Should car be on or off when checking transmission fluid level? | Car Doctor
Q: When I check the transmission fluid level dipstick on my 2003 Honda Accord, do I check with the car on or off?
A: This question isn’t as simple as you may think. Generally, any car with a dipstick for an automatic transmission is checked with the fluid at normal operating temperature and the engine running on a level surface.
According to the service manual for your Accord, it's a little different. The engine should be warm, but the fluid level is checked with the engine not running. So, in this case, warm up the engine, shift from park to reverse, then to drive and back to park, shut off the engine and then check the fluid level with the dipstick.
Q: I have a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport that I store in Florida for long periods of time. This can typically be two to three months. It is parked under a carport with no access to electricity for a trickle charger. The battery is two years old, but if the terminals are not disconnected the battery goes dead in about a month.
When I left in May, I decided to remove the negative terminal of the battery. When I arrived in Florida recently, I connected the terminal and the car started right up. However, every light possible comes on: ASC, engine light, 4-wheel-drive light, ABS light, etc. The car runs fine, other than the annoyance of these lights.
I brought the car to an Auto Zone store, and they used a scanner and said that the limited testing did not indicate anything wrong with the vehicle. They suggested bringing the car to a mechanic. I don't believe there is anything wrong. I would like to know how I can reset the system so the lights go away. How do I store the car in the future to avoid these lights?
A: You may have more than one thing going on. First off, you may have some sort of slight parasitic drain on the battery. A fully charged battery in good condition should be able to hold a charge for a month or even a little longer. I would start with checking all of the fuses and fully recharging the battery and retesting it.
I would also completely “reboot” the car's computer systems. This is accomplished by disconnecting the positive and negative cables and connecting the cables together with a jumper wire. If you are unsure about this, have your repair shop do it for you. This will completely discharge the capacitors in the system and clear all of the memory.
You may find after you reboot the system that it acts a little odd for a couple of restarts until it relearns the proper operation.
Even though you don’t have electricity where you park, you do have the power of the sun to maintain the car’s battery. You could look at solar charger maintainers. CTEK makes a true battery maintainer with an add-on solar panel. Less expensive battery chargers are available from Schumacher and from Deltran, which makes the very popular Battery Tender. Both have solar battery maintainer/chargers.
Q: I have driven Nissan products for approximately 35 years and find them to be fairly reliable, for the most part. My mechanic has nothing good to say about them for reasons unknown. What is your opinion of the newer Nissan models such as Rogue, Altima and Sentra, and just Nissan in general?
A: Some work out fine, but the CVTs (continually variable transmissions) are either perfect or fail around 75,000 miles. Some earlier cars had some severe rust issues as well.
I do believe that all of the changes in management have helped with quality over what I have experienced in the past.
The latest Roque is pretty good, as is the Altima. The last Sentra I evaluated was just a terrible car, and the Murano is just not my cup of tea.
Problems with some Nissan models are generally traced to electrical issues.
My last evaluation of the newest Frontier truck was quite good, and the extended-range Leaf EV was practical and fun to drive.
As a whole, I would put Nissan quality at mid-pack, with the more popular Altima, Maxima and Roque in the top one third when compared with other models.
Q: Every time I take my Toyota in for service, I expect the fuel filter to be replaced, along with routine maintenance. When I have asked why they didn’t replace the fuel filter, they just said it didn’t need it.
I have a lawn tractor and a small boat, and I replace those filters every three years. Why not the car’s filter?
A: Some filters are designed to last the life of the car and are only replaced if the fuel was contaminated. Many Toyota products have large fuel filters which, under normal conditions, don’t require replacement.
John Paul is the AAA Northeast Car Doctor. He has more than 40 years of experience in the automobile industry and is an ASE-Certified Master Technician. Write to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, RI 02904. Or email jpaul@aaanortheast.com and put “Car Doctor” in the subject field. Follow him on Twitter @johnfpaul or on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Leave car on or off when checking transmission fluid? | Car Doctor
