Checking the Tranny Fluid
 

I have a 2006 Uplander. After I got the oil changed and the tires rotated, the local Stealership told me I had two leaking transmission cooler pipes. These are the people who quoted me $16 labour to change a license plate bulb, plus $40 labour to repair a windshield washer hose, and claimed my almost new cabin filters needed replacing. So naturally, I got a second opinion. My ex, who used to work on pickups and a heavy duty equipment for a living, told me while I don't have a full-blown leak it's possible they might be weeping. He told me to keep an eye on the tranny fluid level just in case.

To do this, my ex tells me I just need to take the dipstick out and check the level, taking into consideration whether the engine is hot or cold. The owner's manual, on the other hand, tells me another story:

To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal operating temperature, which is 180°F to 200°F (82°C to 93°C). Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles (24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F (10°C). If it is colder than 50°F (10°C), you may have to drive longer.
1. Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine running.
2. With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
3. With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever through each gear range, pausing for about three seconds in each range. Then, position
the shift lever in PARK (P).
4. Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes. Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or paper towel.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds, and then pull it back out again.
3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower level. The fluid level must be in the cross-hatched area.
4. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the dipstick back in all the way.

If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper fluid to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on the dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as described under “How to Check Automatic Transaxle Fluid,” earlier in this section.
4. When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the dipstick back in all the way.

When I showed my ex the instructions, he said it was bull****. It also seems like quite an ordeal to go through the whole sequence several times just to make sure I've added enough tranny fluid. It also doesn't seem healthy for the transmission to keep checking the fluid level by shifting it through all the gears with my foot firmly placed on the brake peddle.

What's your experience with this?

Thanks,
Inari:confused:

the part about your foot "firmly" on the brake peddle is a liability with chevy. lets say some nimrod goes to check his and the car creeps forward and hits something he could try and sue GM because he followed their instructions.
but other than that what i do is normal driving till the trans gets up to temp then turn the engine off for 15 minutes then start and check. it does seam like every few years they change how to check the fluid. i agree though it does seam like too much. what i would do is do as they say and note where the fluid is at then try it the way im used to and see how far off it is.

So you are questioning the logic behind GM instructing you to hold the brake to keep your van stationary while you shift from park through all the other gears? ;p

Tbh checking it daily would do nothing harmful unless it’s too low or too full. It’s not really lot of steps but it seems like it indeed. On other year models you would be instructed to shift through all of the gears prior to checking the levels. But all of that is also because they’re not meant to be leaking without repair and do not expect the fluids to have to be monitored so closely either.

I think my ex and I approached the tranny leak problem in the wrong way. The most obvious way to check for a suspected leak would be to put a piece of cardboard under the front and look at the drips. And there haven't been any since my first post May 12. In fact the whole under carriage is still completely dry. However, I am still curious about the tranny fluid check. Is there a reason GM has Uplander Owners go through such a long list of steps to do this?