How bad is too much ATF?

[BuffaloXplorer]

How bad would it be if i've been driving around with WAY too much tranny fluid? The fluid, when warm, reads at least 1 1/2" beyond the crosshatched area on the dipstick. It's been that way since the tranny was rebuilt in April, 2004, as i've never added fluid to the system.

Can i simply drain a little of the fluid to bring it back down to the right level?

 

[410Fortune]

yes drain it.
It puts strain on the pump, increases the pressures inside the trans, and can have the valve body floating....

Make sure you are reading it correctly, these dipsticks can be a REAL PITA to get an accurate reading.

You can siphon some fluid out with a simple hand pump through the dipstick hole.
You can drain some fluid from the cooling system
or you can drop the trans pan.

Or you can take it back to the rebuild place and say WTF? hahaha

 

[aldive]

I too suggest draining it to the proper level.

Good luck ....

 

[jimbo74]

im with aldive and 410..... too much is bad.....

 

[kdogg212001]

i was told that too much will not hurt it but then again maybe you have a different type !

 

[410Fortune]

whoever told you that is a liar


hahaha no its true, a little over full wont hurt anything, but this is like a quart + too much = will effect shifting, etc, stuff listed above.

 

[spindlecone]

do's not the 5r55e have an overflow system?

 

[Brian_B]

It will get up into the spinning parts and turn to foam. Foam does not do well under pressure and it can cause weird shifting and eventually damage to parts. A little over is ok on most transmissions, but the old A4LD was even picky about that.

Oh yeah, it can also get to hot and blow fluid out the vent tube. Heat will kill a transmission faster than anything.

 

[410Fortune]

Spindlecone, the only overflow system I have ever seen on a ford is puking it out the vent tube becuase you added too much.....

 

[Brian_B]

I thought thats what I just said.

 

[spindlecone]

Spindlecone, the only overflow system I have ever seen on a ford is puking it out the vent tube becuase you added too much.....

410
In your first reply you said overpressure, if you indeed have a vent tube, how can that happen?

 

[CDW6212R]

BuffaloXplorer, check the level again, it may not be high at all.

Too much(more than one or two ounces), is worse than not enough. When the level gets low, the transmission doesn't move, or pulls slowly. Meaning a smart person will figure out the problem before anything bad happens.

There is plenty of room in any automatic for extra fluid to be held, and foam, and hurt the transmission, without venting, or overflowing. The distance on a transmission dipstick is not the same, in volume, as an engine dipstick. that crosshatched area is about a quart in an engine, but less in a transmission.

To check the fluid, warm the trans, pull the dipstick, wipe it off, then quickly insert/remove it. Read both sides of the trans dipstick, one side will likely have far less showing on it. Wipe off the dipstick very well again. Insert and remove once more, so that the crosshatched side will be the lower reading side. Then when you read the crosshatched area, that will be the accurate amount.

Ignore the higher side reading of the dipstick, if there is one. That is fluid which was wiped onto the dipstcik when inserting/removing it. Good luck,

 

[RAZOR]

I've accidentally overfilled a transmission or two in the past. Both times I used a turkey baster and a bit of airline tubing to remove the excess. to me thats easier than draining it out. Hope this helps

 

[BuffaloXplorer]

It's the 4r55e. If there is too much, will it come out of this hose? I believe this is a vent tube for either the trans or the front diff - just behind the passenger side headlight, next to the vacuum bubble. It's ALWAYS wet & messy around & under there:

Next time i drive it a decent distance i'll give it a check (both sides) and check it again.

Why don't trans pans have a drain like engines do?

 

[CDW6212R]

The diff. vent tube does attach on the inner upper control arm area. My 99 is on the driver's side, but I have seen one on the passenger's side also.

The trans vent tube basically ends on the top of the trans, near the engine and bellhousing.

 

[Glacier991]

I won't get into any arguments here, other than to say I believe that there ny number of myths regarding a tranny overfill. Don is right that foamed (churned) fluid is not a good thing, but I respectfully disagree that an ounce over is worse than an ounce low.

Blown seals etc are IMHO one of the myths. Foamed fluid being not good is not a myth but I think it takes probably 8 oz for that to become even a glimmer of an issue.

I highly respect Don and his knowledge, we just slightly disagree on this one is all.

 

[CDW6212R]

Chris, please reread my first sentence. I'm saying that an ounce is nothing, that a few ounces is nothing. I mean to say, that a significant amount, like eight ounces, is something to worry about.

We agree Chris. Respectfully,

 

[Glacier991]

well there ya go! I'll buy the beer, or soda, or whatever.

 

[BuffaloXplorer]

I took a ride to the store and checked it when i got back - it's 2"+ over the crosshatched area and both sides are equally high. For reference (on another 4.0 OHV) - it reaches to the middle of the word "Check" in "Check when hot" on the dipstick.

I may stop in at the trans shop tomorrow and ask them about it. Should i expect them to say "it's no big deal"?

[EDIT: On a side note, should the engine emit so much heat that it's almost unbearable to be around? Just the ar blown at my arms by the fan while checking the trans fluid level was more than i can take. It's been 80+ here lately]

[Also, and not to get too far off topic, but the coolant in the resivoir never seems to move from the "hot" level - is this odd or just expected when it's so warm out?]

 

[Glacier991]

Just get them to correct the level (are we even sure they used the right dipstick?) and let it go. Don't leave with it THAT high.

ps. That does sound odd to be THAT hot.... your gauges ok? And the level should go up and down overnight cold to hot. Check your radiator cap and make sure when cold the radiator is completely full.