How much transmission fluid to get back to max?

97TJ_305

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Hi everyone, I have a quick question.

I have a 1997 Wrangler automatic transmission. My transmission fluid is at the MIN level and I was wondering if anybody knows about how much fluid it would take to get it back to MAX so I don't accidentally over fill it.

Is there any trick to checking the level as you fill up?

Thanks
 
Consult the manual ;)

With the 42RLE in the 06 TJ its 8 quarts dry, but dry doesn't mean nothing on the dipstick as I found out (I have a trans fluid leak and found the trans dipstick empty one day).

Look up what transmission your jeep came with and grab its specs from google so you don't buy too much.

As for what I did, you fill from the dipstick in the engine bay with a funnel and I just added a quart and then ran the jeep back up to operating temps and cycled through the gears, then checked the fluid level and added from there. I'm sure someone here will have a better suggestion though.
 
If you transmission is warmed up after driving, you can simply add enough until it reads full while engine is running and in park or neutral. A recommendation is usually stamped on the dipstick.

The dipstick on the tranny reads accurately rather quickly after adding fluid so you'll not likely over-fill it adding a little at a time.
 
If you transmission is warmed up after driving, you can simply add enough until it reads full while engine is running and in park or neutral. A recommendation is usually stamped on the dipstick.

The dipstick on the tranny reads accurately rather quickly after adding fluid so you'll not likely over-fill it adding a little at a time.

Yeah, be wary of this. You're going to be dumping fluid down the tube the dipstick goes into, so residual fluid in the tube will potentially give false readings if you check it too quickly.
 
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Yeah, be wary of this. You're going to be dumping fluid down the tube the dipstick goes into, so residual fluid in the tube will potentially give false readings if you check it too quickly.

A 10th of an ounce of residual....yeah you should wait 4 more seconds for accuracy. Lol
 
It's better for our automatic transmissions to be slightly overfilled than underfilled, don't give the overfill issue too much thought. The potential issue for overfilling an engine's crankcase can be significant due to the fact the crankshaft is just above the oil pan which is not the case with an automatic transmission.

Make sure to only add ATF+4 and insure the engine is running and the transmission is in Neutral (not Park!) while you're checking the ATF level. It's routine for offroaders, KOH competitors, etc. to overfill them by a quart, mine is overfilled by a quart so it won't suck air on a steep climb. I'm not necessarily recommending you overfill it by a quart but it certainly would not hurt anything to overfill it slightly.
 
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It's routine for offroaders, KOH competitors, etc. to overfill them by a quart, mine is overfilled by a quart so it won't suck air on a steep climb

Anybody actually studied this to see if in fact a quart is really needed as the angle of the transmission changes with respect to the pick up? Not saying it is needed or not but just curious. I did not find anything doing a quick search.
 
Thanks everyone.

So how many quarts should I buy? I'm right at the MIN line. Do you think 3 quarts would be enough? Or just buy more and return the ones I don't use?

Really appreciate all the help.
 
Thanks everyone.

So how many quarts should I buy? I'm right at the MIN line. Do you think 3 quarts would be enough? Or just buy more and return the ones I don't use?

Really appreciate all the help.
3 quarts is more than enough if it's at the add mark. Odds are you'll have a spare quart and then some left over.
 
Another question to be asked is where did the missing fluid go? Leak? Transfer? Never topped-off after repair?
 
Another question to be asked is where did the missing fluid go? Leak? Transfer? Never topped-off after repair?

Transmission fluid can't go anywhere unless you have a noticeable leak.
Simply check when hot with engine running and fill accordingly.
 
Another question to be asked is where did the missing fluid go? Leak? Transfer? Never topped-off after repair?
My bet is the level wasn't checked properly at some point. Not many know the engine has to be running and for the 32RH, the transmission has to be in Neutral. The dipstick indicates a higher level than is really there if the level isn't checked correctly.
 
Transmission fluid can't go anywhere unless you have a noticeable leak.
Simply check when hot with engine running and fill accordingly.

It could swap with engine coolent in the radiator. Unlikely though.
 
Another question to be asked is where did the missing fluid go? Leak? Transfer? Never topped-off after repair?

Went all over my parking lot's floor lol. Took it to my mechanic yesterday thinking the rear seal needed to be replaced but he said the pan was loose and tightened it up for free. I'll go check in a bit and see if there are any new puddles this morning.
 
I'm pretty much just putting this out there because it works this way on anything with any size dipstick in any size container, while pouring any liquid from at least a teaspoon (or less) or a 55 gallon drum (or more).

The easiest way, since you're at the MIN level and aren't sure how much you need, would be to add 1/4 quart and recheck it to see how much it changed. If it went up 1/4 of the way to the top you need the rest of that quart. If that first 1/4 quart put the reading up 1/2 way to the top you would only need one more 1/4 quart to get there.


... Took it to my mechanic yesterday thinking the rear seal needed to be replaced but he said the pan was loose and tightened it up for free...

I'm glad he did that for free, I think.

Did he happen to check the fluid level after doing that?
If yes, Did he tell you how much he thought it would need?
Or did he try to sell you a top off fee of some sort to fill it back up? Probably considerable higher than just buying a quart.
 
I'm pretty much just putting this out there because it works this way on anything with any size dipstick in any size container, while pouring any liquid from at least a teaspoon (or less) or a 55 gallon drum (or more).

The easiest way, since you're at the MIN level and aren't sure how much you need, would be to add 1/4 quart and recheck it to see how much it changed. If it went up 1/4 of the way to the top you need the rest of that quart. If that first 1/4 quart put the reading up 1/2 way to the top you would only need one more 1/4 quart to get there.




I'm glad he did that for free, I think.

Did he happen to check the fluid level after doing that?
If yes, Did he tell you how much he thought it would need?
Or did he try to sell you a top off fee of some sort to fill it back up? Probably considerable higher than just buying a quart.

He didn't try any up selling. A rare honest mechanic who has worked on my family's cars for 15-20 years by now. Unfortunately I just checked and the leak is still there so might by the seal after all.
 
Here is a photo. Seems like it is leaking all along the side of the pan. Any ideas?

Screen Shot 2019-03-05 at 3.46.16 PM.png