DUMBEST question ever.....

[bamaboy473]

....I mean, how can you mess up using a Dipstick????

new to me...2000 Excursion auto 7.3L with 156K miles and not a drop of anything hits the driveway.

...so I do my fluid check last weekend and test the tranny while the motor is running, shift in N and the engine/tranny warmed up. Dang, fluid barely on the dipstick; even below the Cold range. I end up adding more than a quart and the dipstick still shows low.

The truck runs and shifts fine.

This morning I check the fluid level with the truck Cold. DANG!! the level is over the top; higher than the Hot range on the stick! WTH??

It's hard to mess up a dipstick reading, but I need to know what's the right way to check that tranny before I blow something up by adding too much...or starve it by running too low.

Fluid is bright Red, by the way.

[dannanw]

supposed to be checked in park, I never check mine when cold.

[Zaairman]

You're supposed to read it with the motor warm and running, in park.

[bamaboy473]

You're right, it was in Park when I checked it. I wouldn't leave the truck in N and nobody in it.

IF the reading shows way low, I'm concerned about adding even more fluid, so let me ask this....

If I overfill, how will I know it? Will shift points change or will a sound tell me?

At what point would I know if there's not enough fluid in the tranny? Shift points, whining?

[justinlogue5_0]

Not personaly but I watched a guy add to much and it puked it right back out the dipstick tube. Go drive it around for a few minutes and get it good and warm(normal running temp) and then check it. Add a half quart at a time. Every time you add some go through the gears with foot on brake and motor still running.Place back in park and re test level. Repeat till full

[dannanw]

Originally Posted by bamaboy473

You're right, it was in Park when I checked it. I wouldn't leave the truck in N and nobody in it.



IF the reading shows way low, I'm concerned about adding even more fluid, so let me ask this....

If I overfill, how will I know it? Will shift points change or will a sound tell me?

nope, but it can harm the pump

At what point would I know if there's not enough fluid in the tranny? Shift points, whining?

It will get real warm, and start to fry stuff from no fluid

[bamaboy473]

OK, then the Cold range on the dipstick is worthless...forget about what it reads.

Another pint got the Hot reading into the right range, so today I'll add some more until it hits the middle of the range.

This is unofficial, but it seems like the truck shifts into 4th around 40MPH now, and it used to take until 43 or so to do that. Is that a clue that fluid level is low for the shift points to change?

[bamaboy473]

from another person's response...

overfilling will never hurt your trans. the excess fluid will burp out vent until trans is at its happiest level. which will usually indicate overfull on a stock stick. ford e40d/ 4r100 trannys love to have the fluid filled to the pan rail. best investment you can make is to mark your dipstick to show where the pan rail is. millions of tranys replaced rebuilt for shudders / slips caused by low fluid. even though stick says full. after rebuild a dry trans and convertor install with an aux cooler takes 20 qts of fluid to fill in our shop after we correct the stick on an e40d /4r100.
bet you all dont know about dissapearing fluid from transfer cases and straight drives that run atf. the fluid is churned up into vapor and goes out vent without leaving a sign of a leak. they eventually run dry and damage is done. add qt of lucas stabiller or synthetic motor oil to any gearbox the runs on atf for security. and most late model transfer cases need an extra qt of fluid added thru the speed sensors after filling thru the fill plug.

Anybody agree or disagree?

[danbug1]

checking in N is a mopar thing not ford

[strokerfarmboy]

My dad had this problem with his 03 6.0 and they told him it was the seal between his tranny and transfer case was out...take the plug out of your overflow in your transfer case and see if fluid comes out and if so it's most likly that seal...the fluid will flow into the transfer case but will not come back out