Drove twenty miles low transmission fluid

CASMIHOK

MEMBER
2005 JEEP LIBERTY
3.7L
V6
4WD
AUTOMATIC
163,000 MILES

I put in a total of 7 quarts after my gasket change, I lost a lot of fluid while it was a long process. I thought my level was okay yesterday after my seventh quart! I think I'm reading the real thin layer of transmission fluid, I'm super paranoid now because I had too much in after Valvoline topped it off a few weeks prior to me doing this.

Last night I drove it for approximately 20 miles, I was feeling slight grinding. My fluid was about a quarter inch up on the dipstick, hot and in neutral. How low am I and how badly did I mess it up?

1 Reply

TOUGHDIVER

MECHANIC
224 POSTS

Hi,

Be sure when you are checking your transmission fluid the vehicle is at operating temperature in neutral with the parking brake applied. If it was 1/4" up the stick it shouldn't have caused any damage unless it overheated. Read the fill procedure below and recheck your fluid. Let us know if you have any other concerns.

Transmission fill

To avoid overfilling transmission after a fluid change or overhaul, perform the following procedure:
1. Remove dipstick and insert clean funnel in transmission fill tube.
2. Add following initial quantity of Mopar (R) ATF +4, Automatic Transmission Fluid, to transmission:
a. If only fluid and filter were changed, add 6 pints (3 quarts) of ATF + 4 to transmission.
B. If transmission was completely overhauled, or torque converter was replaced or drained, add 10 pints (5 quarts) of ATF +4 to transmission.

3. Apply parking brakes.
4. Start and run engine at normal curb idle speed.
5. Apply service brakes, shift transmission through all gear ranges then back to NEUTRAL, set parking brake, and leave engine running at curb idle speed.
6. Remove funnel, insert dipstick and check fluid level. If level is low, add fluid to bring level to MIN mark on dipstick. Check to see if the oil level is equal on both sides of the dipstick. If one side is noticeably higher than the other, the dipstick has picked up some oil from the dipstick tube. Allow the oil to drain down the dipstick tube and re-check.
7. Drive vehicle until transmission fluid is at normal operating temperature.
8. With the engine running at curb idle speed, the gear selector in NEUTRAL, and the parking brake applied, check the transmission fluid level.

Caution: Do not overfill transmission, fluid foaming and shifting problems can result.

9. Add fluid to bring level up to MAX arrow mark.
When fluid level is correct, shut engine off, release park brake, remove funnel, and install dipstick in fill tube.

Thank you
Joe T.