The first thing you need to do is make sure the car is warmed up to operating temperature. Next put the car on a level surface and leave it idling in park. The checking your transmission fluid video below walks you through this process also. Now you need to locate the dipstick. Your transmission may or may not have one. If your car does not, I recommend bringing the car to an auto repair shop to have the fluid checked. Before pulling the dipstick out make sure you wipe off the dirt around the cover of the handle. This is to stop any dirt from falling down the tube and into the transmission fluid. Also keep in mind you are leaning over a running engine. Be careful and stay clear of any moving parts. Now you can remove the dipstick and wipe it clean. Next put it back so that it's fully seated in the tube and then remove it again to check the reading. Some dipsticks have a full and an add line and the reading should be in between the two. You can also check the condition of the fluid at this time. If it's a brownish color (see picture of old and new transmission fluid above) and smells burnt you should have it flushed (CLICK HERE FOR BG TRANSMISSION FLUSH VIDEO (all of the BG Fluid flush videos are located here)). If you find that the fluid is low only add a half quart at a time until you get a full reading. Too much fluid is not good for the car and removing it is not as easy as adding it. Keep in mind if your fluid is low it is escaping somewhere. The obvious thing to do is look at the transmission itself for any external leaks. If it looks dry and you have to continue to add fluid then it maybe an internal leak. The first thing to check is the coolant. Most transmission coolers are integrated into the radiator and a leak would have the fluids mixing together. If the coolant looks milky and has a pinkish color this may be your problem. This can be a costly repair that you should not attempt to do yourself. I recommend bringing the car to an auto repair shop to have a professional mechanic diagnose this.
CHECKING YOUR TRANSMISSION FLUID VIDEO
