No, I'm not on vacation in California. The wife's 2002 Malibu needs a tranny cooler line replaced. It looks easy enough, but there is no dipstick tube to check the fluid level and add new fluid. what is the secret to doing this. The first place I called said that you replace the trasmission and lines together and fill the tranny when you rebuild it. That can't be right,even on a Chevy. What am I missing?
it's stupid. the newer 4T60 variants have no dipstick - only a fill hole.
my idea was to make a dipstick on the fill plug if possible before anything happens. on the cavalier when the tranny line went it dumped some and i just added until the car moved with no slipping then added some more for good measure. that was 10k miles ago.
or drop the pan, change the filter while there, and add whatever it says for a filter change.
The speed sensor works as the dipsticks IIRC.
I haven't looked at a 4T60, but a bunch of the mid '90's and up GM products didn't have dipsticks. To fill it, you have to add through the speed sensor hole and then under the car, on the pan, you will see 2 plugs: one low as a drain plug, 1 high as a fill plug. You start the engine and run it until warm, then remove the upper plug. Then you use a suction gun or similar to add fluid till it runs out of the hole, just like a manual tranny. Then you put the plug back in.
See the horizontal hole to the right? That's the level check hole I'm referring to.
Yeah, dumb as hell, ain't it? 
yes.. Trannies do live in malibu.
Ask me how I know.
(sorry)
lol, thank Wally I need'ed that
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