Checking and/or changing transmission fluid
 

I copied for website. I hope I did it right.

http://knol.google.com/k/ehowknol/ch...e8hggiw4cz/620


Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate


Things You'll Need:
Hydraulic lift or oil change bay
Drip pan



Step 1:
Make arrangements to use a hydraulic lift or underground oil change bay. Keep in mind that the transmission fluid must be hot to be checked accurately, so you'll need to drive your HHR directly to the lift or bay after about 15 minutes of driving. This may complicate the timing if you're using someone else's lift or bay, so plan ahead and make an appointment if necessary. If possible, divide your 15 minutes of driving time between side streets and high-speed highways. This will force the car to go through all its gears during the drive, which will better distribute and warm up the transmission fluid.




Step 2:
Park the car over either a lowered lift or an open underground oil change bay. Leave the engine running. If you're using a hydraulic lift, make sure the lift arms are positioned under solid parts of the auto frame and use the controls to raise it up. You'll need to raise it high enough that you can get underneath it comfortably, but low enough that you can reach the transmission case.




Step 3:
Look at the bottom of the transmission case at the front of the HHR. You should see 2 removable plugs labeled "Drain" and "Check." Position a drip pan beneath the Check plug and unscrew the plug.

Editor's note: This is incorrect: The fill plug is on the top of the case. The check plug is on the side of the case, passenger side. There is no drain unless someone installed one after-market. (see illustration in post #7)

When reinstalling the pan bolts torque them to 106 lb INCHor you will distort the pan.


Step 4:
Observe the flow, if any, of transmission fluid coming from the plug. If you get a stream of transmission fluid, there is too much fluid in your system. If nothing comes out at all, there is too little fluid in the transmission. If you get a slow, steady drip, your fluid level is correct. Replace the Check plug. Make sure it's on tight before lowering the car or driving away.



Tips & Warnings
You won't find this information in the owner's manual of any Chevy with a sealed transmission; you'll only find a recommendation that you take your car to an authorized dealer for transmission service.
If you jack up your HHR with a floor jack to test the transmission fluid, all the fluid will run to 1 side of the transmission case and you'll get an inaccurate reading.


References
Automatic Transmissions and Transaxles; Tom D. Birch and Chuck Rockwood; 2009
Auto Repair for Dummies; Deanna Sclar; 2008
Chilton's Automatic Transmission Diagnosis and Repair: Auto Transmissions and Transaxles; Chilton; 1998

Written by Josh Crank

Great info...I have a question...Where do you put in the new fluid after removing the old fluid? How much new fluid does it take?
Thanks
Eddie

Eddie-

You add fluid thru the "Check Plug" hole, & the Automatic transaxle on complete drain & refill, takes approx 6.9 qts of DEXRON*-VI ATF.

Easiest to use a cheap remote pump for adding the fluid. Most auto-parts stores have them....

sleeper

hello, i have an 06 2LT auto, and I looked like crazy and could not find the plugs, I have changed a ton of filters and trans fluid in the past but i could not find these plugs.

I wouldn't expect to find it in the owner's manual but that information is in the HHR Service Manual. Also, that article is about checking the trans fluid and doesn't mention anything about changing it.

If you do a search for your topic, you'll probably find a post by "sleeper". It is an illustration from the Service Manual with arrows drawn to the "in" and "out" locations....yes, it has 2.

By the way, I think to do this correctly, you are supposed to weight the fluid.

Snoopy-

I think this is the image you've referred to..

There you are pbatman, sleeper to the rescue !!:lol:

Thanks, sleeper:thumb:

Thanks fellas, I did read somewhere about a red cap, but when I checked I only saw a black rubber disc that wasn't a cap to screw off but more of a 3 inch diameter rubber plug under a bunch of wire harnesses. I will check again, thanks for the info.

Is that true? I don't recall seeing two plugs where he mentions. I'll have to look again.

i did not see those two plugs either. I did not see the drain/check plug either that is shown on the diagram, Obviously that plug on the bottom should be easy to see providing the location of it but I must be crazy or it is just not there.

