Where Is the Transmission Fluid Located?

Q: Where Is the Transmission Fluid Typically Located?

A: Transmission fluid is in your transmission oil pan or sump. Transmission fluid is a less viscous oil than engine oil and is used primarily as a hydraulic fluid to operate the transmission’s internal driving and holding members, but it also acts as a lubricant and contains friction modifier on most modern transmissions.

The location of the transmission fluid dipstick varies. For instance, if you’re looking for where the transmission fluid dipstick is located in a 2007 Honda Civic, you’ll find it below the vehicle’s fuse box. In a 2001 Ford Taurus, on the other hand, the dipstick can be found a bit behind the vehicle’s engine. Certain models won’t have a transmission fuel dipstick at all and will instead have a reservoir cap.

If the transmission has a dipstick (many transmissions don’t nowadays), you can usually find the transmission fluid dipstick near where the transmission or transaxle meets the back of the engine. It looks a lot like an oil dipstick and, in many cases, it will be labeled “Transmission” or something similar, but it may also have no label at all. Some Chrysler transmissions have a dipstick tube but no dipstick. On these, a special dipstick-like tool must be purchased to measure the depth of the fluid in millimeters.

The transmission fluid must be warm for a proper reading because the fluid expands when it’s hot and will read a lot lower when the transmission is cold. Some trans dipsticks will have cold full ranges and hot full ranges, but the engine has to be running whenever the fluid is checked.

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Pro Tip: If the transmission has no dipstick, have a shop check the fluid because the procedure is a lot more difficult.

Tips on How To Access the Transmission Fluid

Before checking your transmission fluid levels, park your vehicle on a level surface, engage your parking brake, and warm up your engine. Leave your vehicle in neutral and let your engine run while checking your transmission fluid.

Wipe the dipstick clean before taking the fluid level. Otherwise, it might still show marks from when the fluid levels were higher. The dipstick might have two “full” markings, one for if the engine is running warm and the other for when the engine is cold. Check the levels, refill as necessary, and reinsert the dipstick once you’re finished. That’s how you can check on your transmission fluid.

Keep in mind that transmission fluid rarely goes down, so if the levels are down, there’s also likely a leak.