Transmission dipstick reading.

I have a 2001 Toyota Tacoma 2.4L and im reading the transmission dipstick when the engine is off, should the level on the dipstick be on hot? It is currently on the uppermost line on the dipstick(hot), when i turn the truck on and drive it around for 20 minutes. I check the dipstick on park and its on the top line of 'cold'. Is this normal? Im a little confused, i thought i should be getting a reading that is supposed to be vice versa?

Truck Off ~===| Cold |===| Hot *|=============== Handle (Yellow)

Truck On ~===| Cold *|===| Hot |=============== Handle (Yellow)

Asterik is the level of the tranny fluid.

 

Read the level with the engine running.

Get the trans to full operating temperature (drive for 20 minutes or so).
Stop on a level surface.
Run the shifter through all gears and reverse, pausing at each one.
Put it back in Park, leave the engine running.
Check level.

 

Thanks for the quick reply,

I must tell you that i have already done what you have requested me to do, When the tranny liquid is hot(after running the truck for 20 minutes), the dipstick reads on the Cold margin... When i turn off the truck, about five minutes later the dipstick reads on the hot margin of the dipstick...

 

Your fluid is a bit low. Add a half quart (I think the '01 takes Toyota T-IV, but the dipstick will tell you whether it takes T-IV or Dex-III), warm it up, and it should be good.

When running, the trans is actively pumping fluid through the system so the pan level drops. Checking with the engine off tells you nothing.

 

Thanks...so when the engine is all warmed up, it is normal for the Tranny dipstick to read |Cold|? I thought it was suppose to read |Hot| on the dipstick since the tranny fluid is hot. Do I have myself confused on how to read the dipstick properly?

 

I agree , the fluid is low .
Always check the trans fluid warm in park with engine running .
The transmission pump has to be pumping fluid to get a proper reading . Checking the fluid without the motor running will give you levels far above normal because the trans fluid drains back to the transmission oil pan when the truck is shut off .
Again , check the fluid with the engine running warm making sure to check both sides of the tranmission dipstick , not just 1 side

 

Where exactly should the level be on the dipstick when the engine is warm and the tranny liquid is hot? Using an asterik, please place the correct fluid level.

~===| COLD|===| HOT |====Dexron II=============Handle

Thank you very much.

Gearcruncher/Rich

 

Engine running and hot, anywhere between the two.

Are you sure it says Dex-II? Dex-II hasn't been licensed since the early 70s.

 

~===| COLD|===| H** |====Dexron II=============Handle

Even though there is a "cold" mark on the dipstick, it is not meant to be used to measure the correct fluid level for maintenance. The "Cold" mark is used for technicians to indicate that there is enough fluid at that point after a transmission repair to start the engine without causing damage to the transmission.

 

Damn it Rich, you beat me to it...But I was the one who explained the cold mark!!! hahaha

 

Maybe check that trans.

It might be a rebuilt.... Dynaflo

 

Thanks everyone...so basically when the truck is off...and i check the reading of the dipstick....it should be around here......

~===|COLD|===|HOT|========***======Handle

Oh and yes. My dipstick does say dexron II, but I used dexron III bexause II isnt on the market anymore

 

No....

It should be ON the mark where it says |HOT|
Anywhere between the two lines on top of the word "HOT"

Do NOT OVERFILL IT!

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEXRON

The truck is a 2001, if the dipstick says "Dexron-II" then it is either the incorrect dipstick, or perhaps a non-North America market truck.

Regardless, Dex-III is fine, but my concern is that someone has put the wrong dipstick in that trans, which means that the indicated levels will not be correct.

Personally, if the trans is shifting okay and running fine, I could not add any fluid, but instead, buy a new dipstick from the Toyota dealer to be sure I had the right one and then check for proper level.

 

What I meant to say is that when the tranny fluid temperature is cold and the truck is off, and I check the dipstick when the truck is not on. Where should the level of the dipstick be? I understand that when the tranny fluid is HOT it should be between the HOT margins, but when the tranny fluid is cold, where should the dipstick level be?

 

Yes very true, I took the truck in toyota because the truck had a recall on the frame.but thank goodness theres no rust collecting around the frame.....They checked the transmission fluid and told me the tranny fluid needs flushed because its tooo dark. They did not.mention anything about the dipstick being wrong for the truck.

 

One LAST time.

YOU CAN NOT PROPERLY CHECK THE LEVEL OF THE FLUID WITH THE TRUCK NOT RUNNING

 

Maybe a picture will help:

 

My 2003 has "DEX II" printed on the dipstick. The internet consensus seems to be that dexron III is the correct ATF in toyota automatics up through year 2003 or 2004, but Toyota type 4 is probably backwards compatible.

 

My 99 has DEX II as well.