The part owner at Dyck's said I can check my transaxle fluid cold. This's not in line with the owner's manual, but I did not argue.
Cold, it is:
1. Filthy, like Driver #3's diagram. This furthers my concern that it is transaxle fluid and not motor oil they're seeing after running it an hour unsupervised. My oil is barely 1/4 of a quart low after nearly 1,000 miles since changing it, and I don't think that's so bad for an older car. they said it wasn't,either. It's getting darker, but it's still shiny.
2. When it's cold, transaxle is way above the cross hatching, I'm desperately hoping that's normal since it isn't warmed up?
3. I'll warm it as it says to, run it through the gears and then check it while running, dipping for just three seconds per the manual.

Stupid quetion: In light of their continued head gasket diagnosis, does a blown head gasket have an effect on transaxle fluid levels?

 

NO !! has nothing to do with it. You may want to find another Garage and have the Trans fluid changed along with the filter.
Depending on how many miles are on the vehicle and when it was last changed. this could effect it not running very well.
At least it did on My SUV . I used to travel extensively and my wifes car and she didn't change the thing. Once done it all smoothed out.

 

I warmed it up and put it through the paces. Level is fine, at first dot from top within grid. Took it in and had it scoped, misfire in cylinder 1. That would be the hesitation, the hiccup sensation, the thing I thought was trapped air and Willis said was a"cold start" it began the moment hey did the R&R. ... spoke with the young man at Auto Zone, every female (heard that from many others,too) and every kid gets mistreated at Dyck's. I won't be taking my plugs there, he recommended another place and said I could tell them he sent me, he said they'd probalby give me a deal on changing those plugs. I contrmplated asking Dyck's for a quote, especially after Alan dumped windshield wiper fluid all over the front of the engine bay including the battery like he was putting out a fire, he shook the jug then said "There. Now at least it will be blue." I'd already promised not to put the cardboard under for a week or open the raadiator cap ever. The check engine light came on shortly thereafter.

I can't prove it and I'd felt the misfire before the incident, If they vacuum bled it there should be no air, unless one of the times they added was directly to the radiator...that screw is so rusty, I'd best see if it continures after I get the plugs in before I mess with bleeding it..much as I want to.. I'll have to save up for the transaxle fluid and filter, I just nearly maxed a credit card buying iridium plugs and an air filter. I doubt the transmaxle fluid and filter were changed at 100,000 and I'm rolling up on 149.000...it's time.

I drove 8 miles in and 8 miles home over a big pass, I've no white exhaust, no milky oil...you HAVE to be right, it's NOT a head gasket. Thank God.

 

Here is some light hearted stuff to help you laugh a bit. You definitely need to seek a different Garage to do your work. I would imagine the Trans change would be a bit over $100.00 that's what the Chevy Garage here has on the price sheet. However I went in for a Coolant flush a year ago. They changed my trans fluid instead.
When I questioned it they said the computer code for both were like one number different. So they didn't charge me for that service. But they got me for a new Thermostat at 65.00.
Maybe if you can sit back and relax for a bit and try not to think about the bad service you have experienced. Any way good luck.

 

LOL! Thank you! At least they were polite to me and let me charge something. I'll still pay, I may even do their request and put the cardboard under it again. I don't know. I think I'll stick with just being relieved it's not a head gasket and go hold my Maine Coone. Hugs to you and your wife.

 

Oh I just re-read this and saw that the first thing you said was that I definitely needed to seek a different shop. I've just been so embarrassed. I thought I was avoiding the cheap mechanic and I thought I was getting lost so I didn't bother them..but I did make the mistake of thinking I had air trapped in the system. It wasn't misfiring like that before they put the new radiator in so I got mixed up. They also sold me a car with a cracked radiator in it. They probably didn't know. I feel bad, and I wonder if I should apologize for thinkiing I had arir trapped in the system. I'll keep watching my coolant like they told me to, but I won't put cardboard under for a week. I don't know if I dare tell Willis that my transmission fluid is not pink at all I think I should just stay away from there. Would pouring windshield wiper fluid over the front of the engine bay and even on the battery cause a cylinder to misfire and the check engine light to come on? It didn't come on until shortly after he did that. I am pretty sure that what I was feeling and thought was trapped air was that misfire so it was probanbly already there. I wonder if I should return the spark plugs and try to get someone to fix change the transmission fluid instead. I'm not sure whcih is harder on the car.I wish I could delet all my stupid threads I've just been a pian in the neck to everyone.

