Driving without adequate ATF

[RipRocK]

Soon after I had my last scheduled service (about 1,900miles/3,000KM), which had the ATF replaced, I noticed a slight change in the way the transmission was behaving and the way the gears were engaging. It was nothing to be alarmed about, just a very slight hesitation(?) here and there, only on gentle acceleration when the RPM was below 2K and the gears were changing say from 2nd to 3rd or 3rd to 4th.

I figured it'd go away, but it never did, so I checked the ATF level today and it definitely was below the LOW mark on the dipstick. I would say about just below the halfway mark between the tip of the stick and the LOW mark.

So, I took it to my servicing dealer and they topped up the ATF for me. The fluid looked just fine and there was no burning smell to it. The transmission seems to be functioning normally now; it seems to have gone back to the way it was before the last schedule service.

I don't think it leaked because I didn't see any signs of leaks on my garage floor at all. I'm thinking the technician just never put enough ATF during the service in the first place.

However, I'm still concerned a bit about whether there could've been any damage at all to the transmission or that the transmission could've been subjected to abnormally high stress because of the low ATF level and the fact that I've been driving around like that for close to 1,900miles/3,000KM?

As well, right after the service, we had a very nasty cold spell which had the temperatures drop down to -31F/-35C for well over a week, I believe, and worries me about what inadequate level of lubrication could've done to the transmission during those days.

Would you guys or gals worry at all if something like this happened? Should I even bother to request to the service advisor to make a note of this in my service record or am I just worrying about nothing? Thanks.

Oh, and lessons learned: make sure to check the fluid levels yourself right after a service.

[sblvro]

from your address, it seems to be pretty cold there, eh? so, ATF usually contract and it is best to measure it when it has reached operating temperature, if you measure it cold then hot you will notice the difference, the ATF expanding! driveability problems are usually common in cold temperatures, especially if a fresh batch of ATF is near due.

[RipRocK]

Thanks for your quick reply, sblvro. I checked the ATF level after the car had been driven for a while, not for eg., after it had been parked for a while. The engine definitely was in operating temperature for at least about 20 minutes before I parked and checked the ATF level.

[Sunday Rider]

Riprock maybe the tranny would have warmed up better with the lesser amount of fluid .. BUT I would get the problem noted on the service records, in case of any tranny trouble down the road, maybe a goodwill repair will be warranted.
Do you have extended warranty? Maybe worth the extra piece of mind. This may be a good time to negotiate one with the dealership, since their "neglect" to make sure the level was proper there should be a break for you for all the anguish this error has now caused. Not to mention the noise problems with the engine rattle they have not been able to fix.

My .02

Glad to see it is warming up out there

[RipRocK]

Sunday Rider, thanks for your input. Really appreciate it. You bring up a good point about negotiating an extended warranty on the car with this little oversight on the dealer's part.

And yeah, it sure it nice to have some decent weather. But now, my Pilot's a grimey mess. There's no point in washing it when it'll just get sprayed and get covered in muck during the drive home.

Do we ever catch a break?