(every 4,800 km [3,000 miles] or every three months)
Correct ATF level is one of the critical performance parameters for AT equipped models. Lowering the ATF level can cause the rotation converter to slip, while an excessive amount of fluid leads to its foaming, leakage and is fraught with transmission failure.
Checking the ATF level should be carried out on a car parked on a flat horizontal area with the engine turned off for a minute.
1. Remove the dipstick located at the front of the transmission case near the right bulkhead of the engine compartment on 4-cylinder models, or on the left side of the compartment on V6 models. The probe is equipped with a ring-shaped handle painted bright yellow. Use your fingers to remove traces of ATF from the dipstick blade and evaluate its condition by touch.
2. Wipe the blade thoroughly with a clean rag and insert the probe back into the guide tube, seating the cap firmly on the mouth.
3. Remove the dipstick from the throat again and determine the ATF level in the transmission housing by the size of the wetted area of the blade. If necessary, make appropriate adjustments by adding the correct grade of fluid to the transmission through a funnel. On 4-cylinder models, pour fluid directly into the neck of the dipstick guide tube. V6 models have a separate filler hole, from which the plug must first be removed.
4. To raise the ATF level from the lower limit of the dipstick operating range to the upper one, about 0.6 l of liquid is required - fill in in small portions in several steps, each time checking the level.
5. Simultaneously with the level, the condition of the ATF should also be checked. If the fluid wetting the tip of the dipstick blade is dark red-brown or smells of burning, the ATF should be replaced (see Section Maintenance of the cooling system (emptying, rinsing and filling)). If you are not sure about the correct assessment of the condition of the transmission fluid, compare it by color and smell with fresh ATF.