when my mom first got home in the 97 ws6 with 4l60e, i was told to check the oil level. Well it checked out fine but when i went to the trans fluid, it looked like a little moisture was on there but it was clear, i wiped it on a rag and put it in and back out and it was empty.

so i grabbed the keys and put it threw all the gears with it running, not letting the car move. check the fluid and there is a little on it, but really bubbly. and instead of red like i would think it should be, it was more orange/pink.

also when i first checked it, i was able to wipe a black dust off the dipstick which i am assuming is metal shavings.

and this car is about to get droven for about 5 hours by a driver who doesnt know anything about cars and drives like a maniac from time to time. so i would like a quick answer please?

is there anything wrong with the fluid level

and i just noticed on my car(with 4l60e) there is alot of the black buildup on the dipstick as well, just put black streaks on the shop towel

sorry for making this so long, thanks for any advice that is given!

 

How many miles are on the car? Maybe you should do a fresh fluid/filter change, then you have a sort of baseline to work off of. Make sure there are no visible leaks or cracks in the case. As for the tranny fluid being hard to read, maybe let the car hit operating temperature first, drive it around some, and then check the fluid. As for the blackish material, that is usually normal and general wear of the clutch bands in the transmission. If it is very excessive or you see metal debris, then you have a more serious problem.

 

well when i first checked it it had been driven for a while.

it has about 60k on it, and i cant do the work cause they dont trust me enough for that...

so i guess i will tell them to take it somewhere to get it done.

damnit dude... ever since my brother has been taking the car for long drives to his girlfriends house he has killed the rear axle, gave it a horrible stumble on throttle response... and this...(if this is anything)

the thing i was wondering most about is why does it seem to be more orange or pink in color?

 

Sounds like its just low on fluid. That will cause it to be aerated somewhat, which isnt all that good. Fill the thing to the correct level for christs sake and it'll probably be ok. There's gotta be a leak somwhere though for it to be down. Driving it around low on fluid is really bad, especially if its being beaten. The gray is normal wear and tear. It should have the fluid/filter changed provided theres nothing excessive in the pan, so take it to someone you trust to not sell you a tranny just to make a buck.

 

That certainly isn't good if there is no fluid reading on the dipstick! And if you think there are metal shavings in there, I would suggest a flush. If I ever find metal shavings in mine, I wouldn't even think twice about flushing it or not. Sucks they won't just let you do it though, it isn't hard

 

well again today i decided to get it right after it was droven for a few minutes and check it again(this time on a level surface) and it was right in the warm/hot spot... so i guess there is no reason to start worrying then...

thanks much