Checking The Fluid Level - Pontiac 2009 Montana SV6 Owner's Manual

Checking the Fluid Level

Prepare the vehicle as follows:
1. Park the vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
2. With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in P (Park).
3. With the foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position
the shift lever in P (Park).
4. Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes.
Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these steps:
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or
paper towel.
The automatic transmission dipstick is located
toward the back of the engine compartment, near the
brake master cylinder reservoir. The dipstick handle
is a red loop. See Engine Compartment Overview on
page 5-14 for more information on location.
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds, and
then pull it back out again.
3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the
lower level. The fluid level must be in the
cross-hatched area.
4. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
5-22
How to Add Automatic Transmission
Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of transmission fluid to use. See Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-11.
If the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid to bring the level into the cross-hatched area on the
dipstick.
1. Pull out the dipstick.
2. Using a long-neck funnel, add enough fluid at the
dipstick hole to bring it to the proper level.
It does not take much fluid, generally less than
one pint (0.5 L). Do not overfill.
Notice: Use of the incorrect automatic transmission
fluid may damage the vehicle, and the damages
may not be covered by the vehicle's warranty.
Always use the automatic transmission fluid listed
in Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on
page 6-11.
3. After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
described under "How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid," earlier in this section.
4. When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way.