Checking fliud level in auto box

box in drive? Or do the

reason I ask is I just checked

Check in neutral, engine running. A slightly overfilled auto gearbox is a happy gearbox, so unless it's massively overfull I would leave it.

the box in drive? Or do the

reason I ask is I just checked

I'll try it matey!

Cheers for that.

Nige

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.

cheers

Dave W.

engine running at idle , handbrake on [possibly brick under wheel too ] .

gearbox in drive , forward gear .

check dipstick level and top up if necessary .

thats all there is to it .

I thought it had to be drive too!

box in drive? Or do the

reason I ask is I just checked

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.

Ivor.

The ZF boxes in Land Rovers don't nor does the ZF in my daughter's Peugeot

Ron

You made me go out in the rain! :-)

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'.

Ivor.

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,

Richard

You must've missed the bit where I wrote: "There are bound to be exceptions". Looks like you found one :-)

Ivor.

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

-- Badger. B.H.Engineering, Rover V8 engine specialists.

coming soon,

Mine was the Australian BTR 'box. Good until they finally s*it themselves at 100K but being overfull doesn't hurt them noticeably.

I'll bet there's still a level bung somewhere that can be used cold (at least for initial fill) and is probably near enough to do the job.

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.

What's rain?

Ron Emu Plains, Australia