Hi, am I correct in thinking the way to check auto box fluid would be with the box in drive? Or do the dipstick marks take into account of the torque converter filling up? The reason I ask is I just checked the Trooper & it looks high in N or P. Not tried D yet?
On a Land Rover you check it in neutral, when cold with the engine running.
Prior to checking the level you run it through all the gears a few times and then put it into neutral while you check it. Don't forget to put the hand brake on :-)
It's normally listed in the owners handbook if you have it. It's probably best to check there rather than assume that the Trooper gearbox is the same as a Land Rover one.
There are bound to be exceptions, but I have yet to see an auto-box that DIDN'T have the filling instructions stamped on the dipstick. I currently have access to 2 ZFs and 2 Chryslers, and they all have the instructions on their dipsticks.
Just checked BOTH ZF HP-22 boxes in the workshop. Both from '92-'93 Range Rovers. Both dipsticks clearly stamped: 'CHECK WHEN COLD - IDLING IN NEUTRAL' followed by 'DANGER - DO NOT OVERFILL'.
But, my M-I-L's newish SAAB has no instructions on the autobox dipstick and, according to the handbook, must be checked when at normal operating temp in neutral,
On or around Wed, 25 Aug 2004 01:14:00 +0100, Ivor Clegg enlightened us thusly:
they're all different, but in this case "all" means the box-makers, not the car-makers. We have an ex-ambulance here with a GM 65 autobox, and IIRC on that you check the fluid level idling, warm, in "D". With the handbrake firmly on.
The Ford I sold last year was checked in Park within 30 seconds of shutting off the engine - a bit of a hassle, but untold better than SWMBO's BMW that you check with a level plug in the trans pan.
Austin, not being picky but what's a GM65? Never heard of that one, have worked on BW65 though.
If my memory serves me right (but I may be wrong), that was how you checked the 2.9 Granada with the world's worst autobox, the Ford A4LD. It's one of the few that isn't checked running. Some say check in park, some neutral, even some in drive! Some after cycling twice through all gears. Best advice is to read the book and get it right, as either over or underfilling will wreck an autobox. If underfilled, the oil will overtemp very quickly and it's bye-bye clutch plates, if overfilled then it froths and this causes plate failure due to wet clutch plates now running partially dry. EMB, your wifes BMW is better than mine, mine has to go on their flaming computer and the level is checked electronically against temperature! (2001
On or around Wed, 25 Aug 2004 09:35:49 +0100, "Badger" enlightened us thusly:
erm... I *think* it was 65. might've been 63. damned if I know where the book is now. It was fitted to a 2.3 litre Bedford CF. well, it still is, but the thing's now non-functional. AFAIK, though, the box is in decent nick, so maybe what we should be doing is hauling it out and flogging it.
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