# No Transmission Dipstick on my Cruze



## Spyder (Dec 26, 2010)

Most new cars do not have one. I don't like it much either but what can ya do but except it or learn how to service it yourself?


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## elwood58 (Feb 2, 2011)

Auto Tranny Dipsticks have been disappearing for a while now. The advantages of creating a completely closed system, versus having a vent point that could allow pressures and fluid out while possibly letting debris in.

The initial migration started with the addition of an O-Ring to many of the dipsticks, and then the stick starting disappearing, especially on front wheel drive vehicles.

Most people rarely checked the fluid level, and many that did had no idea how to check it properly.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

Unfortunately, the _"...no dipstick..."_ transmission is just another result of Detroit's response to EPA's _"...sealed for life..."_ mentality, where-in Detroit touts "100,000 mile service life" but make it functionally _impossible_ for the owner to check or service themselves...it MUST be done by a shop.

...a paraphrasing of Jack Nicholson's Col. Nathan Jessep's quote in "*A FEW GOOD MEN*" comes to mind right about now:

_"...*SERVICE*? You can't handle the *SERVICE..!*"_


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

On my 2004 cavalier there is no trans fluid dipstick either. There is however a small plug you can remove to check the level similar to a rear axle on a rear wheel drive car (too much work if you ask me). 

I noticed when changing my oil one day the transmission pan gasket was seeping/leaking, so instead of driving it not knowing how much fluid was in there I took it to the chevy dealer & had the trans filter & fluid changed for around $90. I figured that was a small investment over replacing a ruined transmission from running it too low.


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## Uns69 (Jan 30, 2011)

spacedout said:


> On my 2004 cavalier there is no trans fluid dipstick either. There is however a small plug you can remove to check the level similar to a rear axle on a rear wheel drive car (too much work if you ask me).
> 
> I noticed when changing my oil one day the transmission pan gasket was seeping/leaking, so instead of driving it not knowing how much fluid was in there I took it to the chevy dealer & had the trans filter & fluid changed for around $90. I figured that was a small investment over replacing a ruined transmission from running it too low.


If thats the case for our Cruze, then its not so bad. VW charged me more than that just to check the level.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Uns69 said:


> If thats the case for our Cruze, then its not so bad. VW charged me more than that just to check the level.


It is probably would cost more normally to have the dealer change the fluid, filter, & pan gasket. The one local dealer almost weekly has some service deals in the paper, I noticed the ad right after the leak & took it in. I wouldn't expect the sale price was that much less than normal price, its probably still under $150.


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## strick8 (Jan 9, 2011)

I had a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire with no dip stick.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...of course, it could _also_ be that *GM* (unlike *Castrol*™) doesn't want us to _"...think with your *dipstick*...Jimmy!"_ (ha,ha)


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## SilverCruzer (Nov 30, 2010)

strick8 said:


> I had a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire with no dip stick.


 Yes...and I can recall owning a car from the early nineties that also did not have a transmission dipstick.


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## Spaceme (Jan 20, 2011)

Not having a transmission dipstick is just a way for car companies to get more money from car owners. You have to take the car in for a transmission fluid change. And how much do dealerships charge per hour for labor?

I had a 2006 that needed to have both the front wheel bearings changed out. The bearings cost about $100 each. The final total cost was about $650. So $450 of labor. Good thing it was under warranty. Later, when I was out of warranty, I changed one of the bearings myself after figuring out how easy it was to do.

That being said, I will figure out how to change my fluid and filter myself. It has a transmission pan that has to be removed to change the filter and it also has a fill plug. It just doesn't have a dipstick.


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## Spaceme (Jan 20, 2011)

After doing some searching and investigating about the various systems in the Cruze, I have found out that the Chevy Cruze has it's own separate transmission cooler. This is a very good thing.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...here's an illustration of the oil-cooler for the transmission fluid:


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## saturntocruze (Dec 13, 2010)

How cool is that? How many cars are out there with an automatic trans have their own aux cooler. And why didn't the marketing pros at GM tell us about this.


