Bongo Fury

dandywarhol wrote:Hillman Avenger (jeez, now I'm showing my age )

Hate to admit it Dandy, but I remember them too! Even remember the Hillman Minx with "Easydrive" transmission. How old does that make me feel??


The way I normally check tranmission fluid level is to start the engine, select each gear-lever position waiting in each for a couple of seconds, then put the lever in park and dip the box immediately, still with the engine running. This should distribute the fluid throughout the box and give a reasonably accurate reading on the dipstick. It's always worked for me anyway, and I've had loads of automatics.

Hi moonshne....
Yes apparently the gearbox is chain driven to engage gears, or so the garage said it was.....Talking of centrifugal clutches to technical for me friend.

But a very good post regarding the checking of the auto box...( i take it this would be for any autobox Friend?)
I will try my bongo with this method as there was not much clear cut info on really how to do it on this forum...

( I will be much happier if the search facility can be moderated to find clearer searches to ones wording )

Its not really a chain drive but a clever system of expanding pulleys.....see HERE

This thread is getting confusing

Are we talking about Fiesta autoboxes or Bongo ones?

If we are talking about Fiesta ones, would someone like to get it back on topic?

Hi chiefster1976,

That method of checking fluid levels has worked ok for me on a wide variety of vehicles with conventional auto gearboxes, including my Bongo. It's the method I was taught when I first worked in a garage many moons ago and I have used it ever since. I have had automatics for the last 30 odd years (giving my age away now) and found it to be the best way as it circulates the fluid to all parts of the gearbox. When the engine has been stopped for some time, a lot of the fluid which would be circulating in the gearbox and torque converter while driving would have drained back into the gearbox sump and thus give a false high-reading on the dipstick if you checked it with the engine off.

The ONLY way to accurately check these type of autoboxes is with the engine running - every workshop manual I've come across states that. The reason (as far as I can make out) for selecting "D" rather than "P" is to lower the revs therefore have less splash on the dipstick.