How To: Change Your Automatic Transmission Fluid

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Automatic Transmission Fluid

Changing automatic transmission fluid (ATF) is just as easy as changing your oil. It can help your car shift more smoothly and maintain the transmission to ensure a good long service life.

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Maintenance Interval:

  • Every 90,000 miles or 5 years, whichever comes first.

Tools Needed:


1. Go for a drive if possible, and get the car up to operating temperature so the fluid is warm and flows more easily. Then, turn the car off.

2. Jack the front of the car up and put the jackstands under the pinch welds, and then lower it down. It should be high enough to get under, but not too high, and as level as possible.

3. Place the oil drain pan underneath the automatic transmission drain bolt, shown in the picture below. Make sure you're not accidentally draining the engine oil if you're new to this. The transmission bolt is on the driver's side of the car, near the axle boot.

Drain Bolt (A), Crush Washer (B)

4. Remove the automatic transmission drain bolt, and let it all drain out into the pan.

5. When it's finished, put a new crush washer on the drain bolt, and tighten it down to 36 lbf-ft.

6. Now, it's time to fill the automatic transmission with new fluid. It should take about 2.7 Liters, or a little under 3 Quarts. We fill it from the dipstick location in the engine bay, near the battery. Again, make sure you're using the transmission dipstick hole, and not the engine oil one.
ATF Dipstick Location

7. Once full, you can check the dipstick by wiping it off, putting it in, and reading the level on it. It should be at the upper mark, shown with the letter, "B".

Proper ATF Level (B)

8. If the level is slightly below the upper mark, add a little more transmission fluid and test it again in the same way as you did before. Otherwise, check for fluid leaks at the transmission, lines, and cooler.

9. When you're satisfied with the level of your transmission fluid, make sure you return the dipstick back in the orientation shown in the picture below.

Proper ATF Dipstick Orientation

And with that, you're all done! Drive around and verify that the car shifts properly.

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