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## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

saturntocruze said:


> How cool is that? How many cars are out there with an automatic trans have their own aux cooler. And why didn't the marketing pros at GM tell us about this.


Because they're marketing the car as an "economy" car to help boost their overall EPA rating, although they've built a solid foundation for a track car


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

VOICE: "...please _ignore_ the man _behind_ the curtain."

...just because he looks like a racer, wears a racing suit and has on a race helmet and gloves, is NO SIGN he's not an EPA _economy_ driver.


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## Spyder (Dec 26, 2010)

70AARCUDA said:


> VOICE: "...please _ignore_ the man _behind_ the curtain."
> 
> ...just because he looks like a racer, wears a racing suit and has on a race helmet and gloves, is NO SIGN he's not an EPA _economy_ driver.


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## montgom626 (Jan 16, 2011)

*I am the dipstck*

In my car, I am the dipstick for the tranny


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## lostjuan (Jan 21, 2011)

saturntocruze said:


> How cool is that? How many cars are out there with an automatic trans have their own aux cooler. And why didn't the marketing pros at GM tell us about this.


So in a front end collision you have the potential of having to replace FOUR radiator
devices YIKES. Plus if you just happen to puncture the oil line to the cooler 
and the motor keeps running... it could be very expensive.
Rad, Oil cooler, AC condenser and the intercooker errr, cooler I meant.


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## Spaceme (Jan 20, 2011)

lostjuan said:


> So in a front end collision you have the potential of having to replace FOUR radiator
> devices YIKES. Plus if you just happen to puncture the oil line to the cooler
> and the motor keeps running... it could be very expensive.
> Rad, Oil cooler, AC condenser and the intercooker errr, cooler I meant.


Actually, a separate transmission oil cooler is not an extra cause for concern as most cars and trucks have oil lines running from the transmission to the vehicle's radiator instead of having a separate oil cooler. Most vehicles have a trans oil cooler that is integrated into the radiator. This is usually done to get the operating temperature of the transmission up faster. I have never liked this engineering decision because if the engine is operating at a higher temperature (because of increased load on the vehicle, or if in hotter climates, or if the engine is overheating), then it will cause the transmission to run hotter than it should. Cooler transmission oil and therefore cooler internal components prolongs the life of both the oil and the internal parts.

So a separate cooler isolates the transmission cooling system away from the rest of the vehicle and is more efficient. Also, should you have to change your car's radiator for any reason, you don't have to disconnect any transmission lines from the radiator which could introduce debris into the trans oil.

I see it as glass half full instead of a glass half empty.


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## lostjuan (Jan 21, 2011)

I saw oil cooler and thought just that, not tranny. Actually my corolla had eng. oil cooler it was a fun day when one of the lines burst. We used to use old condensers off fridges for transmission coolers, way back after the fall of saigon. Yeah, heat and transmissions, never should the two meet. I should actually take a look under the hood and see some of these coolers especially that intercooker.


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## GM_6T40_Trans_Engineer (Feb 26, 2011)

Spaceme said:


> Actually, a separate transmission oil cooler is not an extra cause for concern as most cars and trucks have oil lines running from the transmission to the vehicle's radiator instead of having a separate oil cooler. Most vehicles have a trans oil cooler that is integrated into the radiator. This is usually done to get the operating temperature of the transmission up faster. I have never liked this engineering decision because if the engine is operating at a higher temperature (because of increased load on the vehicle, or if in hotter climates, or if the engine is overheating), then it will cause the transmission to run hotter than it should. Cooler transmission oil and therefore cooler internal components prolongs the life of both the oil and the internal parts.
> 
> So a separate cooler isolates the transmission cooling system away from the rest of the vehicle and is more efficient. Also, should you have to change your car's radiator for any reason, you don't have to disconnect any transmission lines from the radiator which could introduce debris into the trans oil.
> 
> I see it as glass half full instead of a glass half empty.


The transmission is designed to run at a nominal operating temperature of 90C. Operating temperatures less than 90C can adversly affect the operation of transmisison and will decrease efficiency.

Contrary to popular belief, the company is not out to take advantage of the customer by deleting the dipstick.


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