This is good stuff, but you should note that it's for Auto Trans in the title or back in the first post. I was getting confuzeled this early in the AM...

Is it possible to check the fluid level without a lift? Can the plug be reached with the passenger side tire off?

The fill plug is easy to find, at least with the 2.2L. While standing on the driver's side, just look down into the space between the air and fuse boxes. There might be a hose or wire in the way, but the black cap is easy to spot.

Use 4 jack stands.....

you can buy a new pan with removable plug and gasket from Napa for about @60.00:thumb:

Haven't done it on the HHR but you can buy a drain plug kit and install it on your stock pan like I did on my Ranger for under 10 bucks.

I've already dropped the pan, and replaced it with one with a plug do to damage. I just want to check the level which could be done by feel.

I was thinking of jacking up the passenger side, remove the wheel, and then lower the jack down until the car is level again (the spare might be the right thickness to use as a stand for this). Is it possible to reach the plug from the side? Or is there too much stuff in the way, or the bolt too much of PITA in the tighter space?

Hey trollbait, is that black cap you refer to ruber, around 2-3 inch diameter, and just pops out, and if so you just fill it up until you see fluid?

Anyone know how much does it cost to have it done by the dealer?

That sounds like it. If you are looking in the right area, there isn't anything else there to confuse it with.

Filling it up to that port is too much. I just added 6.9qts after dropping the pan. I wonder if the fluid can be seen in the filler port, for eyeball checking, while the car is running.

The dealer I called quoted $150 for the service.

Safest way to check it for us guys without lifts or coffin holes.... I drive up my curb from my neighbors driveway so both passenger wheels are on the curb, then I jack one wheel high enough to place one of my vehicle ramps under it as well as the other tire. Nice, safe, & level.

Worked great the last heavy hurricane rains we had. I had my Impala & Cobalt above the rushing water. My HHR of course was safe in my sloping driveway.

Definitely do NOT use the large black rubber plug as a fill hole for the transmission. It seems to be an inspection hole only. The fill plug is on the top of the transmissions, a bit further back than the inspection plug, between the air box and the relay box. It's a bit hard to spot, underneath some big wiring harnesses.

You'll need a long hose to do the refill. I used about one foot of 3/4" plastic hose stuck into the hole, with the shorter hose that come with those manual oil pumps stuck into the 3/4 hose.

I had ckecked with 2 dealers both quoted me $180.00

IMO, this is the main reason the dip-stick was omitted from our auto trannys..

I wish I read your response sooner, I found the right plug after trying to fill from the other rubber cap, I basically poured a gallon of Vavoline high mileage tranny fluid all over the driveway. Once I found the other cap no problems. You live and learn.

Thank god for this site and you guys. After replacing the Radiator and fluids, I could not find a dip stick for the tranny. I did find a dip stick, being me for buying this car.

That $180 from the dealer is exactly why there is no Dip stick to check your transmission.

Gm, is finding every way possible to get more money from you. Like after an accident both front seat belts lock shut. Never to unlock. Even though there was no passenger.

:( Sad, I love this car but, so much nonsense to deal with over simple things like checking your Transmission fluid.

The owners manual is funny, it says ( Reworded ) " Your screwed, give a GM dealer your money! Drive your vehicle to a shop, even though you need transmission fluid! Yada,yada,yada." No wonder they went bankrupt.

Thanks again guys, sorry for the ranting. Just a little PO'ed! :thumb:

So has anyone actually used this thread to change their trans fluid?

If so, is the 1st post the correct way of changing it?

auto trans
 

the fill plug is on top of trans, to the right of the pop out plug mine os blach and it screws out and in mine is located under a wide wirung harness. move it to one side or other and you will see the threaded plug.

Hi, I changed the fluid.
It took about 1 hour. It is not difficult.
There is a photo guide.
http://bigmotors.by/forum/viewtopic....8&p=4640#p4640
Ready to share experiences. :)

p.s. I think the difficulty with the transfer does not occur.

Nice photo guide anyway of converting that to English?

