I let the meatheads at Jiffy Lube do a drain and fill on my civic cause I was too lazy. When I got it back the shift quality had gotten worse. I looked at the dipstick and it appeared they made sure it was completely at the max fill mark.

I drained it and tinkered with it til I found the optimum spot for fluid is the middle point on the dipstick. You don't want it full but you don't want it to the min.

Then what you can do is get two gallon jugs. When you drain, pour the old fluid into one of the jugs. Then put them on a level surface and match up the fluid by pouring the new fluid in the other jug. It took about 3 drain and fills with some driving on the freeway in between each fill to get the fluid coming out red so I'm going to do a drain and fill at each oil change at 10k. I use fully synthetic engine oil with a Bosch distance plus D3323 oil filter. The transmission fluid change wound up being around 2 quarts or so and it's only a few ounces to go from min to max on the dipstick.

 

Do you measuring when it is cold?

 

No you must measure when the fluid is hot and only on level ground.

 

Exactly how was it shifting worse?


I've had mine at the full level for years and it shifts great.

 

Just not shifting as good, it was like night and day with the few ounces of difference from full to about halfway.