Dont laugh at this question..

[F150hasabug]

Ok.. laugh if you want to. Nothing I can do to stop ya Checking the transmission fluid when the truck is COLD.. what should I see? What I AM seeing is fluid way up past the "Hot" range. I thought that it should be low, then move up the dipstick as it warms....? yes, no..maybe?

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[fordninja]

I'd have to say that your trans is over full. If you don't want to do a full service (Which you probably should) You can just drain some out of the torque converter to save the hassle of dropping the pan. Make sure to ck the level after you have drained some.

[F150hasabug]

Thanks, Fordninja.

I once saw a device that was made to pull trans/ fluid out of the dipstick. It was a small pump with two hoses. Once was a "suck" and the other a drain.

I say this cause it seems like a much better controlled method of pulling some fluid. Thing is, I dont know if and where they sell them nowadays. Any I'dears?

[F150hasabug]

Eeep! This is what I am [kinda] talking about

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[hixonium]

Hang on there, I've seen the same thing happen before...cold engine, fluid level reading high...but that was with the engine not running. Once the engine was running the tranny fluid level fell down to the cold level. You did not mentio whether this was the case when you checked yours cold, I thought I might add my 2 cents.

[F150hasabug]

When I checked it the other day when hot, there were no 'bubbles' and it read over hot. When I checked it cold tonight, the engine was off. good point. I'll check it again.

[Bluegrass]

Cold check is nearly useless.
The fluid drains back from the radiator and from other areas in the case that are higher than the pan level besides being cold.
What counts is the running hot level as it is when the truck is in use.
The fluid temperature changes as you drive. This affects the level from expansion.

[Johngs]

I would say check it one day after you get home from driving...grab a towel with the engine running and check the level.

See what you get then before you drain anything.

Why risk running the tranny with low fluid?

[casey_1]

Originally posted by F150hasabug
Checking the transmission fluid when the truck is COLD.. what should I see?

You should see anywhere from 1-2 quarts low to 3-4 quarts overfilled, depending how much has leaked out of the torque converter as the trans cooled.

So checking it cold will get you within 6 quarts of the correct reading. How are you going to adjust the fluid level to that?

Check it warmed up with the engine running. It is the ONLY way to get an accurate reading.

[F150hasabug]

I had the vehicle in the garage last night looking at this and that. I looked in my Haynes and it said that if the transmission fluid is "room temp.", but hasnt been run (in other words, not hot), it should read below the hot range.

However, the other day when I checked it and it was hot (15 miles of highway travel) it was still above the hot range (outside temp 65ish). Another thing, isnt a hot transmission fluid reading suppose to have 'bubbles' on the dipstick. May be a silly question, but I recall that it is by those bubbles that you tell the level of fluid (when hot).

[max mitchell]

Take the GOOD advice and stop making such a big hoopla about it. Check the fluid hot, running, and on a level surface. Forget bubbles. Yes, you can remove it from the pan, the lines, or the dipstick/suction method. Convertor drain plugs were removed in your year range.