When I first bought the van used at 50600 miles the trans fluid was high and occasionally I would find the trans auto fluid dip stick popped out.
I drained down the auto trans fluid and rarely found the dip stick popped out.
The van currently has 73326 miles on it and after almost every drive I am finding the dip stick popped out.

Maintenance recommendations suggest replacing fluid and filter at 50k miles if driven under sever conditions. Otherwise to be replaced at 100k mile.
I have no idea what conditions it was driven under before I bought it, but personally do mostly city driving.
The fluid is multicolored when I check it. When I wipe it on a rag it is stripped bright red and black. Not a mixed color (?)

Should I replace the fluid and filter now and not later?
While the pan is dropped are there suggestions of what else I should look at?
I have heard of a trans fluid flush. Would that apply to this van?

 

Fluid flush can be hazardous to your transmission's health; fluid/filter change ok

 

Had the same problem, a cam-locking dip stick mostly solved unless you leave a bit of compression on the dip stick. I find rotating it 360degrees while seating it releases any "spring loading" and stops it popping.

 

You need to find the vent hose and make sure it isn't clogged.

 

Yup. may be clogged or someone capped it because they didn't know what it was.

 

Without having gotten into the manual or crawling under the van yet ... where should I be looking?

 

I can't remember but I think I saw mine by the brake master cylinder. It is a rubber hose with a white plastic cap (same thing as the rear axle).

 

Rotating the dip stick while inserting is not working for me. It is binding in the bends.
There is some resistance (?) the last inch or so during insertion of the dip stick that is over come by the cam lock.
I suspect that resistance to be the cause of the dip stick plug popping out.

 

I probed the end of the vent hose with a pipe cleaner and maybe removed a nibbit of cobweb at the end.
I will want it to be warm before I disconnect hose and blow through it.

 

Triaged
Derrick71

The dip stick has not popped out for a while but I still wanted to confirm the vent hose was clear. I followed the tub back up over top of the transmission to the other side where it forks. That junction is in a very constricted spot. Even if I could disconnect it at that junction I doubt I can get my mouth or a compressed air can up to the hose.

Under the hood there is no telling where the hoses are. There are no hoses coming over from the passenger side to the area of the brake booster.

Will I find the hose connections inside the cabin under the engine cover?