You be the judge..

[Hall]

Originally Posted By: JustN89
To be honest, I'm not sure that the fill plug is accessible from the top.


On the Fusion, this plug is on the 'side' of the transmission and is accessible if you turn the steering wheel almost fully in one direction or the other (I don't remember which nor does it matter as yours may be entirely different).

 

[slacktide_bitog]

My choice would be #3

 

[maxdustington]

Measure it, dude. Why the extra work? A car on 4 jack stands makes me a bit queasy unless the surface is perfectly flat.

 

[JustN89]

Originally Posted By: 69Torino
The level is not going to be exact. Having the car on a 3-5% incline is not going to affect the level enough to matter to the transmission, as has been stated. If the fluid is coming out at a moderate rate, you can stuff the level plug back in. There is no magic “flow amount” even in the service manual. It states to reinstall the level plug when the ATF is flowing in a small stream. Yes, you access the fill port from the top, most Kias you should probably take the battery out, unless you have some magic trick funnel I haven’t seen. Yes, Amsoil ATF is built better than Kia SP-IV M. For that matter so is Maxlife. I used to put SPIII and IV in my Kias and Hyundais, until I discovered Maxlife. Now I’m using it in the Korean junk and in my Marauder and won’t go back to “lowest bidder” OEM Fluid.

Thanks for your input! ALways appreciate your insight.

 

[JeffKeryk]

The sealed transmissions and CVTs are a pain. Not sure why the companies are punishing me!
I would drain and measure, then refill.
It will be close, perhaps perfect.
Raise it level and check.
I have done new Accords and Altimas this way with good results.

 

[JustN89]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Originally Posted By: JustN89
I've heard mixed reviews on Hyundai's SP-IV fluid...


Where? Except it's price, I cannot find a single negative review of the SPIV-M fluid (the "M" is the new spec. since 2013).

A buddy of mine is the manager of the service department where I purchased my car and trust his advice when he told me it's not worth the price. However, many posts on hyundai-forums.com praise the fluid, which is why I say "mixed reviews". Problem for me is, there's just not much information about the latest formulation of it and if I'm going to spend that much money (which I'm willing to do, mind you), I'd rather spend it on a product that I know much more about, IE: Amsoil's ATF.

 

[JustN89]

Thanks for the input everyone. Looks like I'll be just measuring and replacing what comes out. I'll probably try to reach the level plug from the top as well, just to make sure I'm good.

 

[deven]

There is a reason the unit is sealed. The mfg doesn't want you to mess with it. Just drive the car and it will outlast your will to keep it anymore.

 

[JustN89]

Originally Posted By: deven
There is a reason the unit is sealed. The mfg doesn't want you to mess with it. Just drive the car and it will outlast your will to keep it anymore.

Hm.. wonder why it has a service schedule then.

 

[IndyIan]

Drive the front on to ramps and then jack up the rear and place your jack stands. Use a 1' long piece of 2x4 on the jack and center it in the middle of the rear axle.

 

[deven]

Originally Posted By: JustN89
Originally Posted By: deven
There is a reason the unit is sealed. The mfg doesn't want you to mess with it. Just drive the car and it will outlast your will to keep it anymore.

Hm.. wonder why it has a service schedule then.

If it has a service schedule then IMO it shouldn't be sealed!

 

[KrisZ]

There is no such thing as a "sealed" transmission in a vehicle. At least I have not seen one yet where the case would have to be cracked open in order to drain the oil.
If a tranny has means to drain and fill the ATF, even if it is not straight forward, it is not sealed.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: JustN89
Originally Posted By: deven
There is a reason the unit is sealed. The mfg doesn't want you to mess with it. Just drive the car and it will outlast your will to keep it anymore.

Hm.. wonder why it has a service schedule then.


The reason probably has more to do with the fact that they want you to take it to the dealer to get it serviced and make it difficult for you to DIY. If it had a dipstick tube, you could just suck the transmission fluid out and replace it without dropping the pan.