Too much tranny fluid?

Over the new years holiday my radiator top tank gave out on a road trip. I had it towed to the closest dealership where they replaced the rad and hoses. I checked the tranny fluid level today and noticed it was really high. Way past the "hot" level on the stick. The car has been sitting for over 24 hours. I thought maybe I was getting a false reading due to fluid in the dip stick tube, but after checking 15 times, its still past the "hot" level marks (though not way past like the first reading). The only thing I can think of is that the stealership filled it too full during the rad replacement. Should I drain some out or not worry about it. I've put on about 100 miles since the rad replacement.


(side note: The ironic thing is that I'm in the business of manufacturing radiators for classic cars and have been meaning to build an all metal rad for this thing. Would have saved me $500. LOL)

 

Take it back and have them correct.

 

It was on a road trip. I'm not driving back to them.

 

Year of vehicle? Purdy peez.

The 2003 shown in your avatar?

 

Ok. Drain it then. Make sure the truck is level.

 

Yep.

Got it. I should have done some research before asking. Lazy Sunday I guess.

Thanks!

 

A drain and fill sounds like the best course of action. Which honesty isn't a bad thing. Good way to flush it out further.

 

Are you checking with vehicle up to Temp or cold?

 

This.

You can't check the fluid level when cold. It needs to be at operating temp and running. Take it for a 15 minute drive, leave it running, cycle through all the gears pausing for a few seconds in each, return to Park, then recheck.

 

So later yesterday, I pulled out the manual and figured out what a dummy I am. I rechecked when it was hot and all is well. Sorry for wasting everyone time.

 

Don't feel too bad. I made that same mistake not long ago. I had no idea that trans fluid was supposed to be checked while the vehicle was running and hot. This is how we learn. I have a great dad, but he never taught me these things so now I'm learning it as an adult.

 

I think what threw me off was the "cold" marks on the dip stick.

 

Here is a link for you to save on your favorites. Covers all the bases on any type of trouble shooting. The search bar in the link is very resourceful.

http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/89

Link should direct you to your transmission checking procedures.

 

I think to be clear, what you meant to say in your first post is you checked and rechecked the trans dipstick 15 times with the engine off. That's the only way this narrative makes any sense.

Engine off, fluid drains from valvebody and components into pan, thus giving false overfill reading, cold or hot no matter. Engine turned on, trans pump pumps fluid throughout transmission, leaving required reserve level in pan to register on dipstick. Engine on, cold fluid, may register as low, once fluid reaches operating temp it expands and now reads higher on the dipstick.

 

Yep!

 

Cool. Don't worry it's happened to all of us. A buddy of mine called me up and was bummed-out after we did a transmission replacement on his '86 Mustang cause we must have forgot to refill the motor oil. When he checked the motor oil after driving the 50 miles home he said there was only an 1/8 inch of motor oil on the dipstick and we forgot to refill the engine and he probably scored his cylinders, ruined his crank and rod bearings. He was really depressed until I reminded him that you check transmission with engine running, and motor oil with engine off. We still laugh about that 20 years later.

 

LOL. I think I knew about checking the tranny with the engine running at some point in my life. Age is a real bitch. LOL