My husband found the transaxel fluid dipstick partially out (oil change/fluid check 1 mo. ago professionally). Dry. Added fluid to level (2 liters). Will start, but dies when shifted into gear from park or neutral. 93 Mitsubishi. Is there a way to “prime” or what should I do?
What you should not have done is added 2 qts of fluid when you could not identify why you were low on fluid.
That being said, your car is dying for some other reason besides being low on some type of fluid.
I would like to educate the public that adding fluids is not the first thing to do when their car is acting up, but they all do it.
Why did he check the fluid level in the automatic transmission? Was there the problem of stalling, at that time? Was there some other problem?
Two (2) liters (over 2 quarts) is a lot of automatic transmission fluid for an automatic transaxle to be low on. The fluid level being so low could have damaged the automatic transaxle. Could it have caused the automatic transaxle to lock up? Good question. You need a transmission specialist to evaluate the transaxle.
Dying when shifted into gear sounds like the torque converter is stuck. When I’ve seen this in our shop it wouldn’t free up, it needed replaced.
Time to see the transmission shop.
I suspect you have far too much fluid in the transmission now. It’s supposed to be checked when warm, idling in neutral.
Another thing that is important to note is that fluid is not likely to escape from the dipstick tube. The only way this can happen is on the few cars that have a tiny, buried dipstick that is clear down by the pan. Did this problem immediately start after adding fluid? It could be related. Based on the symptoms, I would guess it is the torque converter clutch solenoid or the torque converter itself.
When Jiffy Lube checked our fluids, they left the trans fluid dipstick partially out. Over the next month the trans fluid sprayed throughout the interior of the engine. It had some minor symptoms my teenage son overlooked. Then locked up. The transmission is being replaced or rebuilt at a shop as the lack of fluid ruined the transmission. No prior problems. Appreciate the feedback, but the damage was done so fluids couldn’t help. You guys got that. Thanks.