Reading ATF dipstick
 

Sorry for the dumb question, but I don't have an owner's manual and I'm having trouble reading my ATF dipstick. It has three holes or marks about the same distance apart (1/2" or so) from bottom up. Can someone explain the marks to me? How much fluid needs to be added to go from one mark to the next one up? Is the top mark "full" or is it "you added too much, dummy." I've always had a little trouble reading ATF dipsticks because ATF doesn't seem to stick to it the way oil does to an oil dipstick. Any help is appreciated.

This is very simple to explain:

The dipstick has 2 sides, a COLD and a HOT side. These are marked on the very bottom of the dipstick.

If you are checking the ATF when the engine is cold and the car hasn't been driven to warm it up, use the COLD side of the dipstick to measure. The first hole from the bottom is the low mark and the middle hole is the upper level (full) mark. Fluid should be somewhere in between, but closer to the full mark.

If the car is at normal operating temperature when you check the ATF, use the HOT side of the dipstick. On this scale, the middle hole is the lower fluid level and the top hole is the upper level (full). Again fluid should be in this range, closer to the full mark.

Do not overfill.

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