Courtesy of Google Translate - it's not perfect, but should be clear enough

So it is time to change the oil in the gearbox. So start: First you need to drain the old oil, as drain not, then you need to unscrew the tray with one hand and gently pour the oil. We poured into a plastic bucket to measure the number of blended oils. Unscrew the filler cap on top (under the hood exactly between the air filter and fuse block), to give access to the air.

When the oil is drained gently unscrew the whole pan and gently lower it down, because he is full of oil and pour out the oil in a bucket.

oil is drained, remove the pan

bottom view The filter is removed and out of the return oil to the bucket

The filter removed bottom view of the unfiltered Now we need to cater for himself tray at the bottom of the tray has a magnet on it and a lot of As, in the form of fine metallic dust

pan after removing the Well,

the pallet is ready for installation

Now we need to cater for the box itself before installing the new filter and pan.

Wipe the place of joining.

cook and the box itself

Set up in the box the new filter (the filter was a small O-ring golden brown), remove the ring and remove it is not necessary.

new filter Now put the pan back on and tighten nuts crosswise to avoid uneven tightening. Now prepare the oil for the filling.

Begin to pour oil, for the convenience of using a hose and funnel


device

Unscrew the bolt from the bottom box oil level. There is a nuance in the box, we have filled seven jars of 0.94 liters approximately 6.6 liters, so that's out of the hole the oil begins to flow when infused 6 cans. As they say Americans are determined by the intensity level of the oil leak. If the slow-flowing little much, many, medium at the time. Therefore, we measured the amount of oil drained.

bolt for oil control

Now insert the hose into the filler neck and begin to pour oil

process has gone

Here fill opening

a hose can be seen but the filler tube

cork

Tighten the plug in place. After the procedure the machine started up and drove a few miles. Then back to the pit in one place pursed gasket (acted a little oil), then another circle.


Everything is fine. What is missing is the price of the filter and fluid. Place of purchase.

Filter: 150 000. Shate th Oil: what is that about 1,053,936 rubles. The robin. For accuracy - measure, with empty bottles of oil, drained of oil.

What finally poured?

For manual: 6.6

Now everything. Thanks for the detailed report.

" As they say Americans are determined by the intensity level of the oil leak. If the slow-flowing little much, many, medium at the time." (quote from above)
:roflol:
This may be translated,but I haven't a clue what English dialect this is.:clueless:

I am keeping my beer hidden. Who knows when they are going to start the invasion.:corny:

Gentlemen, this is untranslatable play on words. :)

Look at the attached file.

http://bigmotors.by/forum/download/file.php?id=786

PDF file in the archive.

cool so 6 litres and check the fil nice one!

The ATF check level plug arrow in that image, is it pointing to that black tab(which is a sensor) on the side of the tranny, or is it plug out of view underneath?

It is possible to reach, that sensor at least, by removing the passenger wheel. With the wheel removed I lowered the car onto a wood block to get it to the right level.

having trouble finding that atf fill port.

And......?

You have tried the SEARCH box at the top of the page, right?

The easier thing is to read the entire thread post #7 has a picture.

This thread is old, but I have read it entirely to try and put the pieces together. I recently bought a '09 HHR SS with the 4-speed auto. Of course, the owner's manual says to take it to a dealer for a trans fluid change. But I do most of my own car work and want to drain it and change out the filter myself. I found a small plug on the bottom of the case near the passenger side axle. Is that a "drain" or "check" plug? I found the large black plug in the top of the trans. Is that for filling?

What is the procedure to perform this filter/fluid change? I know to drop the pan to empty the fluid. But how do I refill it and know it has the correct amount? A local tranny shop is telling me I need a special "removable dipstick" of some sorts. This seemed a little far-fetched.

Thanks in advance,
M Ridzon

That is a 'check' plug. There is no 'drain' plug, unless the pan has been outfitted with one, or replaced with a pan that has one.

Yes, refill via the filler cap on the top, with the vehicle level, until the fluid is at the bottom of the 'check' hole.

The Haynes manual has the whole procedure, but also warns that it "is best left to a professional shop with a safe lifting apparatus".