Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Originally posted by: Thegonagle
Bright red transmission fluid is a good sign. Are you sure you weren't checking the engine oil? (That's a darker brown color unless it's brand new oil.) The trans dipstick would be located near the firewall (the rear of the engine compartment, where the transmission on a RWD/4WD truck is), and sometimes it's a little difficult to find. The engine oil dipstick is located nearer to the front of the engine. If it was your engine oil you were checking, it sounds like that may be a little low too, but keep in mind that engine oil is always supposed to be checked after the engine has been off for at least a few minutes. If that hasn't been changed in more than 3000-4000 miles, it should be taken care of. If it does turn out to be low, add some. The difference between the high and the low marks on the engine oil dipstick as a general rule is one quart. (For the transmission fluid dipstick, it's usually half a quart, though I've seen exceptions.)
I'm sorry, I just burst out laughing!
Yes, I know the difference between the engine oil and the transmission fluid - and just to make sure I was right, it's stamped in huge letters on top of the dipsticks.
The engine oil is due to be changed in about 300 miles... was changed 2700 miles ago.
I've done basic maintenance on farm tractors, vehicles, etc., but most of the time I just know it because I know it - I have no knowledge of how the things work, why they do what they do, etc. Nor do I really care, as long as it works. But yeah, I can identify most of the major components of a vehicle, and I can certainly tell the difference between fluids as different as transmission fluid and engine oil.
And no, I didn't take that offensively, nor did I mean anything in this post offensively.