I bought a 99 V6 automatic about a month ago and I noticed that the car is hesitating when shifting especial at the first and second gears. I checked the ATF level only to find out that it needed 2 quarts added!

After added the ATF all worked fine but today (after about 500 miles from adding the ATF) I decided to check the level again, and I noticed that the level is around 350ml under what it was (in normal operation temprature it reached the mid part of C on the dipstick).

Any ideas? There is no oil at all under the car and I am not sure where the ATF might be escaping? or is it normal for the level to drop after adding fresh fluid?

 

if the fluid was low, when you added fluid did you run the car around town and such and then recheck the fluid level? because after driving the fluid would have filled all the parts of your tranny that were low and then you may have needed to add more. if you just bought the car and do not konw it's maitenance history it is worth flushing the tranny fluid, replacing the filter and such because the fluid is essential for proper operation of the tranny.

simple answer: have transmission flushed and filled by a shop and filter replaced.

 

Exactly. You need to run the trans through the gears by driving it around town or on the highway a bit after you fill it, and then recheck it. They will almost ALWAYS have to have fluid added again if they were run really low.

 

I know this may be a stupid statement, but you have to add fluid to tranny while the engine is running, or you will get a false reading. Sorry if you already knew that.

 

Yes, I know that checking level and adding fluid must be done while engine is running and the car must be heated to normal operation temprature.
I actually added a can on TransX today and the level went a bit above the top "H" line. I am not very concerned since the whole TransX can contains less than half a quart, but I am pretty surprised that half a quart caused the level to go up that much.