Trans dipstick question

-Paladin- · **Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2010 10:11 pm

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I searched with no answers. For some reason, every time I open the hood on the CRD, the tranny dipstick has worked a few inches out of the tube. Is there a trick to this? It doesn't appear to clip or scrrew in. Looks like a standard dipstick that you just push in? Thanks!

CATCRD · **Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2010 11:20 pm

It's a pretty common issue. You can pull it out, twist it 180 degrees and put it back in and it will stay in a little better. Or tuck the handle under the engine cover, or pull it out and bend a slight kink in the stick to make it bind in there. If it keeps happening you may want to check if your tranny breather tube is not plugged or pinched.

CIMARRON13 · **Posted:** Mon Oct 25, 2010 11:36 pm

Mine does the same thing. Wrap some electrical tape around the tube to make the dipstick fit snug.

long_tall_texan · **Posted:** Tue Oct 26, 2010 12:50 am

Another thread on this problem over here, and my fix to it...

viewtopic.php?p=533893#p533893

geordi · **Posted:** Tue Oct 26, 2010 1:15 am

I just had my pan down when changing the fluid, and it appears to me that the location of the bottom of the tube (in the pan) matches with the location of a higher-than-the-bottom section near the passenger-side edge of the pan. I think the stick may be pushing itself out because it is physically bottoming out in the pan, and forcing tension as the rest of the stick compresses and curves from side to side in the tube.

I have squeezed the tube at the top to try and make it fit tighter, and the only result is that I think I can feel it hit a "stop" before the o-rings hit the top of the tube... And the thing still wants to push itself out.

This doesn't seem to be a pressurizing issue to me, not anymore.

-Paladin- · **Posted:** Tue Oct 26, 2010 5:59 am

Thanks for the replies! I wanted to make sure it wasn't something I was doing wrong.

flman · **Posted:** Tue Oct 26, 2010 6:38 am

I squeezed the tubes with a pair of channel locks to give it an egg shape, they never fall out any more.

RJM · **Posted:** Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:03 am

Zip tie.

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:30 am

My Extra Deep PML pan fixed the problem, ever since I swapped the pan.

geordi · **Posted:** Tue Oct 26, 2010 11:42 am

Warp, that only gives me confirmation that the stick IS bottoming out on the pan then.

From a level-checking perspective, if the stick is jammed at the bottom of the pan (and therefore not dipping any deeper into the fluid) aren't we all overfilling our transmissions to get it to the "hot" mark on the stick?

After putting 5 quarts down the tube on mine, it took almost a full second to engage into drive or reverse... But the engagement was STRONG - really felt like it had locked in. It wasn't enough fluid on the stick, so I added another (6 total quarts for the change) and after driving it around a day... It wasn't registering on the stick again. Shifting had been "iffy" while driving around. Sometimes it felt solid, other times accelerating from a light, it felt like it wasn't grabbing. Like if I had been feathering the clutch on a manual. Of course, at the times when it was slipping from a stop... I get caught in every light and stop and go traffic possible. Arg.

I've now upped it to 7 quarts with a bottle of Lucas transmission and 12 ounces of trans fluid (the trans fluid is all ATF+4 full synth Valvoline) and it seems to be shifting normally... But I don't know if I can trust the dipstick, with this depth issue.

Thoughts? How much was that PML pan, with the drain plug?

bebey · **Joined:** Fri Oct 22, 2010 3:08 pm **Posts:** 62

I too am having this issue.

What are anyone's thoughts on clipping the end of the dipstick about a half an inch shorter?

I don't know if fluid is measured on the dipstick with the expectation their is a slight bind (curve) in the dipstick, or if it measures it from the top.

Any thoughts?

long_tall_texan · **Posted:** Mon Nov 22, 2010 10:54 am

Do not snip the tip of the dipstick. You will then under-fill your tranny fluid. The dipstick is designed to bottom out on the trans pan. If you snip the tip off, then the stick will go farther in than designed.

bebey · **Joined:** Fri Oct 22, 2010 3:08 pm **Posts:** 62

Maybe a radical idea here, but how about if I snipped off exactly half an inch, and then using a metal saw, I make an indentation/notch exactly the same distance higher on the dipstick (and another for the low fluid level)? Essentially, my new 'fill line'. Even taking into account the curvature of the dipstick prior to cutting, that should be largely irrelevant considering it can't be a dramatic distance in difference between the fill levels using that methodology.

