Checking Transmission fluid
 

I have been trying to check my Transmission fluid. I have the Chiltons book and also viewed some youtube videos. They all show to remove the air cleaner pipe and then there is a dip stick under where that pipe ran. But my car does not have a dipstick in that area and I really need to check the fluid level. Any one run into this?

I believe your vehicle has two different transmission options, would you know which you have?

Hey, Kemosabi49. I went out and took photo of tranny dipstick, but can't upload it right now due to electronic issues.

But to locate tranny fluid dipstick, 2006 CVT tranny for AWD Ford 500:
1) face the car engine compartment
2) half way back the length of battery
3) left side of battery, some two inches more to the left (yeah there are two tubes/pipes in the way up top)
4) down 12 inches is the top of dipstick. The only thing that shows is a dull black plastic ring (on top end of dipstick) - sized for a big finger - means you've found the hidden dipstick! A flashlight is needed to see it.
5) The ring of the dipstick is labelled in white letters - that don't stand out.

You don't have to remove the tube/pipe(s) to access it - you can force your hand and forearm down (between the tubes and the battery) and pull out the dipstick to read it. It pulls out to the rear, angled up. What a difficult access point for fluid measurement level.

The Ford CVT fluid is pale blue-green in color out of the bottle; turns brown as it is used and (I guess) darker brown as it needs replacement. The Ford transmission fluid service recommendation is 60,000 miles. To judge from comments on this forum, it seems most Ford 500's must be over that 60,000 - mine was way overdue when I bought it, having never been serviced.

Observations on servicing this CVT:
1) the only source of this tranny's CVT fluid is Ford (no aftermarket brands, so independent service shops 'can't get it delivered' in the middle of a service job, since no dealer will deliver to another shop), and
2) the dipstick access is hard to find/figure for a not-Ford trained mechanic. So an independent shop might simply note on their checklist that it's a 'sealed transmission' or something - rather than say they can't find the dipstick.

Hope this helps you, or the next guy!

I took it to Southwest Ford in Weatherford, Tx. I bought my '08 Focus new there when I lived nearby and I was visiting in the area so I figured why not. They have always been a good place to go. Well uhoh, they told me just what you said. It was sealed. I asked them how they knew when it was full when they changed the fluid as required by their maintenance schedule and he couldn't answer.
Anyway, I pulled the car up on a block of wood so I could fit under and look. And I found it. It seems to be easier to access from underneath but I didn't try as the car wasn't near level. Maybe next week when I have some time. Anyway here is a pic I took from under the car looking up between the back of the motor and the firewall. Looks like a lot of room to get my arm down from the top, but it isn't. dipstick handle is yellow
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...37e1301f15.jpg

FWD transmission. Kemosabi, that dipstick in above photo, looks so different than mine that I checked my service manual - you have the 6 spd tranny for FWD. The drawn illustration in the manual shows your type dipstick, its vertical orientation (like your photo) and says your tranny fluid is deep red in color.

AWD transmission (CVT). So, your tranny doesn't use the special blue-green CVT fluid I described in post #3. The manual says several times in bold letters that the CVT blue-green fluid is unique and incompatible with other tranny fluids.

This is to clarify for others who might search out this thread.

Does anyone know where to add fluid to this car, not a CVT.

Easiest is using the dipstick tube, slowly. Easy to do with funnel and 3/8” clear tubing.