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L300 - Looking for tranny dipstick

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 12:25 pm
by tchp
I have a 1989 L300, and I can't seem to find the transmission dipstick. If I lift the passenger seat, the engine dipstick is immediately visible, but I have spent probably half an hour looking everywhere for the one for the transmission. I have the owner's manual, but the crudely rendered drawing of the transmission dipstick location has not been helpful. I have read some previous posts on similar questions, which make it sound like the thing should be clearly visible. Hopefully mine is not missing. Could anyone tell me where I would mostly likely find it, relative to the position of the engine oil dipstick? Thank you.

Re: L300 - Looking for tranny dipstick

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 1:38 pm
by Green1
maybe a silly question... but you DO have an automatic right? (manuals don't have a transmission dipstick where you're looking)

if so, the dip stick is immediately adjacent to the other dip stick, in fact many people accidentally check the wrong one when they check their oil...

Re: L300 - Looking for tranny dipstick

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:10 pm
by tchp
Yes, it is an automatic. When I get home I will take another look. Thanks.

Re: L300 - Looking for tranny dipstick

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 2:30 pm
by Green1
if it helps, the 2 are both nearly identical looking (white with a round handle) If I recall correctly the transmission one is the longer one sitting above the oil one which is a little more recessed and a bit lower.

Re: L300 - Looking for tranny dipstick

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:29 pm
by mararmeisto
Green1 wrote:if it helps, the 2 are both nearly identical looking (white with a round handle) If I recall correctly the transmission one is the longer one sitting above the oil one which is a little more recessed and a bit lower.
And when you pull it out, it will be about half-again as long as the oil dipstick.

Re: L300 - Looking for tranny dipstick

Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:42 pm
by tchp
Well, I looked again, and I cannot see any sign of another dipstick anywhere near the one for the engine on my van. I have attached some images below. I have also attached the crummy drawing from the owner's manual, showing the tranny dipstick, and cannot find anything in the drawing to serve as a recognizable point of reference. The drawing for the engine dipstick is also crudely done, but you can see things like the oil filler cap, radiator, etc. This drawing for the tranny dipstick looks quite different.

Re: L300 - Looking for tranny dipstick

Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 12:57 pm
by tchp
This is the drawing in the manual for the engine dipstick, showing the oil filter cap, top of the radiator, etc.

Re: L300 - Looking for tranny dipstick

Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 1:05 pm
by DelicaMark
I am thinking we need an auto gasser to comment on where it is.

Re: L300 - Looking for tranny dipstick

Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 1:14 pm
by docsavage
Just a guess as my gasser is manual, but that looks like it is behind the battery, and I believe Josh had to modify his battery box to get to the tranny dipstick. That square in the lower right looks like it has a battery terminal attached.

Re: L300 - Looking for tranny dipstick

Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 6:35 pm
by tchp
Yes, I think you are right about that being a battery terminal connection. I will check the battery compartment as soon as I get home and can look at it.

Re: L300 - Looking for tranny dipstick

Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:29 am
by tchp
Thanks a lot, as the tranny dipstick was indeed in the battery compartment. Never occurred to me to look inside there.

Re: L300 - Looking for tranny dipstick

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 2:21 pm
by mararmeisto
tchp wrote:...the tranny dipstick was indeed in the battery compartment...
Those crazy gassers! :?

Good that you found it, just the same. At least you won't have to guess as much as the diesels when we reach for ours: the front one? the rear one? oh yes, they're both white handled. Aaaaagggghhhhh!

Re: L300 - Looking for tranny dipstick

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 7:59 pm
by josh
Sorry, I just noticed this thread... glad you got it all sorted out. Yeah the guys at CC had to cut a hole in the side of my battery compartment so I could access the tranny dipstick, as the body is slightly different in a diesel than in a gasser.

Glad to see that James was paying attention when I showed him!

Josh