Tranmission Fluid Level

[99lexus]

Hi.

My car is 99 ES300.

First, I have never seen a bad owner manual like the one for 99 ES300. On page 228, it says:

-- Drain and refill: 4.75 L (5.1 qt.). How much fluid do you actual use to drain and refill your ES?

-- Fluid Type: Automatic transmission fluid D-II or DESRON III (DEXRON II.)

-- Dip stick says TOYOTA TYPE T IV.

Second, can you tell me how to read the tranny fuluid level, please!

-- The manual say turn engine on, ship to all level. Ship back to P. Check to level. It does not

say I should leave the car idle or turn it off.

-- In my car, if I leave the car on, the level is very low. It is lower then the COLD level. If I turn it

off, it is higher then COLD but never reach HOT. But, if I leave the car over night, it still

higher then the COLD level. It is almost the same level when I just turned the engine off.

To flush out all the Valvoline I had put into the tranny (after reading the manual, before reading

the Stick,) I have drain then refill 3 times. Each time I refill 3.5 qt. The stick kepp saying the same thing.

Any help, please! Thanks,

[homemechanic]

Hi.

My car is 99 ES300.

First, I have never seen a bad owner manual like the one for 99 ES300. On page 228, it says:

-- Drain and refill: 4.75 L (5.1 qt.). How much fluid do you actual use to drain and refill your ES?

-- Fluid Type: Automatic transmission fluid D-II or DESRON III (DEXRON II.)

-- Dip stick says TOYOTA TYPE T IV.

Second, can you tell me how to read the tranny fuluid level, please!

-- The manual say turn engine on, ship to all level. Ship back to P. Check to level. It does not

say I should leave the car idle or turn it off.

-- In my car, if I leave the car on, the level is very low. It is lower then the COLD level. If I turn it

off, it is higher then COLD but never reach HOT. But, if I leave the car over night, it still

higher then the COLD level. It is almost the same level when I just turned the engine off.

To flush out all the Valvoline I had put into the tranny (after reading the manual, before reading

the Stick,) I have drain then refill 3 times. Each time I refill 3.5 qt. The stick kepp saying the same thing.

Any help, please! Thanks,

99 ES300 uses Type T IV from the dealer. Do not use other kinds. They will make the car not shift as smooth. Sorry, Type T IV is like $5 per bottle from dealer.

Drain and refill for 99 ES300 is about 3.7 qtrs. . . ok 4 qts is not going to kill it.

To properly check the fluid level:

Drive the car for a few miles to get the car hot, but not driving on the freeways

Keep the car on and in park.

Read the stick and see. Add as appropriate.

You can also check it when it's cold, but the fluid needs to be circulated in the transmission for a while before checking. This is also the reason that only check the fluid level when the car is on and in park.

Remember, transmission fluid expands under heat, so don't fill up to the HOT mark when the car is cold. And don't be paranoid and add too much. Too much fluid can damage the transmission.

[99lexus]

Thanks,

So I know the right way to check the tranny fluid: Leave the car on.

Is there something wrong in my car with the fluid level like this:

-- When it hot: The car run a round for a few minutes then put it on P. Engine ON, Fuild level between COLD and HOT.

-- When it cold: After I park the car over night, Fluid level still the same, between COLD and HOT.

[homemechanic]

Thanks,

So I know the right way to check the tranny fluid: Leave the car on.

Is there something wrong in my car with the fluid level like this:

-- When it hot: The car run a round for a few minutes then put it on P. Engine ON, Fuild level between COLD and HOT.

-- When it cold: After I park the car over night, Fluid level still the same, between COLD and HOT.

Driving for a few minutes is not enough to get the car HOT. The car is barely warm after a few minutes and might be cold if you are in the snow areas. Drive like 15 minutes on local street with stop and go will get it HOT.

If you are still getting the same reading, add a little more fluid. Make sure your car is leveled when checking.