ATF Level Check Honda/Acura - Get Accurate Reading

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

2014 Acura TSX 114,000 miles, 2.4 L engine, Automatic transmission.
Did a drain and refill today, first time sense I have had the car, and probably the first for the car.

Previously when checking the level, I could see dark red film on the dip stick. I poured in the exact amount it said (well as close as I could get with the marking on the quart container), 2.64 quarts. Turned on the car, saw no leaks. I drove around the neighborhood two times, getting up to operating temperature. Checked the level, and I saw dark film up to the Hot Line (likely the old fluid). Cleaned it off and checked again, and I see nothing, but a very light clear film, that I can barely see, and dark red film at the very bottom of the dip stick. Using the dark red film as the level, I have ran the transmission on nearly no fluid (yikes). However I heard no loud noises, scrapes, rattles, or anything concerning. I checked again underneath the car where the drain bolt was and the filter, no leaks.

How can I get an accurate reading? Looking online, the DW-1 Acura/Honda ATF fluid is supposed to be clear-ish, but what I had originally was redish (maybe it was just old and the original at nearly 10 years old with over 100,000 miles on it). In my case it’s basically translucent on the dip stick. When I poured it in, I noticed it was redish with like a neon blue color. I got it from the Acura dealership, and it was their DW-1 fluid, what the service information said to put in.

I take it I should just not worry about it, knowing that I poured in the proper amount, and no evidence of leaks? Kind of would like to get an accurate reading. Thanks for the help.

This is my first time doing transmission maintenance on a Honda/Acura product. Not sure if this is typical or not.

2

The transmission takes longer to reach normal operating temperature than the engine. Drive for at least 5 miles before checking the fluid level. The fluid volume shown in the manual is an estimate, more fluid may be needed.

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I test the level of new fluids on a dip stick by the old system of pull out, wipe, insert, out again and look at the level, but often the problem you have comes up where it’s hard to see the new clean fluid on the stick. Try carefully laying the end of the stick on a new plain paper towel for a moment, then roll the stick over a half turn and compare the wet area on the towel to the markings on the stick.

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About the only thing a car owner can do to improve the reading’s accuracy is to make sure the car is level, and carefully follow the owner’s manual instructions, especially about far to drive to get the fluid at normal operating temperature, whether the engine should be idling or stopped, and if they spec a pre-measurement shifting routine. Even if the fluid is nearly invisible, it can still be seen under good light with a magnifying glass, while slightly rotating the dipstick to vary the angle the light hits it. I use one of those round florescent lights that has a big magnifying glass in the middle. Sometimes it is easier to see using an LED flashlight to provide the illumination, b/c LED light is polarized. If the level is different on one side of the dipstick than the other, I just presume the side with the lowest level is the one to use.