 

No your not a pain. You got a Ride that is acting up and you want it fixed and you don't want to worry about it. That's the same stuff we are all concerned about. If it was me I would never go back to those fella's again. They in my opinion have no clue what they are doing.
I would do the Trans fluid first. then do the plugs later. I am not sure which plugs would be better for the car.
You might want to do some research on those prior to the purchase.

If you get Liquid on some kind of connection or a wire that is bare it can cause a miss. You may be able to just dry off the wires and they make some spray that cleans up the connections. I got some from Walmart. Read carefully on the directions.
Please forget about the embarrassment with cars it is not your fault.

 

Oh, they know alright, They're intimidationa girl they know has an $804 monthly income and severe anxiety disorder. They told me to think posiive and find them that leak after I was practically in tears over being told I had a blown head gasket since they didn't see an immediate leak. It drips slow and steady for the spout for the drain plug. I'd shown them a picture I took of it before they did the R&R in hopes that it was nothing more than a loosened plug. Took them all day to get that radiator out, they had dirty transaxle fluid in a pan and I just asked where the oil came from, that's when I learned the radiator cools both. I just assumed my transaxle fluid was supposed to look like that until Willis told me it wasn't transaxle fluid he had in the drain pan, because transaxle fluid is pink. I saw your chart and looked at mine, it looks like slightly dirty oil.

When Willis first had it on the rack and was letting me be there, I asked about the oil, which was clean, and he said oil pan and rear valve cover but not severe at all considering the miles I'd put in sincde the oil change. He didn't see a leak and told me blown had gasket at that point. Then I kept cardboard under as instructed, got the coninued drip from the same spot and showed them the cardboard. Politely. He said immediately bad radiator and they'd replace it for free, you know the rest. When I got there I did ask if he'd humor me and bleed it this time and I think that pissed him off and I deserve the punishment, which was to take the fans off and run it and run it, see no leakage from teh fins, never check the plastic right side where it was dripping, disregard my having shown him right where it was dripping when he had it up again, and banished me. I said Gregg had been gonna take me and told me to wait, Willis said "You told me the other day you'd walk". Then he lowered and I said the wet spot was right where there and he said "You're not gone yet?" I ran. Literally.

Now I've gone and bought the plugs already. Iridium and pre-gapped, per original specs for car. I guess I take those to someone else, or I return them and get the tranny flushed. ..I'd still be looking at more money than I've got if I do the tranny first. Should I just park the car? I have a doctor's appt in the morning in Sandpoint, I'll be doing a 50 mile round trip with dirty transaxle flued (not as dark as your diagram, but having lost most all of the pink) and a misfire in cylinder one per the check engine light. I was told that a misfire I could feel was causing damage already, but that was by Auto Zone (where the kid told me Dyck's screws over women and young people deliberately thinking they don't know any better.

So I can return the plugs, I can try to find a place that will put them in for me for cheap, or I can just park the car until I have the money for both. The Wal-mart is as far away as the doctor's appt. Maybe their plugs are cheaper, I don't know. At this point I just don't want to ruin my car and I need an educated opinion. For a50 mile trip is it worse to have misfires in cylinder 1 or worse to have dirty transaxle fluid or should I just cancel the appt. I'm thinking I should cancel the appt. On the radiator, the last time the plastic had a hairliine crack when they removed it, it has started slow like this time, and within a week was coming out fast on a pressure test, done outside without getting under and I paid for the radiator. I don't know if it got crackd when they put it in or if they bumped the plug or if I really do have a blown head gasket, I honestly don't have milky oil or white exhaust.

My other fear is that I should go and apologize for thinking I had trapped air when it was actually a misfire. I'd just been told by their best mechanic that trapped air can cause the leaking and the hiccup and the low temp gauge. I don't know if I should apologize to Willis, and beg him to let me charge installation of the plugs I already have purchased or just never go back in there even i the leaking radiator coninues to do so.

 

Oh, no! Maybe misfiring in one cylinder is sign of blown head gasket!

 

Riversde Auto Center wants 100 to do the plugs because of it taking an hour and a half in labor. They also said it could be more that that, the plug wires, the coil...coil is not loose, if that matters. Thye want 180 to drain and refull the transaxle fluid. Told me to park the car, driving with a misfire to Sandpoint and back could cause very serious damage. I'll check the place the kid recommended for those plugs...and if they want a fortune I'm tempted to ask Dyck's to let me charge it...though I don't know that they could do it today, and further, the general consensus is that I stay away from there for anything. I guess I hoped they'd let me charge it since it happened as soon as Alan dumped that fluid all over the front of the bay.