Safety Warning
DIY auto repair can cause serious injury, fire, or vehicle damage. These guides are for informational purposes only. Always follow OEM torque specs, wear PPE, and consult a certified mechanic if you are unsure. You are solely responsible for your safety.
Transmission Fluid Level, Checking: Notes
Special tools and workshop equipment required
- Refer to TOOLS FOR TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGE
Procedure
- Pay attention to Refer to REPAIR INFORMATION .
- Pay attention to Refer to GUIDELINES FOR CLEAN WORKING CONDITIONS .
- Read the "Oil, Environmental and Disposal Regulations" general information. Refer to GENERAL REPAIR INFORMATION .
Risk of injury due to the radiator fan turning on automatically.
- Maintain distance to the fan when working near the radiator.
Test Conditions
- Transmission not in emergency operation mode.
- Move the vehicle onto a four-column workshop hoist or over a work pit so it is completely level.
- "P" position is engaged.
- The parking brake button is pulled on to activate the electromechanical parking brake.
- Suction hoses from an exhaust extracting system are connected.
- Engine running at idle.
- The A/C system and the heater are off.
Transmission Fluid Temperature, Reading
- The transmission fluid level changes with the transmission fluid temperature: too low of a transmission fluid temperature leads to overfilling, and too high of a transmission fluid temperature leads to underfilling.
- An incorrect transmission fluid filling impairs the transmission function.
- The oil temperature must be approximately 30 °C (86 °F) when starting the procedure.
-- Connect the Vehicle Diagnostic Tester -arrow- and select Individual test .
- Diagnostic-capable systems
- 0002 - Transmission electronics
- 0002 - Transmission electronics functions
- 0002 - Fluid level, checking
Transmission Fluid Level, Checking
-- Bring the transmission fluid temperature to approximately 30 °C (86 °F).
- The transmission has an inner fluid container, which must be ran dry before checking.
-- Wait approximately four minutes until the inner fluid container has run dry.
-- Remove the noise insulation. Refer to OVERVIEW - NOISE INSULATION .
Risk of injury to the eyes and hands by escaping oil.
- Wear protective eyewear.
- Wear acid-resistant safety gloves.
-- Place the Used Oil Collection and Extraction Unit :SMN372500 under the transmission.
-- Remove the check plug -arrow-.
- The collected transmission fluid runs out of the overflow pipe -arrow 2-.
- Some gear oil always leaks out when opening the inspection plug -arrow 1-, regardless of the gear oil level.
- If some transmission fluid still leaks out at a transmission fluid temperature between 35 and 45 °C (95 and 113 °F) (due to additional warming), the transmission fluid level is OK.
- Regardless of the gear oil level, a small wave of fluid comes out of the overflow tube every 30 seconds due to the multi-plate clutch cooling oil pulse. This procedure is irrelevant for checking the transmission fluid level.
- Leaked gear oil must not be reused.
-- If necessary fill the transmission fluid. Refer to Transmission Fluid, Filling .
-- If the transmission fluid level is OK, tighten the overflow pipe and then perform a measurement. Refer to Final Procedures .
NO RELATED
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When to See a Mechanic
Stop DIY work and contact a certified mechanic immediately if any of the following apply:
- • You smell fuel, burning insulation, or see smoke.
- • Brakes feel soft, pull hard to one side, or make grinding noises.
- • The engine overheats, stalls repeatedly, or misfires under load.
- • You are missing required tools, torque specs, or safe lifting equipment.
- • You are not confident in the next step or safety outcome.