Fix It

Transmission fluid provides the necessary lubrication a vehicles transmission needs to function properly. The performance of an automobiles transmission is directly affected by transmission fluid levels.

Too Much

An excessive amount of transmission fluid can negatively affect a transmission. When fluid levels are too great, it can result in air mixing in with the transmission fluid. This can cause slipping in a transmission as well as other gear-shifting issues.

Too Little

When transmission fluid levels are too low, this can also be damaging to a transmission. It can slip or be slow to engage when not enough fluid has been added. Keep the fluid levels between the Full and Add section of your transmissions dipstick.

Check Levels

Because a transmission should be hot when performing fluid level checks, a vehicle should be put in park and left idling during this process. If everything is fine, you wont get a low-level fluid reading because transmissions dont consume fluid during operation. A low level reading often indicates a leak.

As the drive trains of new vehicles get more advanced and more vehicle-specific, the fluid capacities become more exact among vehicles. The Nissan Quest has four main fluid capacities: engine oil, transmission fluid, coolant and fuel .

Engine Oil

In earlier years, nearly all vehicles used 4.5 qts. of oil, but recently cars have used as few as 3 qts. and as many as 10 qts. of engine oil. The Nissan Quests 3.3-liter engine requires 4 qts. of oil, including the oil filter.

Transmission Fluid

The transmission fluid not only acts as a lubricant, but it also acts as a hydraulic fluid, so the exact amount must be used at all times to maintain pressure and lubrication. The transmission fluid capacity of the 2002 Quest is 9.9 qts., or 20 pts.

Coolant

The coolant is an interesting fluid as it requires a 50-50 mix of anti-freeze/coolant and plain water. The 2002 Quest requires 1 3/8 gallons of coolant combined with 1 3/8 gallons of water, equaling a total capacity of 2 3/4 gallons.

Fuel

With todays advanced fueling stations that automatically shut off when your tank is full, it is nearly impossible to overfill the fuel tank, but it is still relevant in some cases. The 2002 Nissan Quest has a 20-gallon fuel capacity.

Check the transmission fluid level on the 1996 manual Volkswagen Golf whenever checking other fluid levels in the engine. Adding transmission fluid to the Golf requires a special drive bit made specifically for Volkswagens that can be purchased in most auto parts shops. Performing this routine maintenance keeps the gears shifting smoothly and prevents costly damage to the transmission.

Instructions

1

Drive the car for 5 to 10 minutes to warm up the engine slightly. Doing this gives a more accurate read of the vehicles transmission fluid level. Jack the front of the car up to easily access the underside.

2

Slide underneath the car and locate the gearbox, which is a round metal container near the center of the car with two bolts, one in front and one behind. Place the pan underneath the rear bolt to catch any liquid that may escape.

3

Mount the VW drive bit into the socket wrench. Remove the rear bolt, which is the fill plug. Look at the level of fluid in the fill hole; it should line up with the bottom of the hole. If it is not level with the hole, adding transmission fluid is necessary.

4

Place the tube of the fluid pump into the fill hole and pump the bottle to deliver the transmission fluid to the gearbox. Stop when the fluid begins to trickle out.

5

Replace the fill plug and lower the car.