I've seen the various fixes talked about here, but crimping, zip ties, hose clamps, extender hoses, or spinning 180 and praying all seem like half-baked solutions.

Would it be significantly different?

geordi · **Posted:** Tue Nov 23, 2010 2:04 am

If you re-made the marks the same distance apart and accounting for the amount you clip off, I would say that your level would be correct.

Texan: Respectfully, horse pucky. This is the ONLY vehicle that I have ever owned or serviced (and I have a VERY long list if you want it) where the transmission dipstick impacts the bottom of the pan. That is not the proper design, it is another example of Mopar grabbing whatever off-the-shelf parts were handy (cheap) and hoping they would do the job long enough to survive the warranty.

The dipstick is designed to sit into the top level of the liquid, and measure the location OF that top. The relationship of the bottom of the pan to the bottom of the dipstick doesn't enter into the equation. That pan can be 2 inches deep or 2 miles deep - As long as the TOP of the fluid is at the same (assumed correct) position... Then the level is correct.

Because of the dipstick bottoming on the stock pan, I contend that we are all OVERfilling our transmissions. By what level, I am not certain. The dipstick would not be able to sink into the fluid sufficiently, no matter how hard anyone shoves the TOP of the stick into the tube. The measuring part is jammed at an incorrect depth.

I know that on a simple fluid-and-filter change, I had to put a total of 7 quarts into my CRD before it started driving and behaving normally. I have not yet re-measured in recent days, now that I have put some mileage onto this change and know that the bubbles are gone. It doesn't really matter, I can't trust the dipstick's levels b/c of this jam issue, so I have to base it on operation only. The hesitation when shifting into reverse is GONE, so I believe that not only is this filter functioning correctly, but that whatever it reads on the dipstick currently... That is the correct amount.

long_tall_texan · **Posted:** Tue Nov 23, 2010 12:58 pm

I did not say that I agree with the KJ designers. I just said that is the way it turns out. Mine is an 07. It had no Trans dipstick from the factory. you have to have the dealer check the level with a special dipstick. That dipstick is designed to go into the fill tube and bottom out on the pan. And when you measure with an 06 dipstick, which bottoms out on the pan, it measures the exact same level as the dealer dipstick. So weather we like it or not. They are supposed to bottom out on the pan to get the correct reading. I personally think it is a dumb design too.

racertracer · **Posted:** Tue Nov 23, 2010 1:19 pm

Texan,

Count me in, I want one also.

Neal · **Posted:** Tue Nov 23, 2010 7:23 pm

long_tall_texan wrote:

Do not snip the tip of the dipstick. You will then under-fill your tranny fluid. The dipstick is designed to bottom out on the trans pan. If you snip the tip off, then the stick will go farther in than designed.

That is a no brainer, if you are sure the level is correct, then cut off the dip stick enough til it no longer makes contact with the bottom of the pan and file new full mark on the stick.

MirageX · **Posted:** Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:15 pm

Thanks, again, guys, as this forum is incredibly useful! I'm glad to know, as usual, that the problems I run into aren't unique to my CRD.

I've got another simple way to fix this:

Check the fluid level with the engine off. Either make mental note of the level or mark the stick. Then, start putting zig-zag bends in the top of the dipstick with pliers. Make sure your zig-zags aren't too extreme, so that it will still fit into the tube.

Keep adding zig-zags and trial fitting the stick into the tube until it doesn't bottom out when inserted.

Then, check the fluid level on the stick. I shortened mine a bit too much as the fluid level had "changed." So, I straightened my zig-zags slightly until the fluid was at the original level on the stick.

Please excuse the poor quality of my cellphone picture, but it should give you the idea.

Trans dipstick question

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