on my 300D i noticed that the trans fluid when warm is at the minimum mark but when its cold its about 1 inch over the maximum mark.

and the trans is leaking real bad but i haven't looked from where yet

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06 VW Jetta TDI

Better pull the belly plate and clean it up to find the leak, especially the bell housing and trannie pan. Park over a big piece of cardboard and trace the spots back up If your lucky it's leaking from the cooler fittings, one of the hoses or the pan it's self (some tend to over tighten the pan and get a gasget leak). If the bell housing is getting wet..... might be the dreaded trannie $eal$

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1999 E300DT (131,800) 154,000 Black on Black SOLD

2006 CLK 500 coupe Capri Blue on Grey (zoom,zoom)
47,000mi

04 VW TDI Passat 80,000mi
(Techno)

How to eliminate oil dependency through market-driven approaches.
“We could cut oil use in half by 2025, and by 2040, oil use could be zero,”
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Ode to MB

sure hope its not the tranny seal, thats just not a fun job. most likely the steel lines anyways.

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Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

As long as they would add one additional commandment for you to keep thy religion to thyself.
George Carlin (Wonder where he is now..)

1981 240d (engine donor 1983 240d) recently rebuilt engine hurray! - No more.. fought a tree and the tree won.

pearl black 1983 240d 4speed (Converted!@$$%) atleast the tranny was rebuilt.

well it is leaking a little from between the TC and trans, the most of the leaks look like its coming from the sides.

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06 VW Jetta TDI

Are these readings with engine running, level surface, in park? Or with the engine off?

This would be consistent with fluid draining back into the pan when the engine was off. But I don't know if that's normal or not since I never through to check my AT fluid level with the engine off.

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'83 300DTurbo http://badges.fuelly.com/images/smallsig-us/318559.png

Broadband: more lies faster.

I just got the car and i have NOT touched the trans at all, with the car running on a level surface in park at operating temp, the fluid is at the minimum mark.

i went out and checked it the next day with the car in the same place but cold and NOT running the fluid was about one inch over the maximum mark.

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06 VW Jetta TDI

really that doesnt matter, what matters is what the fluid level is when the car is running.

__________________
Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?

As long as they would add one additional commandment for you to keep thy religion to thyself.
George Carlin (Wonder where he is now..)

1981 240d (engine donor 1983 240d) recently rebuilt engine hurray! - No more.. fought a tree and the tree won.

pearl black 1983 240d 4speed (Converted!@$$%) atleast the tranny was rebuilt.

IIRC, when cold, the level is ~2cm below where it'll be when warm. It should be exactly at the full mark when warm. Sounds like yours is a tad low.

I don't know about when the engine is not running, but having a higher level could be normal (fluid draining back into the pan from higher points in the system). I wouldn't worry unless someone more knowledgable says to or you're having problems.

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'83 300DTurbo http://badges.fuelly.com/images/smallsig-us/318559.png

Broadband: more lies faster.

You can not get an accurate reading of transmission fluid level when the engine is not running. The marks on the dipstick are designed to properly read the level when the engine is running, thus turning the transmission and thus turning the transmission fluid pump inside the transmission. This causes the pump to pull up fluid from the pan and circulate it throughout the transmission, including the torque convertor. That's what the dipstick is calibrated for - and in some cases there are marks for "cold" and for "hot". In both cases the engine must be running, and the more accurate reading is done when hot, idling in Park, just after having switched between drive and reverse a few times.

When you stop the car, the fluid circulation stops and drains back into the pan, resulting in a higher level. There is probably a reason why this is not considered a proper condition for calibrating marks on the dipstick, and my guess is that there is some dependence on fluid draining down depending on how the transmission (or pump) stops - whether it lets fluid fully drain or not.

Ken300D

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1982 300D at 351K miles
1984 300SD at 217K miles
1987 300D at 370K miles

will a warm overfull trans not shift?

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06 VW Jetta TDI