Transmission Oil Problem

[stevesmp]

I have a Chrysler Grand Voyager 2.8 diesel 2005 and think I may have screwed up. The vehicle has been running fine but I just thought I would check the transmission fluid level and noticed this was way above the suggested cold level indicator

on the dip stick. It was in fact above the hot level indicator mark (engine cold and in park position).

 

I then proceeded to vacuum out some the transmission oil via the dipstick and got it to the correct level ie cold mark. The vehicle was in park and had not been used for 24 hours.

I had the car serviced and I know the transmission oil used is Comma Automatic Transmission & PSF MVATF Plus fully synthetic which I understand is ATF+4 compatible.

 

This morning I started up the vehicle and there was a noticeable delay of about 3 seconds before the gear engaged. I did cycle through the gears before trying to move forward and again a 3 second delay. I beginning to wish I left every thing alone. 

Not really had any problems previously and had the vehicle from new, currently with 70k on the clock

 

Any suggestions please and would it be  worth just refilling to where the oil make was in the first place contrary to what it says on the dip stick.

 

I have only driven about 10 metres so far as I didn't want cause any possible damage. Rgs. Steve.

[03GVCRD]

Hi, it's not clear whether you had the engine idling when you read the dipstick. It should be idling for at least a minute and you should move the selector through each gear position and then read the dipstick.

 

Apologies if this is how you did it.

[stevesmp]

Thanks for your reply, embarrassingly I didn't have the engine idling prior to testing the transmission oil level  and I incorrectly assumed that the cold mark on the dip stick meant engine off. With the benefit of hindsight I should have

come here first rather then youtube.

 

I am now suspecting that the transmission oil level may be too low and a possible the reason why I have experience these issues. Unfortunately I could not find anything in the manual that refers to the correct procedure when measuring

the transmission oil, only what was written on the dipstick, which I guess is not the full story. I extracted about 2.5 ltrs to bring the dipstick oil level down to the cold mark but I am guessing the procedure I undertook has given a false reading.

 

I guess that I should replace thought 2.5 ltrs and run through what you have outlined.

[03GVCRD]

Yes, 2.5L is quite a sizeable amount. Definitely replace and follow the correct checking procedure. 

[stevesmp]

Ok thanks very much for your help

[bignev]

Please only use Mopar ATF+4 genuine stuff. You've had it from new so that's definitely what's in there, DO NOT use anything else.

If you can at this point I would do a filter change too, which is in the transmission pan, a little bit of a pain to drop off but worth it.

Have a big bowl under it to catch the fluid when the pan pops off, mine came out with a bit of a surprise rate when it let go!

Carefully use a liquid gasket not the rubber the filter will come with.

[bignev]

And the level is best final checked when it's hot. The cold reading is approximate.

[stevesmp]

Thanks Taxi driver, having read numerous threads about the correct transmission fluid certainly Mopar  ATF + 4 would seem to be the fluid that is recommended although I did see

recommendations for Millermatic ATF as well the Comma product I mentioned.

 

I don't do that many miles in vehicle so I think I will just top up with Mopar ATF +4 and then attempt to undertake a filter and transmission oil change in the summer, as thanks to this site I feel confident that this is something I can do.

 

Any suggestions of places to purchased Mopar ATF +4 , google search takes me to Latvia via Ebay at £47.00 for 5 ltrs. Thanks.

[bignev]

True, it's not nice working outside at all right now!

 

I got mine (twice) direct from an ebay supplier, just had a quick search on ebay and the fluid is available from various places in the UK. But not the filter at the minute.  But it is expensive yes, I think after a few weeks of searching I paid in the mid 50's with a filter. I only did it the following year as well because it had never been done and we were up to about 110,000 miles.

 

I believe that some "individual order" European supplies are being slapped with "admin fees" by a few couriers for automated payments to our tax office for the UK VAT, and it can add a LOT to the price.

 

I got an idler bearing for my Subaru Outback a couple of years ago from outside of the EU and the carrier, DHL, charged around £15 fee (plus vat!) to pay the VAT, the bearing was less than that!! It turned out I could buy the whole tensioner (to take the pulley and bearing off as it's the same pulley as the idler) in the UK for less than I paid for the bearing, delivery, and the DHL fee, very naffed off at that.

[stevesmp]

Hi Bignev

 

Managed to get some at £59.99 which was more then other Ebay suppliers but came from a main dealer. Never quite sure about buying for paces in the Eastern part of Europe.

 

Thanks for your help and I am sure I will be back on hear before long.

[timb02]

If you drop the trans pan be very careful when replacing the bolts as they can strip the threads in the gear box even at the specified torque.

[Madmax]

Never understood why gearboxs do not have a drain plug like the engine oil sump.

[timb02]

Never understood why gearboxs do not have a drain plug like the engine oil sump.

Because the filter must be changed at the same time and the oil changes are pretty infrequent. It is possible to use a vaccume pump to change the oil after a filter change as the torque converter stays full thereby "flushing" the box. I would just go for an oil and filter every 70k or so unless the gearbox gets a particularly hard time.

[Madmax]

Thats fine, but how much easier with a drain plug. Then when you drop the pan there is not loads of oil coming out from a large area. When I change my engine oil, thats how the gearbox should be also. Lets be fair. you don't drop the sump for engine oil.

[bignev]

Yes indeed. My subaru outback gearbox does have a drain plug. And a spin on type fluid filter, just like an oil filter. But that's located in the wing behind the battery..... pros and cons hey! But it is a doddle to do the whole job. Not like the transmission pan on my GV, got it a bit more controlled the 2nd time I did it by leaving several bolts in so it could only pop off a little, and in the direction I wanted!