Finally got around to this chore. Dropped pan, replaced filter, etc. etc. Installed dipstick, ended up adding 6.5 qts until standpipe hole started running out. Pretty easy overall. Couldn't get the pan completely off without loosening exhaust crossover so I just fenagled the old gasket out and the new one in. I could move the pan around enough to change the filter. There's a pin from the filter that indexes a slot in the valve body so if you can't get the pan up correctly, check for that alignment. Yes, $200 is a lot for a dipstick, but I'm saying it's worth it to just stand up top, add 6 qts, then have my kid watch under the truck while I add the 7th quart until it's filled. Next time, half hour job. Special thanks again for this video. There's another one out there, the wheelchair guy, where he holds the pan and you can see the standpipe/overflow hole so you can see why it's designed that way. It's not that bad a thing, I guess.
I wish I know about this sooner. I bought mine with 130k and it had the shudder. I pulled the fluid out of the plug and refilled with the correct stuff. Shudder went away but still hesitated between 1st and 2nd. Pulled the fluid again and refilled from the top hole, pumping it in again. It ended up being the trans temp sensor on the wiring harness, so I pulled the fluid from that hole once again before dropping the pan and changing the harness. Pumping fluid in through the hole once again. It would have been very nice to be able to pull the fluid from the engine bay, as well as add it back in through the dipstick. I hopefully wont be needing to do much maintenance on my transmission anymore, but the thought of this being as simple as it should be has me looking to buy this.
@Brandon What was the part number of the wiring harness you replaced? My Colorado also has the hesitation between first and second and I'm looking to fix that. I've also noticed the transmission temperature seems to jump from 80 to 130 F at times, so I'm assuming it's crapping out anyway.
Excellent info. Will add this feature at first trans fluid change. Funny how it's not even mentioned in the first 200k of "regular" driving maintenance. I'm thinking every 50k. Trans fluid is cheap. Transmissions are not.
The severe duty maintenance schedule on a 2017 Colorado claims every 45k miles. I tend to follow the severe schedule because, as you said, fluids are cheap.
Well over a year after you did the install, how's the dipstick holding up? Is it still reading accurately? does it still feel tight in the transmission? If you had to do it over again would you still go with the same dipstick?
What is the operating temperature to pull the plug and let the transmission fluid for proper fluid amount? One guy said 35 or higher, another guy said 190
Question: How do you drain these transmissions? No drain plug-suck it out through the side fill location? The overflow plug you use to check the fluid level is up too high to drain the pan. Your thoughts? Thanks!!
You can suck it out through the side plug with a vacuum pump. I always drop the pan and that way you can see if there is anything in the bottom that shouldn't be there and I change the filter at the same time.
@@duken4evr yeahp i got one on my truck works well, actually dropped temp a few degrees about 5, big difference was when stopping for ten min or so from driving, the fluid temp dropped another few degrees, i guess cause the pan being made of aluminum.
The steel fill level plug is in the left front bottom of the pan the rubber fill plug is on the right side of the transmission above the third pan bolt from the front
