Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) transmission fluid change

[dodge cummins]

tomorrow i am changing transmission fluid in my 96. when i add fresh fluid should i do it with truck running in neutrel or with truck off?

 

[DBentley]

Best to measure what you take out and put about that much back then start it up and cycle thru gears a few times and ck level

 

[LarryWard]

My '95 dipstick does not give accurate read on the front side. I must always looked at back side for the correct level. Don't know why but once I figured that out and brought it to correct level ALL my shifting issues dissappeared. I am periodically sucking out 3 qts (that is all that seems I can draw out with electric suction pump) with the intention of getting most of old fluid out and largest percentage being new fluid instead of the "flush out" procedure they promote.



Yes the oil was hot. Yes it was in neutral and running.

 

[WBusa]

My '95 dipstick does not give accurate read on the front side. I must always looked at back side for the correct level. Don't know why but once I figured that out and brought it to correct level ALL my shifting issues dissappeared.

Wow, and here I thought I was the only person who couldn't make a dipstick work reliably! I've always had this problem, too: fluid (oil or ATF) adhering to the walls of the tube wipes off onto the stick as you insert and withdraw it, and can suggest some wildly wrong fluid levels if you're not careful. I always read both the front and back of the stick, and take the lower of the two as the 'right' answer. Also, I keep dipping and reading until I get the same answer at least twice. Also, when checking oil level I warm the truck up, then let it sit level and undisturbed for a few hours to get as much oil as possible to drain from the tube (ATF, of course, I check warm while idling in neutral and after running through the gears). Every time I do this I'm reminded of the old 'full service' gas station days, when some kid would just dip and read after the engine had been off maybe thirty seconds. Also, every time I do this I feel like a complete dork for not being able to work a dipstick! Thanks for coming out of the closet and letting me know I'm not alone :-laf



You know what I really love? The dipsticks on Mag Hytek diff covers. Because there's no tube, there is zero possibility of getting the wrong answer (unless, of course, you live in San Francisco and park on a hill). Also, putting a magnet on the end was sheer genius... its great to be able to monitor diff wear without having to drain the punkin.

 

[DEickhoff]

WOW--Thanks

I was taught to read the dipstick from the front never from the back. From now on I will be reading the stick from both sides, taking the lower of the two readings and keep measuring until I get the same reading twice.



Fanzdslpwr: how did the transmission fluid change go? I am ordering a Mag-hytech dd transmission pan today and changing my fluid after it gets in.



dawna

 

[dodge cummins]

i didn't do it yet. today i drained the rear on my truck cleaned it up really good. i was surprised there was really no wear at all on the rear with 113000 miles . very few tiny metal particles. i bought the truck used alittle over a year ago and you never know what your gonna get. anyway do i fill the transmission with it running or with the truck off?

 

[WBusa]

Filling it running would require you to start the truck with the transmission empty. You couldn't pay me enough to do that. I always fill it turned off, put in about 1/2 quart less than the factory spec, drive around to warm up the fluid, then check and adjust the level as needed. In my experience, the factory spec is dead-on.

 

[waba]

Just what is supposed to happen w/truck running versus off ?

 

[jimk]

Fluid level is marginal at best on a stock pan when full. I have read from a DTT installer that you can run the fluid level higher on the stick to help with low level problems. Running the transmission low is not good. I run my transmission up on the stick, past full. Reading the stick is not easy for me as I have to check it a few times to be sure. good luck Jimk

 

[Bhale]

If i run mine at the full mark on the stick, it pops out of gear on hills. Once i add 1 extra quart (at ATS's suggestions), no problems. They told me it's common for the transmission dipsticks to read high and that one extra quart can't hurt anything because if it's too much, it just runs out.



YMMV

Brian

 

[LarryWard]

So I take transmission in to shop for filter and fluid change. Seems ok but shifting later, maybe just their adjustments. They readjust. Still not quite right but acceptable. Levels rechecked, ok. Several months go by, shifting some worse, even slipping. I start thinking overhaul. Finally a cooler line wears thru from loose bracket vibration at oil pan attachment bracket. And shifting is of course worse but at least I know it needs an unknown amount of replacement fluid. And before the fix I must be sure there is plenty in there to compensate for further loss. Low and behold it shifts beautifully, no slippage, etc. , etc. Leak is fixed and all is well. I am now periodically suctioning out 3 qts and replacing with new and figure that can help get most of the old fluid damaged from running low replaced with new.



I appreciate hearing from others which confirms my personal experience of difficult to read dipsticks if not outright inaccurate.



But some parts of human smarts in technology come up so inexcusably stupid. There is no time for Dodge to make a common dipstick give an accurate read to protect a pricey transmission is there?

 

[Joe G.]

Larry,



Remember that you have a 47RH transmission so the governor is different. It's a fly weight thing instead of electronic like '96 or later. What that means is that solutions for shift problems for later transmissions probably do not apply to your transmission. Low ATF can cause a problem of course.



If you have not replaced the plastic fittings on the ends of the cooler lines you will have to do so. If one of them comes loose that will pump all the ATF out and may wreck the trans. I run mine just a little over the full mark checked from the back side. If there is too much AFT in the trans you can have a foaming problem. Not common, but possible.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

I would recommend adding with the truck off. Would you add oil with the truck running? Be careful when adding, sometimes the fluid will run up and out of the tube causing a mess. If you have a stock pan, follow the dealer specs. If you have a DD pan, it will take a litte more.

 

[dodge cummins]

the fluid change went very well. i had the truck alittle over a year now. i am in the process of c0onverting the transmission fluid to completely synthetic (mobil 1 atf) and i figure when changing the fluid it will take 4 times of changing it to get it to synthetic. i was kinda angry because i paid a transmission guy to change the fluid in it about 7 months ago (i took the mobil 1 to him) and he would supply the filter and gasket. well come to find out he never changed the gasket at all and thats why i had fluid leaking from the pan. it actually looked it might of been the original gasket because it looked like one of those paper gaskets you used to see on a old harley motorcycles. it was too easy to do then not to do it myself. alittle messy though on the driveway,goodthing for the pressure washer.