2005 Pontiac Grand Prix Fluid overfill

PENNYDI

MEMBER
2005 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX
6 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
114,000 MILES

Hey Guys, Ok, so I drained the transmission fluid (for a good hour, too get as much as possible), cleaned the pan and magnet, removed old tran filter and seal, installed new filter and seal, new gasket, re-attached clean pan. So far so good right? Well, after referencing a Hayes manual, I filled dipstick hole with approx. 7 qts of tran fluid. After driving it home from work (1 hour) I checked level agian and it seems over-full : ( I've heard that is not good at all. So now what do I do? Is there any way the drain some off without draining from the tran pan? I've read siphoning and draining from the torque converter (dont know what or where THAT is). I am a novice (but not bad for a girl, I guess) :). You guys are the pros and I trust your advice. Please advise.I'm afraid to drive the car if it is over-full. Thank you for your help>

Penny

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,742 POSTS

You're right, overfilling can cause damage but not directly. When the fluid is too high, it will get whipped around by rotating parts, and air will get introduced. Air compresses, so the clutch packs will not apply properly and they will slip. That slippage will lead to excessive wear.

See your local parts store for a syphoning tool. It looks like a short, fat tire pump with a hose on the end. Instead of pushing air, it pulls liquid. They are used a lot for rear axles that don't have drain plugs, but they will work just fine through the dipstick tube for your transmission. You might have to make a longer hose to reach all the way in.

Caradiodoc