Auto F4A23 ATF fluid level? When is cold cold? + starting issue

[atx1]

Hello all, could really use some help.
I recently picked up a good driving 1994 Expo LRV 2.4l, FWD with F4A23 Auto transmission.

I was checking the ATF trans fluid level, engine hot, in park, and the level was showing way too high.
I removed fluid until the level was in the hot zone. But still checking in PARK. The car drove fine, but after parking, the car did not restart.
I tapped the starter and was able to get the car running. By then I had done research and learned it must be in NEUTRAL when checking ATF levels.

In Neutral with the car warmed, I checked the ATF fluid level, and the dipstick showed below cold/none on the dipstick.
I parked the car, I plan on adding back in Mitsubishi SP3 ATF fluid.
I checked the service manual and it says when doing a ATF fluid refill, add enough fluid for the dipstick to show at ATF reading at the cold level. So this should be my starting point...

So to see where I am at, I check the car (cold, engine off) and the dipstick shows way above the hot mark.
Is it normal for the cold/engine off, dipstick showing way above the hot mark?
I understand my end goal is to have it in the hot zone with car in neutral, with the car warmed, cycled through the gears. But if I add fluid in when the car is off now, is it just going to overflow?
Seems like this should be simple, but could use help badly, can't wrap my head around it.

I don't know if the car not starting was related to low ATF fluid or it was just the luck the starter happened to not work right now.
Thank you

 

[petrosian]

Welcome to the board! You should fill out your vehicle profiles

For the part where the service manual says "add enough fluid for the dipstick to show at ATF reading at the cold level" it means do this while the car is running (see step 10). This is from the DSM service manual, but the F4A23 is very similar to the F4A22 found in the FWD Auto non-turbo DSMS. The process for fluid level check is definitely the same.

From what you said above, you're doing this cold check while the car is not running, which is causing your level to read much higher on the dipstick, which is calibrated for level while the car is running / trans is in neutral.

The level reads higher with the car off because the trans pump is not circulating fluid and some of it goes back to the pan. It should not overflow, as the pan was designed to hold this extra amount when the car is off.

Long story short, don't take level readings with the car off

Hope this helps!

Oh, and the starter issue sounds unrelated.

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