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View Full Version : No trans dipstick on 2000 Grand Am 3.4L?


93sundance
03-13-2006, 03:04 PM
I lady I work with asked me to look for her transmission dipstick because she couldnt find it. I couldnt find it either, and I looked all over for it. Did GM quit putting trans dipsticks on some of the newer vehicles?
mcsvt
03-13-2006, 03:32 PM
Yes they did stop putting them for certain transmissions. I can't remember if the 3.4L is one of the sealed tran's though. It will usually have a red cap on top of the trans if it is sealed.
93sundance
03-13-2006, 05:13 PM
Yes they did stop putting them for certain transmissions. I can't remember if the 3.4L is one of the sealed tran's though. It will usually have a red cap on top of the trans if it is sealed.



Wow , thats crazy. GM is getting cheap. They want their cars to break so we have to take them in. I am not a GM fan anymore. THe old stuff is cool, but the new cars are a huge PITA.
mcsvt
03-13-2006, 05:31 PM
Yeah they started doing it a couple years ago. Basically an idiot light will come on if the trans is low or needs service. Not all there cars are like this though, a good amount still have the stick.
turbovanmanČ
03-13-2006, 05:36 PM
They haven't had a dipstick since the mid 90's. Basically you warm it up, car in park, lift up the car and theres a plug on the leg of the trans, unscrew and if fluid leaks out, its full, if not, fill thru the red cap until it does.

GM isn't the only one to do this, Volkswagen, BMW and alot of others do this. Why, I don't have a clue, its idiotic. :banghead: :banghead:
93sundance
03-13-2006, 06:16 PM
gm's newer designs suck. PITA to work on.
Avenger
04-15-2006, 04:30 PM
The reason is simple. Everytime you fill the tranny with fluid yourself, you aren't paying a GM dealership 50 or 60 bucks to do it.
turbovanmanČ
04-15-2006, 05:12 PM
The reason is simple. Everytime you fill the tranny with fluid yourself, you aren't paying a GM dealership 50 or 60 bucks to do it.

That has nothing to do with it, any shop can do it, even the lube guys.
Directconnection
04-15-2006, 06:36 PM
My wife has a '92 Grand Scam with the Quad OHV motor. Worse POS than the Quad 4 ever was. But, the funny part is the engine and tranny ar the best part of this car..everything else is screwed up. I did a search on TSBs and any info on this car and I was amazed at the amount of people complaining. One guy hated his Grand Am so much that he made a personal webpage about the car and about all of the $ and headaches he had into it. I thought the 2.2 k-based cars were cheap throw away vehicles.... wow.