# 2001 Chevy malibu transmission dipsitck question



## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Where is it? LOL I know what your thinking, I've looked everywhere under the hood, in the manual, in the owners manual, theres a screw on cap on top of the transmission with a dime size hole but I have yet to find a dipstick for checking the trans fluid level, and I can' find anything in the owners manual or Haynes manual about it.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

It could be a thing of the past. There are certain cars that do not have a tranny dipstick.....I'm old school and to not be able to check fluid levels is out of the ordinary. I think we need to consider marketing and manipulation that forces the buyer back to the dealership. 

I still remember when a $5.00 fix on a certain car cost many peeps their lives and injured many others. The bottom line is the only thing that is of importance in the American economy.

Good luck with the dipstick.... if you can't Google it and Haynes does't show it, you ain't got it.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Pretty sure they have a plug in the side and you can't check the level, along the lines of what they did with A/C units drain and refill with the required amount. One of Dumbest Ideas I've seen in awhile.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Thanks guys, looks like I'm screwed then, guess I won't worry about it till its time to change it and the filter or until I see the first leak.

SABl whatever you do , don't google Malibu trans dipstuick LOL, I did and it locked my computer up hard just from a info overload LOL


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Ok I just got off the search engines ( I have readers cramp too) I did find a PDF file about checking, adding replacing and all that on newer Chevy Malibu's transmission, apparently like wrench said theres a plug in the side, and the cap on top leads me to believe that theres a plug somewhere, but this PDF has the procedures for removing the plug, its location and all the proper and safety procedures for checking and filling the trans with fluid.

So...like I said, if it aint time to change it or until I se a leak.

Oh and thank God theres shops that do trams fluid changes, I'd hate to have to rig up a fluid changer on this setup LOL.


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

GM has most likely made the job far too complicated than it needs to be. When the time comes for servicing I wish you luck on finding a good shop. They ARE out there but could be hard to find.....guess I am too cynical.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

When it comes time, I'll go straight up the street to Tread Quarters and see my old boss from both there and the Navy, he's obsessed with perfection when he works on peoples cars almost to the Monk point, and if he can't do it, he knows somebody who can, and he will not recommend anybody that doesn't meet his personal standards , Gotta love old warrant officers from the Navy 

Unless of course I can do it here, I'm another one that is obsessed with automotive perfection.


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## northerntech (Aug 25, 2009)

you can check the transmission fluid yourself if you want to crawl underneath the car. the red cap at the top of the transmission is for filling. you have to go under the car and remove a small bolt head plug from the far right side of the transmission. start up the car and fill in oil until it runs out of the plug. then just reinstall the plug and you're good to go.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Yea thats what the tech notice I found on the GM website said too. I just hope its easily accessible, cause with my old bones crawling under cars isn't as easy as it was back in the 70's


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