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Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road 

 

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 Post subject: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:10 pm 
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SO here's an interesting one.

My sister borrowed my car, didnt notice ATF was leaking, a hose on the cooler line let go, ATF goes everywhere, and car stops. All well and good.

I trek out, pick her up, fix the leaky hose (cut end off and put new clamps on) but theres not enough fluid in it to find a gear.

Its on a somewhat busy road, so sticking it on stands and filling up at the plug isnt really an option. Theres a workshop only a few blocks down the road, but there are 2 main roads to cross, so i cant really push it there either.

No tow point on the front to flat tow it.

So, heres the question.

Is there a tricky way to top up the ATF, so i can get it to the workshop, where ill get them to do a full auto service on it while its there ?

Does using a pump / squeeze bottle into a cooler line work ? As i said, doesnt need to be permanent, just enough to be able to drive it for a few minutes.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:15 pm 
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does it have a dipstick?
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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:23 pm 
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{USERNAME} wrote:
does it have a dipstick?


No.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:26 pm 
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What he said.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:51 pm 
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Stick the cooler line in a bottle of fluid, should suck it in. One hose will pump in, one out.
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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:11 pm 
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I would've guessed no dipstick - if there were, no need for this thread.
Bunnings have 10mm clear plastic tubing - $6 for about 3m from memory - pop a funnel in one end (have it sitting probably near the brake master cyl), other end in the trans filler hole, gravity feed in a litre or two - obviously if there's enough it will overflow. I would've said park the drivers side up on the kerb, but because you can't move, you could jack the car with the poxy scissor jack, but put the spare under the car as backup. pretty much the only special tools you'll need is an allen key to fit the filler, and a piece of pipe - you can bet the filler is probably done up tight.

Should at least get the car mobile.

EDIT: Might be able to undo the upper radiator tank pipeline and gravity feed from there - depends how high up it is. IMO I wouldn't attempt to fill while it's running, I'd think you'd lose more than you'd fill.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:38 pm 
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What about sticking both lines into a bottle of fluid.
Will it just pump it in ?

 

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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:55 pm 
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You'll need to pump this to make it work... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axAG1YPK9BU

 

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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 12:32 am 
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Comments are good reading too. :?

 

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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 6:50 am 
Getting Side Ways
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{USERNAME} wrote:
I would've guessed no dipstick - if there were, no need for this thread.
Bunnings have 10mm clear plastic tubing - $6 for about 3m from memory - pop a funnel in one end (have it sitting probably near the brake master cyl), other end in the trans filler hole, gravity feed in a litre or two - obviously if there's enough it will overflow. I would've said park the drivers side up on the kerb, but because you can't move, you could jack the car with the poxy scissor jack, but put the spare under the car as backup. pretty much the only special tools you'll need is an allen key to fit the filler, and a piece of pipe - you can bet the filler is probably done up tight.

Should at least get the car mobile.

EDIT: Might be able to undo the upper radiator tank pipeline and gravity feed from there - depends how high up it is. IMO I wouldn't attempt to fill while it's running, I'd think you'd lose more than you'd fill.


If you read the OP no need for your post. "Its on a somewhat busy road, so sticking it on stands and filling up at the plug isnt really an option." I started with the basics as they are often overlooked in desperate times.
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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 10:33 am 
Getting Side Ways
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{USERNAME} wrote:
Might be able to undo the upper radiator tank pipeline and gravity feed from there - depends how high up it is. IMO I wouldn't attempt to fill while it's running, I'd think you'd lose more than you'd fill.


So disconnect the top cooler line, and fill it via the radiator/cooler ? Is that what you mean?
That seems like a good idea to get a litre or 2 in. I was planning on getting it serviced in the next week or so anyway, so all i want to do is get it to the point where i can drive it to the local guy, who is organised to service the transmission for me.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 10:48 am 
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I would have thought sticking both ends of the hose into a bottle of fluid may work. You might however need a bigger bottle than the fluid comes into. So pour the 1L bottle of fluid into a 2L container or something...just in case the transmission spits out some while it is sucking in some...as to not to overflow the 1L bottle.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 3:38 pm 
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{USERNAME} wrote:
If you read the OP no need for your post. "Its on a somewhat busy road, so sticking it on stands and filling up at the plug isnt really an option."
Well yeah there is - you should always consider every option - then pick the most viable one/s.
{USERNAME} wrote:
I started with the basics as they are often overlooked in desperate times.
And I didn't say there was anything wrong with that - All I said is I'D have assumed there'd be no dipstick. All threads I've seen on here ask how you fill a BTR when it has no dipstick - but it's a percentage thing of course.
{USERNAME} wrote:
So disconnect the top cooler line, and fill it via the radiator/cooler ? Is that what you mean?That seems like a good idea to get a litre or 2 in. I was planning on getting it serviced in the next week or so anyway, so all i want to do is get it to the point where i can drive it to the local guy, who is organised to service the transmission for me.
I'm assuming that is your object goal as well :?:
I've yet to see unpressurised fluid beat gravity. :mrgreen: Air locks aside that is. Undo the top radiator fluid line, Slip a bit of flex hose over the pipe flare, put the funnel on, position it against something, and gravity fill - make take a while, but a litre or two should do to get you running - reconnect to the radiator. This shouldn't be messy at all - you don't need to get under anything, and that pipeline is nice and high up. The putting two hoses in the bottle is an option, but as I say IMO might get very messy.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:00 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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Should I be putting the fluid into the line, or into the cooler?

Thats more the question i was asking. Not sure which way would be better.

 

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 Post subject: Re: Conundrum - How to top up ATF on the side of the road
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:12 pm 
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Well, undoing the top rad pipeline would be easiest for mind. You only need a litre or two in the system - doesn't matter where it is, just enough to carefully get you down the road.
You may need more if the converter has been drained (I'm assuming it's oil circulates with the rest while the pump is operating), but that's a trial and see.

Normal fill is 4L from memory, plus converter is sh*tloads ???

One of the trans guys - Transman, or Xpvanman would probably have better suggestions.

 

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