Ford Escort 1997 Owner's Manual page 140

Maintenance and care
It is best to check the transaxle
fluid level at the normal operating
temperature, after approximately
35 km (20 miles) of driving. If the
transaxle fluid level must be
checked under different
circumstances, make sure the
outside temperature is above 10 °C
(50 °F) to obtain an accurate fluid
level check.
Checking the automatic
transaxle fluid
1. Park the vehicle on a level
surface.
2. With the vehicle running and the
brake pedal depressed, move the
gearshift through each of the gear
ranges, allowing each gear to
engage.
3. Move the gearshift to P.
140
ON
II
P
R
N
D
D
L