Hello,
I watched Scotty’s transmission fluid change video and decided to try it out myself. I bought my 14’ Honda CRV with 100,000 miles on it and now it’s at 136,000 so I figured I would add fresh transmission fluid. 4.5 quarts drained out, I only purchased 3 quarts from my local Honda dealer so I put all three in and planned to go back to the dealership and grab a couple more but had to do that the next day because they closed. I decided to check the dip stick to see where I was at and I checked it multiple times and it was reading that I am in the sweet spot. Right smack dab between the two pilot holes. Do I trust the dip stick? Or should I go back and grab another 1.5 quarts of transmission fluid? Thoughts? Suggestions? Recommendation?
Thank you!
2014 Honda CRV.
Do I trust the dip stick?
did you follow the instructions in your owner's manual for checking fluid level?
Did you move the shift lever through all the gears, pausing a few seconds at each one, after replacing the fluid?
Yes, I have done that and am getting a good reading. Can you make sense of it?
sense of what?
Did you check it before you changed it?
If anything, I would think the level after changing it would be a bit low, as it was likely not fully warmed up after.
Car needs to be at flat ground. Start engine, move levers through all positions, leave at Neutral, and apply hand break, leave it for 5min so it would heat up. Check level and add fluid till you are in OK zone. Level of fluid in transmissions is critical. Next time you will have longer drive for 1 hour or longer, stop and check level again on flat surface. Have fluid ready 🙂 At this point you can add it up to MAX, but no more. Its cold right now so fluid heats up very slowly and fluid expands with heat. I got 5.9 Grand Cherokee and i have seperate temperature transmission sensor and after 30 min of ride it has around 55*C or 130*F.
When its hot it takes about 2 mins of ride to heat up to 80*C (180*F), just like the manual says 🙂 I noticed it even goes up to 90*C at moments when in trafic.
Mario, I did what you said and checked the dip stick and seemed to get a bad read, but the car hadn’t heated up fully in that five minutes so I drove it around to get it up to temperature and got back home on flat ground, shut it off, and checked the transmission fluid quickly after. I got a spot on reading, directly between the pilot holes. The manual says a change takes 2.3 quarts. I emptied 4.5 and replaced with three and am getting a good reading. After this check I am pretty confident in the change. I feel I should leave it now. Next descent trip(an hour or so) I’ll check it again. Thoughts? Thank you for the advice.
You check the fluid level on turned ON engine, gear level on Neutral. Engine needs to be RUNNING.
When you turn on the car the level should be at OK zone, unless its -30*C then it can be a little below. Synthetic expands around 1% for every 10*C, so from -20*C to 80*C (-4*F to +180*F) it expands around 10% (its not much) . Minerals will expand around 10,5%. Depends on the additives.
this is not what the owners manual instructs. See above.
Thats what happends when you dont read everything ;). Didnt know Honda needs to turn off the engine, thanks for that. I down voted myself too.