Please HELP! What did I do?!

[ransom511]

Ok, so I changed the oil in my wife's vibe last night for the first time, and drained and replaced the filter. After doing this, I put in the reccomended 3.9 quarts called for in the users manual. I then checked the dipstick, and it seemed to be well over the full mark. I couldn't get a clear reading, and decided to let the engine warm and then recheck, but received the same reading. The wife drove to work this morning, and complained of the transmission slipping! Is it possible that I filled it WAY too full, and now the oil is overflowing into the tranny compartment, thus causing the slipping? What the heck did I do? PLEASE HELP!

[joatmon]

What you did was drain the transmission, then add another gallon of oil to the engine. Tell her to not drive it, and you'll go to the store, buy enough transmission fluid and a long pointy funnel and go refill the transmission before she drives it again. Also, take a pan, and drain the extra gallon of oil out of the engine.The oil drain is on the passenger side, the tranny drain is on the drivers side. I bet the "oil" you drained was reddish in color. Of course if the car doesn't have an automatic transmission, then ignore this entire post

[ransom511]

This was my first thought, but I checked. It has to be oil. It was the one on the passenger side, closest to the oil filter. I will double check tranny fluid level, and to see if any oil has mixed in possibly. This whole thing just doesn't make any sense.

[Raivis]

there is no way for oil to "overflow" into the tranny. like said previously you drained the tranny and over filled the engine. you must not drive it befor draining some oil or you will blow a seal. plus you need to get some tranny fluid into it or your gonna fry your tranny.

[NibCrom]

Oh my gosh. Get the car towed on a flat bed. Sounds like you're in trouble.

[joatmon]

sorry to forget to say it before , Welcome to genvibe!What year is the Vibe? Any update on the car? I usually run the car for a minute or two after an oil change, then turn it off and let it sit for a while before checking the level. THey say to do a tranny fluid check while hot, idling in neutral/park after shifting through all the gears, but I think even off and cold, some level close to the correct range should still show on the dipstick.How about it AT owners, how much does the tranny dipstick level change between off and cold, or when hot, idling in neutral?

[keithvibe]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »How about it AT owners, how much does the tranny dipstick level change between off and cold, or when hot, idling in neutral?ALMOST ziltch almost alwasys reads at the hot level all the time

[ToolGuy]

The two are very unrelated...Check both the oil and trans fluids separately. Sounds like you have a trans issue and the level of fluid, color and smell will tell you about the trans. i.e. does it smell burnt?

[kevera]

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »What you did was drain the transmission, then add another gallon of oil to the engine. I have to go with Joat on this one,because 3.9 quarts won't take your oil levels over the full mark.And now all of a sudden,your tranny's slipping.The drain plug for the oil isn't really near the oil filter,the filter is up in front,and the drain plug is way at the back.Now the question is from where you drained the oil,was the drain plug in the middle of the pan or near the back of it.

[joatmon]

Quote, originally posted by ToolGuy »The two are very unrelated...Normally, but I am related to someone who did what I guessed, drained the tranny, swapped the engine oil filter, added engine oil to the engine, which caused the oil level of the engine to be way high, and the tranny to slip. So I know first hand (after the fact) that it can happen.mistakes happen, such is life

[jake75]

Which is ex-zachery why I don't change my own oil.

[ToolGuy]

I am sure then that is what happened in ransom511's case as you called it.If the trans was drained 4 quarts and then driven, I am afraid damage could have occured then.