Tranny fluid amt

[freshtiva]

1989 Festiva four speed

I'm drained my tranny fluid and added 2.6 quarts but its not coming up to the correct level on the dipstick. ( Speedo gear ) Does the four speed take more fluid ? None of my manuals show a difference between the four speeds and five speeds. I'm on level ground and making sure the speedo gear is going in all the way. What gives ?

[Pu241]

It's hard to see!
Use a paper towel to see if there is any liquid on the speedo assembly.
Might try and hold to light to see if the liquid shows itself as a shinny area at a certain level.
think the 2.6 US Qts is pretty close.
Is your car lowered?

[freshtiva]

Not lowered. I put in two quarts and 20 OZs more and its not close to the L mark yet. Im not putting any more in. I just thought maybe the four speed took more than a five speed. Weird :?

[Pu241]

Well FWIW, 2.6 Qts is nearly on the money in mine!
Just need to top it off and I should be done!
Somethings not right with yours mine drained for 3 days so was as empty as was going to get!

[jglutz]

If the book says 2.6qts....I would trust that...take a spin and then recheck....I've never seen, in any of the books stating a visual level. Iv'e had the cable out a bunch of times...never looked inside for the level....however, the gear was always wet.

On the othe hand...if the clutch slips and smells bad...I think I know where the fluid went.

One time I change out the tranny fluid on my festiva....from a gallon container i filled a beaker and added the specified amount...after I fastened the speedo cable and returned to the work bench...I picked up a rag to wipe my hands and wrench...under the rag I found the drain plug...nothing like washing the garge floor with dextron.

[freshtiva]

Ill bet that was a mess. :roll: Ive put 2.6 quarts in the five speeds before and it was right on. I was thinking since the fours speeds have less gears in them maybe there is more space inside the tranny to fill. Thus a little more fluid. This is my first four speed. I might take the speedo gear out of a spare 5 speed tranny Ive got and compare it with the four speed. I did it by the book but it didnt fill it up to the Low mark on the gear. Anyone else have actual memory of the dipstick reading on a four speed after draining and adding 2.6 quarts ? Something isnt right.

[25Horseplay]

When it blows up because its low on fluid you can upgrade to a 5 speed!

[jglutz]

Mess...not to bad...now whenever i spill antifreeze it cleans up with a squeegee and dust pan

First 4 speed...wonder how many times your going to look for 5th gear?

[25Horseplay]

First 4 speed...wonder how many times your going to look for 5th gear?

Thats kinda funny because last weekend I let Willie (Genevadirt) drive my 89L and he kept looking for 5th gear!

[freshtiva]

:lol: Ive tried shifting to fifth dozens of times ,plus every time the shift light comes on I freak and look at it thinking its an warning light. The RPMs seem really high at 70 MPH. :shock: I kinda of like the carb though. Its definitely different. Its kind of got that loping cam effect when its cold. It runs good though, I havent tested the mileage yet.

[jglutz]

seem really high at 70 MPH.

I havent tested the mileage yet.

To calculate mpg's...I divide the miles travled by the amount of gas used then multiply the result by 1.5 (the "If I didn't drive like a maniac factor)

[Pu241]

If the book says 2.6qts....I would trust that...take a spin and then recheck....I've never seen, in any of the books stating a visual level.

Haynes Manual
Page 1-20
figure 18.6

[GenevaDirt]

First 4 speed...wonder how many times your going to look for 5th gear?

Thats kinda funny because last weekend I let Willie (Genevadirt) drive my 89L and he kept looking for 5th gear!

I kept looking for fifth...listening for a bad noise, waiting for the doors to shake at high speed...waiting for the steering wheel to shake at speed.....none of those things happened....that car is tight!

I did witness something pretty funny before I started driving it though...Brian was not sure where he was shifting at when he got the car...it had no tach, I set him up with one that was orange like the rest of his car and his car was kph...the tach cluster I had converted within a few miles of real miles on the car. Once he put the tach in...he found that he had been shifting at 7,000rpms...lmao...and when we went to pick up my sport....he took it 7,000 in second gear and 55 mph before he shifted....the car just laughed at that and kept right on going...I couldn't believe it!!

[freshtiva]

seem really high at 70 MPH.

I havent tested the mileage yet.

To calculate mpg's...I divide the miles travled by the amount of gas used then multiply the result by 1.5 (the "If I didn't drive like a maniac factor)

Now people might take that first quote out of context.

I didnt even know you could rev a B3 to 7000 RPMs. :shock:

[Festiva GTX]

^ B3 engine at 7000 RPM that's about to going blow up the engine! unless you have BJ engine no worries hehe...