials expand as temperature increases. Apparently the volumetric coefficient of thermal expansion for oil is near: 0.00070 (1/oC) or 0.00039 (1/oF). Is that what you're asking for?

 

I know you said "cold" but as far as getting a decent/accurate reading I only check the transmission fluid when hot and running. I stop the car,run the shifter through the gears in my auto. with the brake on and then back to park. Pull the stick and wipe down. Re-insert and pull checking the fluid mark holding it on a down ward angle and spinning it slowly in the light to see both sides of the stick. Sometimes its easier to see the mark on the back side of the stick. If its low slowly add dexron 3 or equivalent a little at a time . Careful not to overfill.Ive done that and made a fluid pump that will extract from the fill tube.