Dumb question...but how do i check the dipstick on the 4l30 transmission....

[ryan roopnarine]

i've been checking it the way i've always been checking dipsticks in other applications, never occured to me that i could be wrong. i pull out, wipe until dry, reinsert, pull back out, and look for the lowest point of fluid on the stick, and fill to that. any corrections? i'm trying to chase down a slight whirr i've gotten.....it only occurs when the fluid is hot (though changing from walmart to citgo atf helped quite a bit in reducing it). i suspect that either the dipstick isn't quite "fluid tight" and is letting in air when the quantity increases due to heat, or that something is up with the filter (though its only been on for about 18k miles). thanks.

[Bill R.]

And its sensitive to the temperature you check the fluid at, thats why show so many levels here in millimeters at various temps.

i've been checking it the way i've always been
checking dipsticks in other applications, never occured to me that i could be wrong. i pull out, wipe until dry, reinsert, pull back out, and look for the lowest point of fluid on the stick, and fill to that. any corrections? i'm trying to chase down a slight whirr i've gotten.....it only occurs when the fluid is hot (though changing from walmart to citgo atf helped quite a bit in reducing it). i suspect that either the dipstick isn't quite "fluid tight" and is letting in air when the quantity increases due to heat, or that something is up with the filter (though its only been on for about 18k miles). thanks.

[ryan roopnarine]

huh...i always turned the a/c on and did everything else there, i just assumed that once the car got up to 180f coolant temperature, that everything should be OK. i wonder if my extremely low idle speed could have anything to do with the noise (it gets as low as about 575 at stoplights in D sometimes). would estimate it at about 625-650 usually, and about 800 at cold start up until the car decides that it wants to stabilize. i'm hoping something in there isn't broken....its just hard to ignore it when the tranny sounds like a electric golf kart motor in 1st and second. in fact, it sounds like the electric type noise that a ford tempo engine /taxle would make. i wish someone with a autobox 525 was around to compare with.