2004 Toyota Camry XLE 2.4 l for cylinder with a 2AZ FE engine 142,000 miles automatic transmission. I checked the transmission fluid and it seems a bit low but also the color is a light pink slightly purple hue. I did a drop and fill about 30,000 mi ago with Toyota ATF-T and I still have some and the color is a nice red. What could cause this change in color and delayed gear change momentarily?
Also it's hard to get an accurate reading on the dipstick. Before starting the car for the day I'll check the level and sometimes it's bone dry and other times it's halfway between hot and cold. Only after driving it for about 20 minutes can I get a reading which is almost at the hot mark.
the color is a light pink slightly purple hue
Is the fluid clear or is it starting to look like a strawberry milkshake?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYorJ08NXAA
What could cause this change in color and delayed gear change momentarily?
Color changes occur because of contamination. Delayed shifting is often caused by an insufficient amount of fluid.
It can be difficult to read the fluid level but do not add too much fluid. (don't assume and go adding fluid)Also it's hard to get an accurate reading on the dipstick. Before starting the car for the day I'll check the level and sometimes it's bone dry and other times it's halfway between hot and cold. Only after driving it for about 20 minutes can I get a reading which is almost at the hot mark.
To check for a proper fluid level the car needs to be on level ground, warmed to operating temperature, the transmission cycled through all of the gears. With the transmission returned to park, you can now check the level via the dipstick. Do not expect the fluid on the dipstick to appear to be the same color as red fluid in the container. It's a translucent color and it will not appear to be the same color (it usually appears to be a lighter shade of red, an almost pink color).
If under these conditions your fluid level does not fall between the 2 indentations marked "hot" you need to adjust the fluid level. Here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAyVKrbN5EU
Also it's hard to get an accurate reading on the dipstick. Before starting the car for the day I'll check the level and sometimes it's bone dry and other times it's halfway between hot and cold. Only after driving it for about 20 minutes can I get a reading which is almost at the hot mark.
Hot transmission fluid significantly expands, creating cold levels and hot levels. You don't have enough transmission fluid in the transmission. On a level surface and cold, the transmission should be at the cold mark indicated on the dipstick. Wipe off the dipstick before measuring to get an accurate reading. Then, fill it to that point after the car has sat overnight. Idle the engine up to operating temperature and start filling the transmission until it reaches the "hot" mark. Do it on a level surface to ensure an accurate reading.
You might want to check and make sure transmission fluid isn't leaking onto the ground. You can get UV dye and funky sunglasses from any auto parts store if you suspect it may be leaking. Some cars have transmission coolers as part of the radiator assembly, and some don't.
@justin-shepherd yeah and read the owner's manual. Usually the engine needs to be running, and transmission in a particular gear.
You're technically supposed to run it in every gear for 20 seconds or so, then pull the dipstick again to check if it's still low. I forgot to mention that as well. Haha. My Pontiac requires the transmission to be hot, the engine needs to be running, and in park to get an accurate reading.
@imperator I'll take a picture today and upload it. I also had the radiator replaced about a year ago with an aftermarket brand. The shop that did this installed the wrong radiator and it was leaking the next day so I brought it right back to the shop and they put in the correct radiator which had no leaks. Could this of cause the slippage in gears after all this time? And bring this up because when I checked the coolant level it's low. It's all so hard to tell because the coolant, atf, power steering are all red colored. Also the hose from the power steering return line that goes to the overflow reservoir has a slight leak. I will take pictures of each of these components so you can get a better idea of these problems.